Stellar Lifestyle, a subsidiary of SMRT, has launched Hive 2.0 Innovation Hub that leverages technology to enhance retail experiences for shoppers in Esplanade MRT station. The official launch event was officiated by Ms. Low Yen Ling, the Minister of State for the Ministry of Trade and Industry, and the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth.
The innovation hub that spans over 3,200 square feet features ten distinct retail concepts comprised primarily emerging local startups. Some notable tech-enabled services include:
- QuikBot, an Autonomous Final-mile Delivery Platform-as-a-Service app, allows office workers at South Beach Development to shop. Their purchases will then be delivered to them through autonomous robots that will navigate between Esplanade MRT station and South Beach Tower. They can also exchange items among themselves to enhance logistic efficiency, a first-of-its-kind in this sector.
- 7-Eleven Shop & Go is the first self-checkout retail store in an MRT station. The store employs AI, smart cameras, deep-learning, and multi-sensor fusion technologies to enable the Tap, Shop and Go process. This means that customers can simply tap their credit card to enter the store, skip the usual queue at the cashier, and walk out of the store conveniently. Their purchase will automatically be charged to their credit card.
- Mr. R Robotics is the first retail store in Singapore featuring adaptive robotics technology, offering a variety of products including frozen, chilled, and ambient items all at once.
“Hive by Stellar Lifestyle continues to support Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) by introducing and validating innovations. This year, Hive 2.0 will leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI), robotics and connected networks to help our merchant partners become more operationally resilient. We designed these innovations to leverage our extensive rail network, allowing us to create new in-store experiences where consumers can enjoy greater convenience and enhanced retail experiences. What you see here today could scale across the train network in the future, as SMRT is committed to Moving People, Enhancing Lifestyles.”
Mr Tony Heng, President of Stellar Lifestyle
Launched in 2022, the Hive innovation hub is a collaborative venture between Stellar Lifestyle and numerous tenants, uniting them with key players in the technology sector. The recent iteration, Hive 2.0, showcases an updated array of startups and partners, featuring distinguished startups from the Stellarate Innovation program by Stellar Lifestyle.
With the technological advancements are strategic integration of technologies that complement their products and services, retailers can implement this to better enhance business efficiency, for retailers, addressing challenges like rising workforce and logistic costs. Simultaneously they also provide commuters with a unique, innovative retail experience.