Cognizant fuels digital transformation at Singapore’s NTUC FairPrice

• Supermarket retailer out to deliver seamless multi-channel shopping experience
• Thanks to cross-channel integration, able to roll out innovative services

COGNIZANT Technology Solutions said it worked with NTUC FairPrice, a supermarket retailer in Singapore, to digitally transform the latter’s business, and provide customers with a seamless multi-channel shopping experience.
 
By bringing together its consulting, industry and technology expertise, Cognizant said it reengineered FairPrice’s business processes.
 
It implemented a digital e-commerce platform for the multi-format retailer to provide integrated, consistent and personalised customer service across multiple touch points, Cognizant said in a statement.
 
The digital transformation programme has also enabled FairPrice to improve real-time product and inventory visibility, make retail management more efficient, and gain a better understanding of customer preferences and purchase history, the US company claimed.
 
As a result of cross-channel integration, FairPrice has been able to roll out innovative services for shoppers, including its ‘Click&Collect’ online delivery service – the option to buy online and pick up the purchase from a store, a first in Singapore, Cognizant said.
 
“Mobile and online retail is crucial to addressing heightened expectations of today’s digitally-enabled shoppers, and digital technology has enormous potential to enhance their shopping experience,” said NTUC FairPrice chief executive officer Seah Kian Peng (pic).
 
“This digital transformation programme underscores our commitment to our customers and represents a strategic advantage in that we can now leverage inventory across multiple locations and streamline fulfilment processes to not just delight our customers, but also increase sales and reduce operational costs,” he added.
 
With insights into customer and staff behaviour, FairPrice can strengthen its supply chain, site and store operations, marketing, and merchandising to drive growth and differentiation, Cognizant said.
 
The tech company also said it is creating a mobile channel for FairPrice to engage better with its existing customers and attract new ones.
 
“A unified multi-channel customer experience is increasingly a brand differentiator in the world of retail,” said Jayajyoti Sengupta (pic), Cognizant vice president and head of Asia Pacific.
 
“This digital initiative is a trend-setter in the region for customer-focused transformation. A single view of the customer, sales and inventory will enable FairPrice to rise to the needs of the next generation of shoppers and define innovative models,” he added.
 
NTUC FairPrice Co-operative Ltd was founded by the labour movement in Singapore in 1973, with a social mission to moderate the cost of living in the city-state.
 
From one supermarket, it has grown to become Singapore’s largest retailer serving about 400,000 shoppers daily, with a network of over 120 outlets, comprising FairPrice supermarkets, FairPrice Finest and FairPriceXtra outlets, the company claimed.
 
Its convenience arm comprises a network of over 160 FairPrice Xpress and Cheers convenience stores, which serves over 100,000 customers daily.
 
NTUC FairPrice also owns a Fresh Food Distribution Centre and a centralised warehousing and distribution company.
 
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