Cheers to convenience: FairPrice to open 13 unmanned stores in SAF camps

National servicemen can look forward to greater convenience during their in-camp training, with 13 unmanned Cheers stores to open across nearly a quarter of all Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) camps by December this year.

In a press release on Monday (July 29), the FairPrice Group (FPG) said their partnership with the SAF to introduce the convenience stores - that can stay open 24 hours a day - will provide servicemen with easy access to some daily essentials and a wide variety of food and beverages that are compliant to the government's healthier food and beverage policy.

The first Cheers unmanned store was opened at the SAF Ferry Terminal in April. The other three are located in Clementi Camp, Kranji Camp 3 and Sungei Gedong Camp in Lim Chu Kang. 

Military Expert 6 (ME6) Kelvin Yap from the Combat Service Support Command (CSSCOM), SAF's supply support arm, said having unmanned convenience stores was one of the initiatives that the army looked to implement which "improve the lives of soldiers" by "leveraging technology in our day-to-day activities, and make our workplace and living spaces more conducive".

"We identified that manpower-reliant operations for canteens or gift shops will limit the operating hours of such services available for our soldiers," said ME6 Yap. "This can limit the choices available for our soldiers, especially in camps that are in more remote locations."

With the introduction of unmanned convenience stores that adopt technological solutions such as artificial intelligence monitoring and cashless payment , ME6 Yap said SAF personnel can enjoy round-the-clock access to amenities right within their own camp complex.

How it works

FPG said that their 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. 

Customers can enter an unmanned Cheers store by scanning their FPG app's 'Pay/Earn' QR code or by tapping their debit or credit card at the store gantry, according to FPG.

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 then updated accordingly and their digital accounts are automatically and securely charged within 10 seconds of them exiting the store, FPG said.

Vipul Chawla, group chief executive of FPG, said: "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."

This Cheers unmanned store concept was first introduced in 2017 as a way to serve communities that did not have easy access to quick convenience, said the group. 

Some are located in educational institutions such as Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Nanyang Polytechnic and the Singapore Institute of Technology's Dover campus. 

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chingshijie@asaone.com