Three companies have teamed up to enhance last-mile delivery to mall outlets, expected to benefit about 300 retailers.
A memorandum of intent (MOI) has been signed by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA), Spring Singapore and CapitaLand Mall Trust (CMT) to launch an in-mall distribution (IMD) trial.
If successful, the model may be rolled out to other shopping malls owned or managed by CapitaLand in Singapore, reports Deal Street Asia. Its Bedok and Tampines Mall are part of the pilot project.
An initiative under the Nationwide Urban Logistics Program spearheaded by IDA and Spring Singapore, the idea was first raised at Infocomm Media 2015 and followed by a funding announcement of $20 million (US$14,4 million) from IDA and Spring Singapore to implement urban logistics in the retail sector.
If the system is deployed nationwide, IDA believes it could help cut the number of trucks on the road by 25 per cent, and also slash waiting and queuing times for deliveries by 65 per cent. The aim is to enable trucks with partial loads to consolidate and sort their goods in a standalone centre before delivering to malls.
“We know the complexities and logistics of moving large amounts of goods in densely populated areas is a big challenge,” says IDA executive deputy-chairman Steve Leonard. “With our partners, we want to explore how analytics and robotics can be part of new ways to solve these challenges. It is imperative that the government and the industry not only work together, but keep looking forward to adopt new ideas and new tech in business.”
