Metro reinvents department store shopping anew

It won the Department Store of the Year - Singapore Award for its efforts.

Homegrown Singaporean department store, Metro, introduced new changes to shopping in person in the past year. With customers moving online to shop, Metro took its years of experience in retail to new heights by hopping on the e-commerce trend.

Now operating two physical stores and present on three e-commerce platforms, which include Lazada and Shopee, Metro continued to win top sales awards even during the Circuit Breaker.

Lydia Shen, Branch Manager, said that in the last year they were among the first retailers in the department store category to introduce QR code shopping and do live streaming.

“We provided our customers with an omnichannel shopping experience, and we are present in multiple marketplaces. We also brought festive cheer through lifestyle displays in mall atrium spaces with QR code shopping capabilities,” Lydia said.

Having been in the industry since 1957, Lydia said that the hallmark of Metro is its design, quality, and value philosophy.

“We are proud of our strong resolve to stay relevant for our shoppers through our trustworthy quality, product, and service offerings. This has become paramount to the formidable staying power of Metro, even in the face of changing times, trends, and dynamics in the marketplace,” she added.

Amongst the challenges faced by the department store chain was to speedily apply changes to their spaces, primarily to ensure safety and cleanliness.

“Metro’s efforts have earned us the SG Clean certification. The constant concern for the safety and well-being of our shoppers and the livelihoods of our workforce are the challenges we work on daily. We put in the effort to consistently follow safe management measures for the safety and well-being for everyone,” she explained.

Metro won the Department Store of the Year - Singapore Award in the recently held Retail Asia Awards 2021. The award was granted to them in recognition of their efforts in reviving the shopping experience both in-person and online.

Among the notable efforts include being the first department store to roll out QR-driven press ads, its introduction of live streaming, and collaborations with a local media giant, Mediacorp.

Metro also improved its e-commerce arm by integrating its warehouse and head office sites for online fulfilment efficiency, whilst working with third-party companies to provide job opportunities. Their associates were also given ample training through virtual and on-the-job training.

“We are most grateful to the Retail Asia Awards Judging Panel and Team for this prestigious honour and award. It is indeed a meaningful acknowledgement of our hard work and achievements over the past year,” Lydia said.

“This award will certainly encourage our team onwards; in our pursuit of retail excellence in the years ahead,” she added.

In the coming years, Metro is aiming to expand its reach to reach a bigger customer base.

“Metro is actively working on the continuous improvement of our shopper’s experience both online and in-store. We aim to cross borders and expand our reach to the masses. We will remain committed to delivering our exceptional value to every shopper in the years to come,” she concluded.