SINGAPORE -- Singapore Post said on Monday it was finalizing details with Southeast Asian e-commerce player Lazada, majority owned by China's Alibaba Group Holding, and Singaporean property developer CapitaLand to bring "click and collect" services to the postal company's redeveloped shopping mall, ahead of its official opening on Oct. 12.
"We are working closely with CapitaLand and Lazada to finalize the details for a 'click and collect' service at this mall," said Paul Coutts, group chief executive of SingPost, on Monday at an opening event for the company's general post office in the shopping complex.
Although the details are yet to be finalized, the tie-up will bring the convenience of online shopping to brick-and-mortar stores. Leveraging on SingPost's e-commerce logistics capabilities, the partnership will likely include a collection service for online purchases and a home delivery service for items bought at the mall.
The general post office offers postal services including a POPStation, SingPost's automated parcel lockers where packages including e-commerce purchases can be collected, sent and returned. The new POPStation at SingPost Centre will have 143 lockers, making it the largest in the city-state.
At a construction cost of 150 million Singapore dollars ($111 million), the redevelopment of the mall is a part of SingPost's efforts to ensure stable rent income as conventional malls are squeezed by online retailers. By expanding its e-commerce logistics capabilities to brick-and-mortar stores, SingPost hopes to attract new customers and retailers. The 25,000 sq. meter-complex had an 80.4% rate of committed occupancy as of end-September.
"The SingPost Centre underscores SingPost's transformation for a future where technology is changing how people shop, dine and play," said Mervyn Lim, deputy group chief executive of corporate services at SingPost.
Besides the post office, the mall houses a number of shops that showcase new technology, such as virtual reality and dedicated smartphone apps, to bring added convenience to customers.
NTUC FairPrice's new outlet at the SingPost Centre offers 'SCAN2GO' service where customers can scan items as they browse the shop.
Singaporean supermarket chain NTUC FairPrice is introducing its SCAN2GO service at its new outlet in SingPost Centre. Registered customers can pick up a hand scanner when they start shopping, and scan items as they browse the store. Calling the new outlet a "living lab", FairPrice aims to introduce a number of new digital initiatives at the outlet.
The supermarket chain has also launched a dedicated app called "FairPrice @ SingPost", which navigates customers to specific shelves inside the store according to their shopping lists, eliminating the hassle of searching for items. The app uses cloud-based big data to send user-specific promotions through the app. Online purchases can be collected at refrigerated "Click&Collect" lockers inside the store. The store will also offer an 'experiential corner' with a VR device where product manufacturers and others can showcase their products and provide an immersive experience for customers.
