SPH Buzz and Mastercard partner to debut hybrid retail concept

SPH Buzz has partnered with Mastercard to launch a new hybrid store concept involving attended and unattended retail counters. This will see the integration of Mastercard’s mobile commerce platform – Vending powered by Masterpass – in its unattended machines. This aims to allow customers to seamlessly order and pay for goods via smart devices without the use of cash.Vending powered by Masterpass is a payment system developed by Mastercard’s Singapore R&D team in Mastercard Labs, its global innovation and R&D division. It leverages patented security features enabling people to use their mobile devices to pay at vending machines seamlessly and securely.According to the press statement, the manned station consists of a café offering local delights and freshly baked artisanal bread. It also allows customers to have access to hearty meals even when on-the-go. Customers will also be able to purchase a variety of prepaid services such as telco top-up cards; tickets to popular local tourist attractions, as well as Google and Xbox stored-value cards. Other services such as FOC wifi, cash withdrawal from the convenience of a smartphone, reloading of EZ-Link Cards, NETS and NETS Flash Pay are also available. Meanwhile, the vending machines manufactured by Auresys.To promote the new offering, customers of the new stores will be able to enjoy special deals at SG$1 or a discount on purchases made through the Vending powered by Masterpass app.“In retail, both speed and convenience are extremely important to consumers. Even at vending machines, many sales are lost as a result of consumers not having loose cash or because of coin jams in the machine. With the launch of Vending powered by Masterpass at SPH Buzz, we are removing friction, significantly improving the current experience, and reducing wait time,” Betty DeVita, chief commercial officer for commerce platform, Mastercard Global Products and Solutions, said.Spencer Tan, deputy general manager of SPH Buzz Convenience Stores said that the introduction of the first SPH Buzz hybrid convenience store is part of its continuous efforts to meet the discerning needs of our customers.“We will explore new touchpoints through different retail formats to offer our customers greater accessibility and convenience,” Tan added.