Forum: Retailers must adapt to modern consumer behaviour
When I inquired, the sales staff tersely informed me that 'online and in-store prices are different'. No offer to match the price. No attempt to explain or assist further.
I walked out with no fan, and a reminder of why traditional retail in Singapore is facing an uphill battle.
Many retailers fail to understand or embrace the concept of omni-channel shopping – the seamless integration of online and offline experiences that today's consumers expect.
In an age where consumers do their research online before stepping into a store, why is physical retail treated as a separate, siloed universe?
The fan, identical in make and model, should not cost more simply because it sits under fluorescent lighting instead of appearing on a web browser.
The dismissive attitude I encountered also highlighted the absence of any meaningful customer service training or empowerment.
Retailers must invest in staff training, upgrade digital infrastructure and align pricing across platforms.
True omni-channel commerce doesn't just offer convenience, it builds loyalty. A retailer who makes it easy for me to complete my purchase, no matter the channel, wins my business not once, but repeatedly.
Until then, I will keep shopping elsewhere. Retailers who fail to adapt to the realities of modern consumer behaviour should not be surprised when foot traffic dwindles and sales plummet.
Tuan Ming Lee
More on this Topic Forum: What readers are saying
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
EU urges Ukraine to uphold independent anti-corruption bodies; Zelenskiy signals swift action
Find out what's new on ST website and app. FILE PHOTO: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaks with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy prior to a bilateral meeting in Rome, Italy, April 26, 2025. Andrew Medichini/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo BRUSSELS - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called on Sunday for President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to uphold independent anti-corruption bodies, with the Ukrainian leader signaling that supporting legislation could be adopted within days. "Ukraine has already achieved a lot on its European path. It must build on these solid foundations and preserve independent anti-corruption bodies, which are cornerstones of Ukraine's rule of law," von der Leyen said in a post on X after a call with Zelenskiy. After a rare outburst of public criticism, Zelenskiy on Thursday submitted draft legislation to restore the independence of Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies - reversing course of an earlier bill aimed at stripping their autonomy. "I thanked the European Commission for the provided expertise," Zelenskiy said in a post on X after his Sunday call with von der Leyen. "We share the same vision: it is important that the bill is adopted without delay, as early as next week." Von der Leyen also promised continued support for Ukraine on its path to EU membership. "Ukraine can count on our support to deliver progress on its European path," she added. REUTERS Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Sewage shaft failure linked to sinkhole; PUB calling safety time-out on similar works islandwide Singapore Tanjong Katong Road sinkhole did not happen overnight: Experts Singapore Workers used nylon rope to rescue driver of car that fell into Tanjong Katong Road sinkhole Asia Singapore-only car washes will get business licences revoked, says Johor govt World Food airdropped into Gaza as Israel opens aid routes Sport Arsenal beat Newcastle in five-goal thriller to bring Singapore Festival of Football to a close Singapore Benchmark barrier: Six of her homeschooled kids had to retake the PSLE Asia S'porean trainee doctor in Melbourne arrested for allegedly filming colleagues in toilets since 2021
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
With regional interest in nuclear energy rising, S'pore must build capabilities too: Tan See Leng
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Minister-in-charge of Energy and Science & Technology Tan See Leng said that Singapore needs to acquire the technical expertise so the city-state can ensure its safety. SINGAPORE - Singapore has to build its capabilities in nuclear energy even though it has not made a decision on its use, as countries in the region have publicly signalled their intent to build such facilities. Dr Tan See Leng, Singapore's Minister-in-charge of Energy and Science & Technology, said in an interview on July 21 that the country needs to acquire technical expertise in this area to ensure its safety. 'Our neighbours, the Philippines, Indonesia, have publicly signalled that they intend to build nuclear plants. So regardless of whether we have made the decision, our neighbours have made the decision,' he said, in his first interview in the new portfolio. Dr Tan was previously overseeing energy issues as Second Minister for Trade and Industry. Five Asean countries – Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia and Thailand – have said they are either studying the feasibility of advanced nuclear technology to meet their growing energy needs, or already have plans to build new reactors in the coming decades. As Singapore continues to evaluate the viability of nuclear energy for the country, local talents have to be trained so they can determine whether advanced nuclear technologies are safe and suitable for the Republic when these come onto the market, Dr Tan said. On July 11, the Singapore Nuclear Research and Safety Institute was launched, with an aim to train 100 nuclear experts by 2030 – up from the 50 today. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Sewage shaft failure linked to sinkhole; PUB calling safety time-out on similar works islandwide Singapore Tanjong Katong Road sinkhole did not happen overnight: Experts Singapore Workers used nylon rope to rescue driver of car that fell into Tanjong Katong Road sinkhole Asia Singapore-only car washes will get business licences revoked, says Johor govt World Food airdropped into Gaza as Israel opens aid routes Sport Arsenal beat Newcastle in five-goal thriller to bring Singapore Festival of Football to a close Singapore Benchmark barrier: Six of her homeschooled kids had to retake the PSLE Asia S'porean trainee doctor in Melbourne arrested for allegedly filming colleagues in toilets since 2021 Singapore also renewed the Third Country Training Programme Memorandum of Understanding with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on July 25. Under the agreement, Singapore will develop training programmes with the UN nuclear watchdog to support developing IAEA member states with fellowships, scientific visits and training courses. Topics covered will include human health, industrial radiography, environmental radioactivity monitoring and analysis, and accelerator science. Singapore's approach to nuclear energy has changed over the years, as new technologies come online. In 2012, the Republic had initially considered atomic power nuclear technologies of that time unsuitable for deployment in the small city-state. Dr Tan noted that conventional nuclear plants are large, and require exclusive buffer zones. 'Categorically, let me tell you that they will not be suitable for us,' he said. But nuclear technologies have evolved since. Small modular reactors (SMRs) are thought to be more suitable for land-scarce, population-dense Singapore, as they have a lower power capacity, enhanced safety standards and require much smaller buffer zones, compared with conventional reactors. Dr Tan said: 'We have not excluded that... because there's a lot of promise for some of the advanced modular reactors – the physics, the engineering, the technical feasibility, all point to the fact that they are possible, but it's just that commercially, they are still not viable yet.' He also stressed that ensuring the safety of nuclear technologies is of 'paramount importance' to the Government. While Dr Tan acknowledged that Singaporeans may still have certain perceptions about nuclear energy, he said the country still needs to press ahead in this area given the interest from some of its neighbours. Singapore has bilateral agreements with the United States and France to pursue cooperation on nuclear energy, which could better help in the country's evaluation of the viability. In July 2024, the Republic inked the 123 Agreement on Nuclear Cooperation with the US , which will allow Singapore to learn more about nuclear technologies and scientific research from American organisations. For example, local research institutes could work with US national laboratories and technology companies to perform safety simulations and modelling of SMRs. In May, Singapore and France signed agreements on nuclear energy to facilitate cooperation on safety, workforce development, research, environmental protection, the protection of public health, and emergency preparedness and response, among others. More on this topic With regional interest in nuclear energy rising, S'pore must build capabilities too: Tan See Leng Dr Tan said that these partnerships will enable Singapore to learn more about the regulatory approvals, safety protocols, operations and engineering designs, among other things. The US tariffs are not likely to affect these agreements, he said. Dr Tan said that the learnings from the partnerships will help Singapore eventually make the assessment on whether to 'jump in, or just stay at the capacity- and capability-building level'. He added that Singapore is also open to exploring partnerships with other countries that have nuclear expertise, such as the United Arab Emirates, China and South Korea.
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
S'pore pressing ahead with R&D on emerging energy options, including hydrogen, geothermal
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Singapore is likely to continue to rely on natural gas, a fossil fuel, even as it looks for cleaner energy sources. SINGAPORE - Singapore is considering all possible options to reduce emissions from its carbon-intensive energy sector. But some technologies, such as those relating to hydrogen, geothermal and carbon capture, need more time to mature before they become viable for the country. In his first interview as Singapore's Minister-in-charge of Energy and Science & Technology, Dr Tan See Leng spoke at length on some of these areas, and how Singapore is pushing ahead with research and development on these fronts. 'It is hard to commit today to hydrogen, carbon capture, or for that matter, geothermal, because at this particular point in time, we don't have enough details yet,' he said. 'But we are relentless in our pursuit for research and development, so we have scholars all over to look at which is the cutting-edge technology... Even if we cannot be a first mover in some of it, we want to be the fastest adopter.' Dr Tan said Singapore will spare no effort in ensuring that the nation achieves its target of net-zero emissions by 2050 . 'At the same time, we want... all the different supply pathways to be resilient and affordable. I think that is the key and objective,' he said. On hydrogen Hydrogen can be considered a clean fuel as it does not produce any planet-warming carbon dioxide (CO2) when burned. It can be produced by passing an electrical current through water, separating it into hydrogen and oxygen. But in order to be considered green, the electricity must be generated by renewable energy, so the process does not emit any CO2. Dr Tan said that due to Singapore's limited renewable energy resources, it is unable to produce green hydrogen domestically . The Republic would have to instead import this fuel – which must be transported at extremely low temperatures of around minus 253 deg C. For context, some Covid-19 mRNA vaccines had to be transported at temperatures ranging from minus 90 deg C to minus 60 deg C, and required specialised cold-chain logistics management. Dr Tan said transporting green hydrogen over long distances is costly, and Singapore is investing in research in developing carrier systems that will allow the country to import it. For example, the Government has a Directed Hydrogen Programme, which has awarded about $43 million to six projects that can help make hydrogen technologies more viable and scalable. One way to transport hydrogen is by using ammonia as a carrier. Ammonia is relatively stable and can be stored and transported at ambient temperatures. Ammonia can either be combusted directly for electricity generation or 'cracked' to separate hydrogen from it, although this reaction would require very high operating temperatures. Singapore in October 2022 also launched the National Hydrogen Strategy, which will accelerate the development and deployment of hydrogen. Dr Tan also noted a $62.5 million Low- Carbon Technology Translational Testbed that will support companies in scaling up low-carbon solutions closer to commercial development. On geothermal energy Geothermal energy is another potential energy source that Singapore is exploring. A 2022 report commissioned by the Energy Market Authority (EMA) mentioned that emerging technology, including nuclear and geothermal, could potentially supply around 10 per cent of Singapore's energy needs by 2050. In July, The Straits Times reported that a second discovery of high temperatures underground in northern Singapore has shown the potential of using geothermal energy to generate electricity here. Geothermal energy refers to heat derived from the earth's core . However, Dr Tan noted that geothermal energy here is still at a 'very nascent' stage. For example , experts have said it remains to be seen if there is feasibility for sustained energy provision – referring to whether the underground heat reservoirs are able to provide sufficient energy to generate electricity in a stable way – to tell if the energy is economically feasible. EMA had told ST that the authority's current focus is to map out Singapore's underground heat resource . It has commissioned another study to investigate this and the results are expected to be completed in 2026. EMA is also studying other aspects of geothermal energy deployment, such as how deep geothermal systems would need to be regulated, and what their potential impact on the environment is. On carbon capture and storage Carbon capture and storage (CCS) solutions essentially refer to technology that can take planet-warming CO2 out of the atmosphere for storage underground. Singapore is likely to continue to rely on natural gas, a fossil fuel, even as it looks for cleaner energy sources. But one area being explored is whether emissions from the energy and chemical sectors in Singapore can be captured and stored, Dr Tan said. He noted that the Government is working with an industry consortium formed by ExxonMobil and Shell, known as S Hub, to study the feasibility of aggregating CO2 emissions in Singapore for storage in other countries. S Hub has plans to develop a CCS project that can permanently store 2.5 million tonnes of CO2 a year by 2030, either in rock formations deep underground or under the seabed. On July 14, three power generation companies were given the green light to conduct CCS feasibility studies to help Singapore transition to a low-carbon future. They will study two pathways of capturing carbon in the power sector to remove carbon emissions. The first method involves installing an on-site unit to capture CO2 from exhaust gas after natural gas has been burned. The waste gas typically contains CO2, water vapour, nitrogen and oxygen. The other technique involves capturing the CO2 generated when hydrogen is produced from natural gas. The hydrogen can be burned to generate electricity and does not produce any CO2 during the combustion. 'We are starting small. We only target those very hard-to-abate sectors,' said Dr Tan. These are emissions-intensive sectors that have limited alternatives for decarbonisation, and include the power, industry and chemical sectors found on Jurong Island. He said carbon capture is a 'well-proven' technology that has been in use in Norway. Other organisations – including the International Energy Agency and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the UN's climate science body – consider carbon capture a credible pathway for countries to reach net-zero emissions, he added.
