Retailers face significant revenue losses whenever online stores experience downtime, systems fail, or frontline employees lack the tools to act quickly. At the same time, generative AI platforms and AI agents are creating fresh opportunities to enhance online retail experiences and improve conversion rates. Although AI offers retailers the potential to boost profit margins and gain a competitive edge, many still struggle to convert experimental initiatives into consistent operational improvements and revenue growth.
At NRF: Retail’s Big Show, Lenovo introduced Smart Store Services and AI Retail Assistants, its latest AI-powered solutions designed to deliver immediate, measurable value. Backed by Lenovo Hybrid AI Services, these innovations integrate AI directly into daily retail operations, helping businesses prevent disruptions, support employees in real time, and scale AI performance across both physical and online stores.
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“Retail leaders aren’t investing in AI for experimentation; they’re investing to keep stores running, protect revenue and improve customer service,” said Patricia Wilkie, senior vice president and general manager, International Sales, Solutions and Services Group, Lenovo. “These solutions are designed to deliver immediate value by embedding AI into everyday retail operations and scaling it reliably across the enterprise.”
Smart Store Services enhance operational resilience, store uptime, and customer satisfaction. Store downtime caused by POS failures, payment interruptions, and connectivity issues directly impacts revenue and customer trust. Lenovo’s AI-driven Smart Store Services prevent these disruptions by keeping stores operational and transactions seamless. According to Lenovo’s internal data, AI helps detect, predict, and resolve issues before they affect staff or customers, reducing downtime by up to 50% and resolving problems 60% faster.
From the first day, retailers benefit from real-time visibility into store health, automated incident prioritization based on business impact, and a centralized command center connecting IT, operations, and store support teams. Many issues are automatically or remotely resolved, reducing IT support costs by 30–40% and easing operational friction across large store networks. Smart Store Services also empower frontline employees through a single, integrated device and application, allowing them to resolve common issues confidently and spend more time engaging customers.
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Meanwhile, AI Retail Assistants turn customer interactions into smooth, worry-free purchases. The Lenovo Retail Floor Assistant provides real-time sales floor support, guiding customers through product searches, inventory checks, promotions, and service tasks. Similarly, the Online Shopping Assistant offers a conversational, multimodal experience, helping customers compare, filter, and discover products efficiently while making confident purchasing decisions. Built on Lenovo’s Hybrid AI Advantage™ and NVIDIA technology, the Assistant ensures scalability across edge and cloud environments with governance, automation, and expert support.
Finally, Lenovo Hybrid AI Services help retailers scale AI from pilot projects to hundreds of stores without increasing operational risk. By delivering consistent deployment, governance, and performance, AI becomes an integral, repeatable capability embedded in daily operations rather than a one-off initiative.
Global beauty brand Shiseido demonstrates Lenovo’s impact, partnering to enhance customer experiences across eight Asia Pacific markets. By improving device reliability and streamlining operations, Shiseido shows how Lenovo’s AI solutions boost frontline efficiency, reduce friction, and enable seamless customer interactions.
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