NEW YORK, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- A group of Chinese companies made their presence at the annual U.S. retail expo this week in New York, hoping to play a role in reshaping the retail ecosystem with their smart solutions.
At a booth dressed like a real shop, Lenovo, a Chinese multinational technology company, showcased its scan-n-go self-service kiosk, as well as new artificial intelligence, infrastructure, and digital storefront solutions.
Spanning hardware, software and services to enhance the shopping experience, the company's retail portfolio that delivered end-to-end and intuitive customer experiences drew plenty of attention.
"Recent years have witnessed a surge in demand for self-service solutions that integrate digital experiences into brick-and-mortar retail operations," Lawrence Yu, general manager at Lenovo Retail Solutions, told Xinhua during the Retail's Big Show 2023, an annual expo held earlier this week by the U.S. National Retail Federation.
From the checkout lanes to the sales floor, and all the way to the backend systems, the company aims to provide retailers with technologies and solutions that address their pain points, he said.
The retail industry value chain in China is experiencing a digital transformation, driven by the country's big tech companies as well as a number of artificial intelligence startups.
"With the retail landscape constantly evolving, it is important to innovate with new technology to enhance the customer experience," said Yu.
He said that China's retail industry is ahead of the game in some aspects, and Chinese retail solutions could have broad application prospects in overseas markets, including the United States.
Not far from Lenovo's booth, Hanshow showcased a lineup of digital price tags in different sizes and other innovative products.
Founded in Beijing in 2011, the company is specialized in developing and manufacturing electronic shelf labels (ESLs) and digital store solutions.
Its solutions are used by over 30,000 stores in more than 50 countries, helping retailers streamline operations, optimize pricing strategies, and offer consumers a personalized experience, according to the company.
"ESL is a natural next step in stores," as the retail industry is in the process of digitalization to increase operational efficiency and also to create a better customer experience through technology, Folkwin Haye, business development director at Hanshow, told Xinhua.
During this year's expo, Hanshow unveiled a new generation protocol high-density low-power cellular network and the four-color ESL product series, which supports black, white, red, and yellow displays in any combination.
Joy Wang, marketing director at Hanshow, said the company hopes to play its role in digital upgrading in the industry, and help create a green and sustainable digital new experience.
Several other Chinese companies, including Wintec System and SUNMI, also joined the grand show with high-quality hardware facilities and retail solutions designed to enhance modern user experience.
Art Miller, global head of retail IoT (Internet of Things) from Qualcomm Technologies, a company that has close collaboration with Chinese partners in the retail ecosystem, told Xinhua that there is great potential for further cooperation in the industry.
"There's a lot of opportunity to bring things and experiences that are developed in China to other markets like the U.S. or Europe," he said, adding "at the same time, there's some maturity in the retail markets in the U.S. and Europe that I think we can bring to China."
