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Tag: funan mall

  • Courts opens first IoT store at Funan mall, Singapore

    Courts opens first IoT store at Funan mall, Singapore

    Courts Singapore has opened its first Internet of Things store at Funan mall.

    The 12,000sqft store houses Google’s first experience zone in Asia and another from Samsung.

    Consumers can try Google’s entire range of products in Singapore, from smartphones to the recently launched Nest Hub smart display, which is similar to a smart speaker but with a screen.

    Ben Tan, Courts Singapore country CEO, shared with The Straits Times that 80 per cent of the products on sale are compatible with smart-home platforms such as the one anchored by Google Assistant, Google’s artificial intelligence-powered voice-assistant software.

    “The number of smart products available here that work with Google Assistant has increased by 200 per cent this year on year,” Tan said.

    At the Samsung experiential zone at the Courts Singapore Funan mall store, consumers can try out an integrated smart home.

    They can open a door using a digital lock, see notifications from a security camera on a smart Samsung television and issue voice commands to smart home appliances such as washing machines and fridges.

    According to Tan, Courts will offer more services to go along with smart home, such as setting up the devices and educating users on how to control their smart gadgets.

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  • Ramen chain Afuri Opening in Singapore

    Ramen chain Afuri Opening in Singapore

    Japanese ramen chain Afuri is to open its first outlet in Singapore, at Funan mall.

    Brought to Singapore by F&B group Japan Foods Holding, the Funan outlet will be known as Afuri Ramen + Dumpling.

    Besides Afuri’s signature yuzu ramens, the expanded menu will have small plates options as well as gyoza (dumplings).

    Funan mall will open its doors to shoppers on June 28, after a three-year redevelopment.

    Afuri ramen adds to the food options at Funan, including Japanese restaurant Noka, urban farming outfit Edible Garden City, Taiwanese bubble tea brand Milksha, and modern Peranakan restaurant Godmama.

    Named after Mount Afuri in Japan, the chain first started in 2001, known as Zund-Bar, at the foot of Mount Afuri.

    It changed brand to Afuri in 2003, and now has 15 outlets worldwide.

    The latest location was Lisbon, Portugal.

    Afuri ramen instant noodles have been sold in Singapore at selected supermarkets and Japanese speciality food marts.

  • CapitaLand shapes Funan into Singapore’s first O&O shopping mall

    CapitaLand shapes Funan into Singapore’s first O&O shopping mall

    Funan has unveiled its digital blueprint as Singapore’s first O&O shopping mall integrating data and logistics aimed at empowering omnichannel retail strategies and transforming the customer experience.

    It encompasses customer analytics such as transaction and demographics data, robotic automation including Singapore’s first use of automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and robotic arms in a retail setting.

    Owned by CapitaLand Mall Trust and managed by CapitaLand Retail, Funan will also offer a 24-hour click-and-collect drive-through.

    “As smartphones change the way people shop and socialise, the design and operations of retail space must be reimagined to meet changing consumer expectations for an integrated O&O experience,” says CapitaLand Retail CEO Wilson Tan. “With the benefit of being a new development, Funan has wired its hardware and software differently to plug straight into the phygital (physical + digital) world of today’s consumers.

    “We have positioned Funan as the vanguard of innovation, with a combination of community, passion and discovery in its design. Our objectives are to empower our retailers’ omnichannel strategy, deepen consumer insights and enhance customer satisfaction through a seamless O&O journey.”

    Unified view

    CapitaLand Mall Trust Management CEO Tony Tan says the rise of omnichannel retailing spells new opportunities for the group to help its retailers do more business by increasing their consumer touchpoints while maintaining a unified view of their customers.

    “As a native O&O mall with omnichannel retail infrastructure enabled by the latest technology, Funan is well-positioned to attract quality tenants that are able to adapt and excel in this fast-changing retail landscape.”

    He says some of the digital innovations and infrastructure will be introduced into other malls in the group’s portfolio.

    For a typical Funan customer, the journey begins through bookings via the CapitaStar members’ app by CapitaLand, such as accessing the open studios in the Tree of Life experiential section, signing up for craft workshops with friends, booking tickets to a theatrical performance and reserving meeting rooms in the coworking space. The app also lets drivers reserve parking lots, find their car later and pay or redeem their parking fees.

    Shoppers can make purchases using StarPay, the in-app e-payment feature, while working professionals use the latest facial-recognition technology for cardless access to their offices.

    Hands-free shopping will soon become a reality at Funan through its automated concierge service at participating retailers. An AGV will pick up shoppers’ purchases and deposit the bags at a click-and-collect box at Basement 2. Shoppers can collect their purchases via a QR code or use the 24-hour drive-through collection service, fitted with a robotic arm that can retrieve their merchandise.

    As part of Funan’s omnichannel retail infrastructure, retailers can use the click-and-collect lounge and warehousing to fulfil their online orders from CapitaLand’s official store on Lazada.SG.