Singapore, 10 September, 2019 – Singtel won the Most Innovative Retail Concept Award for the digital transformation of its flagship store in Singapore at the recent Federation of Asia-Pacific Retailers Associations (FAPRA) Awards 2019. This is the fifth accolade for the store at Comcentre since it reopened in January 2018^[1].

The FAPRA award recognises Singtel for its use of innovative retail technologies to deliver an engaging and unique customer experience. Key features include the integration of online and in-store shopping carts, a WiFi-based intelligent queue system, 24/7 self-serve kiosks where customers can pick up SIM cards, instant purchases via automated checkout, as well as the use of crowd analytics to improve the customer experience, all firsts in Singapore’s retail industry.

“The retail experience that our flagship store delivers today is part of our ongoing digital transformation efforts driven by our customers’ needs and preferences. Our approach is to simplify the buying journey, allowing customers to switch seamlessly between online and offline touch points. We are honoured to receive this award and will continue to introduce innovative technologies to improve the customer experience,” said Mr Yuen Kuan Moon, CEO of Consumer Singapore at Singtel.

Singtel was selected by the Singapore Retailers Association (SRA) to represent Singapore at the FAPRA Awards 2019. The judging criteria of this award include creativity and uniqueness of the retail concept, effectiveness in connecting to core customer groups, success in terms of performance metrics, and overall impact on the retail industry.

“Successful retailers know that stores can no longer remain as purely transactional spaces, but must evolve to offer dynamic, experiential touch points that tightly integrate the physical and digital worlds. This award is bestowed on leaders who are making headway in this next-generation retail movement, and it is thus fitting that we recognise Singtel for its bold and creative use of digital technologies to transform its flagship store and provide a best-in-class omnichannel experience.” said Mr R Dhinakaran, President, Singapore Retailers Association.

Singtel continues to ramp up its digital transformation. The store recently introduced instant collection of online purchases from 24/7 POPStations which are dynamically replenished with best-selling devices.

In June 2019, Singtel unveiled a new retail experience with the launch of UNBOXED, an unmanned 24/7 pop-up store. UNBOXED features the convenience of digital technology in a friendly store environment – where customers can consult with a roving live bot, which is powered by facial recognition technology, to receive personalised recommendations, and sign up for mobile plans at video-assisted self-serve kiosks.

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^[1] The previous four accolades include Best Retail Concept of the Year Award and Achievement in Customer Excellence Award – Best in Telecommunications Category from Singapore Retailers Association Awards 2018, Most Innovative Approach to Customer Experience from Telecom Asia Awards 2018, and recognised at the Singapore Business Review Listed Companies Awards