NTUC FairPrice opened a new 24-hour mega supermarket in Jurong
Point mall yesterday, becoming the first chain to open a
round-the-clock hypermarket here.
This FairPrice Xtra outlet is distinguished by its size and
sheer range of products: It sprawls over 68,000 sq ft, which makes
it as big as Singapore's popular nightspot St James Power Station,
and will carry about 30,000 products ranging from groceries and
bedding to electronics and clothes.
It is sited in Jurong Point to cater to the growing number of
workers in the area who work the night shift, said NTUC FairPrice
chairman Ng Ser Miang.
He added that surveys also backed the need for such a
facility.
The $6 million that FairPrice put into building this hypermarket
is on top of the $40 million it is spending this year to expand and
upgrade its chain of 222 stores.
The breakdown: $12 million will go into four new supermarkets,
$11 million into renovating its existing stores and the remainder,
into beefing up its IT systems and warehousing.
For example, touch screens will be installed at the check-out
points in all FairPrice outlets by August; the new system will
reduce consumers' waiting time by 15 per cent per transaction.
Speaking at the launch of the hypermarket yesterday, Mr Ng also
disclosed that, from this month, 11 FairPrice outlets will open an
hour earlier every day - 7am instead of 8am.
He said: 'There is no better time to grow the business and
embark on improving customer service. We have to deal with the
recession positively.'
Read the full story in today's edition of The Straits
Times.
CDA and BRTC can go over quite fast ah... 
