SingPost Centre delivers mail, mall and more

Singapore

ONE-STOP lifestyle destination SingPost Centre re-opened on Monday, after having grown bigger.

The five-storey mall, located next to Paya Lebar MRT station, has doubled its gross retail floor area to 269,000 square feet after a two-year redevelopment.

The five-storey mall now houses up to 130 stores over a net lettable area of 178,000 sq ft.

Apart from the new General Post Office (GPO), the centre's major tenants include supermarket FairPrice, cinema chain Golden Village and food court operator Kopitiam.

Managed by CapitaLand under a management contract awarded by SingPost in March this year, the mall is being endorsed as enabling "next generation retail in a smart nation".

Deputy group CEO (Corporate Services) of Singapore Post Limited (SingPost), Mervyn Lim, said: "Tenants of the mall, including our flagship General Post Office, are rolling out state-of-the-art digital innovations, delivering fresh and exciting experiences that will delight consumers."

"Committed occupancy as at Sept 30 was 80.4 per cent on the back of strong endorsement from tenants on SingPost's Smart Mall concept," he added.

FairPrice, for instance, has a a scan-and-go system, allowing pre-registered customers to scan items as they shop before paying at dedicated counters. Its mobile app will also help shoppers identify the shortest route to the product they are looking for.

SingPost's newly launched GPO is also the flagship of a new Smart Post Office network.

It is "augmented by a digital network that offers anytime and anywhere access to postal and other essential services" and will serve Singapore's postal needs in the digital age.

At 5,328 sq ft, it is Singapore's largest post office, offering automated systems that improve operational efficiency and provide round-the-clock access to postal and other essential services.

These include the largest POPStation of 143 lockers, giving customers flexibility to collect and drop off parcels at any time of the day.

Its new SAM kiosks are elevated with a self-service posting box for registered articles - the first in Singapore.

The GPO also has SingPost's first dedicated philatelic retail store, which offers the full range of national stamps, and associated merchandise.

Both the GPO and the philatelic store were officially opened by Minister for Communications and Information, Yaacob Ibrahim.

The opening was also commemorated by the issuance of the General Post Office of Singapore national stamps, which contrast images of the former GPO at the Fullerton Building with those of the new GPO.

SingPost group chief executive Paul Coutts said: "While the things we deliver are changing, our commitment remains the same: We deliver, come rain or shine."

He added that in line with Singapore's Smart Nation drive, SingPost is harnessing technology in its Smart Post Office and SmartPost initiatives to deliver with greater efficiency, and a better experience for all our customers, "whether they are Web savvy eCommerce shoppers or more traditional mail users".

Speaking to The Business Times after the event, Mr Coutts said: "We have actually digitalised most of the processes within the post office itself. We have set up automated machines ... making it much easier for customers to use the self services."

SingPost is increasingly introducing the machines into the community, making it easier for customers to get access to postal services "without having to physically visit a post office".

"(The GPO) will set the template that will roll out across Singapore," Mr Coutts said. He assured that the trust between the community and the postal service staff will continue despite automation of the service.

"People are still very much in the forefront in what we do. They will be available on site to help anyone struggling with the processes of the SAM machines, particularly the older generation who may have problems with the technology."