Unmanned Cheers stores to be rolled out in SAF camps
More national servicemen will have round-the-clock access to purchase daily essentials from unmanned Cheers convenience stores located in-camp, as the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and Fairprice Group (FPG) roll out such stores across camps islandwide.
FPG and SAF announced on July 29 that they are working together to introduce 13 such 24-hour unmanned Cheers autonomous convenience stores in total across nearly a quarter of all SAF camps in Singapore by December 2024.
There are a total of 42 SAF camps in Singapore.
The first unmanned Cheers store was opened at the SAF Ferry Terminal in Changi in April 2024. Three more have opened since at Clementi Camp, Kranji Camp 3, and Sungei Gedong Camp in Lim Chu Kang.
These stores 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 healthier food and beverage policy”, said FPG.
In the unmanned stores, customers can walk in, grab the items they need and walk out without having to whip out their phone, credit card or cash to make payment.
Before entering, they will have to scan their FPG app’s Pay/Earn QR code, or tap their debit or credit card at the store gantry.
An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system in the outlet tracks customers’ actions, while items removed from shelves are recorded automatically.
The customers’ virtual baskets are updated accordingly and their digital accounts are automatically and securely charged within 10 seconds of them exiting the store.
Besides being unmanned, the stores can stay open 24 hours a day, occupy less space, and can be built and begin operating faster than other convenience stores. Inventory monitoring is also automated.
National servicemen who are Link members can also use Linkpoints to offset their purchases by paying with the FPG app.
The unmanned convenience stores were introduced to make the workplace and living spaces more conducive, said Military Expert 6 (ME6) Kelvin Yap, from the Head Plans division of Headquarters Combat Service Support Command, in a statement.
“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,” he added.
ME6 Yap said the unmanned convenience stores overcome these challenges by adopting technological solutions and cashless payments, so that “service personnel can enjoy round-the-clock access to amenities right within their own camp complex”.
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