The FairPrice Group and Singapore Armed Forces have partnered to introduce 13 unmanned Cheers autonomous convenience stores across nearly a quarter unmanned SAF camps by December 2024.
Such stores are already found in Clementi Camp, Kranji Camp 3, Sungei Gedong Camp in Lim Chu Kang, and the SAF Ferry Terminal in Changi.
It is slightly unfortunate that the SAF Ferry Terminal was chosen as one of their locations – I recall not being allowed to patronise the canteen there when I was a recruit waiting for my Tekong ferry.
The unmanned stores will provide servicemen with easy access to daily essentials like and food and beverages “compliant to the Whole-of-Government (WOG) Healthier Food and Beverage Policy”.
A picture from the SAF shows potato chips, cup noodles, and chilled drinks being stocked. Considering the diarrhoea-inducing properties of Samyang Ramen on sale at these stores, it may not be as “healthy” as one thinks.
How the Stores Work
To enter an unmanned store, customers may either scan their FairPrice Group app’s ‘Pay/Earn’ QR code or tap their debit or credit card at the store gantry. But with all the SOC training our national servicemen go through, it remains to be seen whether the gantries are sufficient to deter theft. At least the unmanned store in Our Tampines Hub has a facial recognition feature.
The store’s motion detectors and weight sensors will then be activated when a customer picks up a product and can accurately determine what items have been taken or returned to the shelves.
Within 10 seconds of exiting the store, a customer’s virtual basket will be automatically updated and charged accordingly. Those paying with the Fairprice Group App can use Linkpoints to offset their purchases.
Benefits of Unmanned Stores
Cheers operates 12 of such unmanned stores islandwide, serving tens of thousands of customers every month.
According to Military Expert 6 Kelvin Yap, Head Plans, Headquarters Combat Service Support Command, unmanned stores are not reliant on manpower and can provide “round-the-clock access to amenities”, especially in “remote locations”.
Cheers also touts the benefits of unmanned stores. They “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”.
Notwithstanding these benefits, I bet some NSFs are still going to pray for better night snacks instead, since their measly allowances are probably just enough a nice snack once every week.
But nevertheless, ORD LOH.
Here’s a simplified summary of the South Korea martial law that even a 5-year-old would understand:
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