Phone trouble? Visit Singapore’s first 24hr unmanned store.

UNBOXED by Singtel is Singapore's first 24-hour unmanned pop up store. (Photo: Mark Lee)

It has happened to the best of us: Your mobile phone has been misplaced (or perhaps accidentally shattered). It's late, so the stores are closed. That used to mean no phone till business hours, but help is now instantly available at Singapore’s first 24-hour unmanned telco pop-up store.

Singtel unveiled UNBOXED on Tuesday (Jun 4), a round-the-clock 45 sq m outlet kitted out with the latest digital-enabled features for customers to browse and buy contract-free handsets and accessories, try out phones and pay their bills, any time of the day.

UNBOXED is designed to introduce customers to a new retail experience featuring the convenience of digital technology in a friendly store environment. (Photo: Singtel)

There are three video-assisted self-serve kiosks where customers can sign up for plans at or get instant SIM card replacements from. And you can collect all your purchases immediately from an in-store POPstation locker which are pre-filled with new devices and replenished daily using SingPost’s Last Mile Platform (“LaMP”).

At the video-assisted self-help kiosks, customers can conveniently sign up for mobile plans, make bill payments, top up prepaid cards and Dash wallets, and get instant SIM card replacements. (Photo: Singtel)

Customers can consult a live bot, which is powered by facial recognition, ask questions and collect their newly purchased from an in-store POPstation locker. (Photo: Mark Lee)

Those in need of human interaction for help throughout the process will be able to consult with a roving live bot – which is powered by facial recognition – to receive personalised recommendations or answer any questions.

The specially designed movable, modular store is currently located at 20 Pickering Street. Singtel has plans to move the pop-up to a new location every few months to serve customers at high-traffic areas such as transport hubs and school campuses.

Customers who sign up for new mobile plans can immediately collect their purchased devices from the in-store POPStation. (Photo: Singtel)

“The future of retail is here and now… Fast, instant, convenient and experiential,” said Yuen Kuan Moon, CEO of Consumer Singapore at Singtel. “Our digital transformation integrates online and offline customer touchpoints to deliver fresh and fuss-free buying experiences to consumers."

You can try out phones and compare specs and prices any time of the day in Singapore's first unmanned pop up store. (Photo: Mark Lee)

And if you’re wondering about security and safety in an unmanned store, UNBOXED is fitted with a security platform called Sentinel, provided by NCS, which has all the necessary elements in place to prevent theft or mischief.

“We are glad that Singtel is the first retailer on the Sentinel platform. Our state-of-the-art remote security platform ensures that UNBOXED can stay truly unmanned while offering a highly secure shopping environment for consumers,” said Mr Chia Wee Boon, CEO of NCS.

Copyright 2019 Mediacorp Pte Ltd. Article first published in www.channelnewsasia.com