Digital boost for Kampong Glam's retail scene
Makeover is part of plan to revitalise retail sector under infocomm road map, which also aims to create 16,000 new jobs by 2020
The Kampong Glam Malay heritage site will be getting a digital makeover to rejuvenate its retail scene.
The iconic area will be the first of several neighbourhoods to undergo a digital revitalisation as part of the Government's plan to transform the retail sector under the Retail Industry Digital Plan.
With the facelift, merchants can leverage on e-commerce strategies and data analytics to engage potential customers more effectively with personalised promotions sent to their mobile phones.
Customers can tap on Wi-Fi hotspots to browse shopping options in the area, and pay for purchases with e-wallets.
The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) announced these plans yesterday as Minister for Communications and Information Yaacob Ibrahim launched the Industry Transformation Map for the infocomm sector.
The road map is projected to create 16,000 new jobs for the sector and grow its value-add at 6 per cent a year by 2020. (See report on Page 2.)
Dr Yaacob said of the Kampong Glam makeover: "When completed, it would be an interesting showcase that interweaves tradition and digital technologies."
MEMORANDUM
IMDA and Spring Singapore have signed a memorandum of intent with the Singapore Malay Chambers of Commerce and Industryand the One Kampong Glam business association to lay the foundation for this digital facelift.
Plans for the neighbourhood are expected to be ready in three months, and the revamp is likely to start in the second half of next year.
According to IMDA, shop owners and merchants in the area have been consulted on these plans, and most approve.
One such merchant, Miss Sherry See, 36, who owns Utopia Apparels in Bussorah Street, told The New Paper that discussions have been going for "a few months" and it is a good step forward for merchants like her.
"The whole retail scene is changing, and now more than ever, we need technology, whether it be in terms of marketing, inventory control, engaging customers or even payments," said the member of the One Kampong Glam business association.
Asked if the changes could erode Kampong Glam's cultural identity, Miss See said: "Definitely not."
She added: "Modernising business efficiency does not equate to losing the lustre of the area's heritage. "
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