- New unmanned stores will be rolled out by Dec 2024, and provide greater convenience and accessibility to Singapore’s national servicemen
SINGAPORE, 29 JULY 2024 – In a bid to improve welfare and provide greater convenience to Singapore’s national servicemen, FairPrice Group (FPG) and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) are working together to introduce 13 unmanned Cheers autonomous convenience stores across nearly a quarter of all SAF camps in Singapore by December 2024. The partnership reflects FPG’s ongoing commitment to keeping daily essentials within reach for all in Singapore, and leveraging innovation to stay ahead of consumer needs.
Vipul Chawla, Group CEO, FairPrice Group, shared “National service represents a watershed moment in the lives of many Singaporeans; one of the biggest milestones on the journey to adulthood. We are deeply grateful to the SAF for this opportunity to collaborate, and are excited to provide our nation’s servicemen and servicewomen with greater value and convenience through our Cheers unmanned stores.”
FPG’s Cheers unmanned store concept was first introduced in 2017 as a way to serve communities that did not have easy access to quick convenience. Today, Cheers’ unmanned stores serve tens of thousands of customers in Singapore every month. The unmanned stores in SAF camps will provide servicemen with easy access to some daily essentials, and a wide variety of food and beverages that are compliant to the Whole-of-Government (WOG) Healthier Food and Beverage Policy, complementing the SAF’s ongoing efforts to enhance the national service experience for its soldiers.
Military Expert 6 Kelvin Yap, Head Plans, Headquarters Combat Service Support Command shared, “Our Army looks to reimagine our everyday and improve the lives of our soldiers. One way we achieve this is by leveraging technology in our day-to-day activities, and make our workplace and living spaces more conducive. The unmanned convenience stores was one of the initiatives that we looked to implement. We identified that manpower-reliant operations for canteens or gift shops will limit the operating hours of such services available for our soldiers.
This can limit the choices available for our soldiers, especially in camps that are in more remote locations. The UCS overcomes these challenges by adopting technological solutions, such as artificial intelligence monitoring, cashless payment and Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices to run such retail operations autonomously. That way, our service personnel can enjoy round-the-clock access to amenities right within their own camp complex.”
The Customer Journey
● Customers can enter a Cheers unmanned store by scanning their FPG app’s ‘Pay/Earn’ QR code or by tapping their debit or credit card at the store gantry.
● When a customer picks up a product, the store sensors are triggered to start a recognition process that accurately determines what items they take from or put back onto shelves.
● The customers’ virtual baskets are updated accordingly and their digital accounts are automatically and securely charged within 10 seconds of them exiting the store, facilitating a smooth, cashless payment experience.
How the Technology Works
● Cheers’ unmanned stores’ AI systems comprise hardware and software – including AI, ML, and digital twin technology – that are optimised for gathering and analysing data in real time.
● Multiple high-resolution motion detectors, and weight sensors empower the unmanned stores’ AI system with low-latency object detection and gesture recognition capabilities.
● This data aggregation enables it to build a three-dimensional (3D) model that virtually reconstructs all goods, shelves, and people in-store – this model supports the AI system with deriving insights on who removes items from shelves, what products they are taking, and what to charge them for.
The satellite unmanned stores require less space, can be built and begin operating faster than other convenience stores, can stay open 24 hours a day, and facilitate automated monitoring of inventory, all while providing a flexible and versatile range of products to customers. The stores are also integrated with FPG’s omni-channel platform – Link members can use Linkpoints to offset their purchases by paying with the FPG App.