FairPrice gets futuristic with smart carts, palm pay and AI-powered store ops

FairPrice Group (FPG) is doubling down on AI-led personalisation and automation with its new “Store of tomorrow” (SOT) programme. 

SOT is a sweeping tech roadmap aimed at transforming the in-store and omnichannel experience for Singapore shoppers.

Unveiled at NRF’s Big Show Asia Pacific 2025, the programme integrates generative AI, data analytics, automation and biometric payment into FairPrice’s physical and digital touchpoints. This includes its supermarkets and Cheers outlets to Kopitiam and its app.

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The SOT programme will go live first at FPG’s new Punggol Digital District FairPrice Finest store, set to open in Q3 this year. Smart Carts, palm scan checkout, video analytics and a staff AI portal are among the features being piloted, with plans to test over 20 new digital solutions a year for the next three years.

Group CEO Vipul Chawla said the programme reflects how the retailer is rethinking tech not just as a backend enabler, but as a driver of consumer value.

“The last few years of global disruption have shown that the only certainty in retail is how quickly consumer needs, tastes, and preferences evolve,” he said.

"Through our 'Store of tomorrow' programme, we want to re-imagine how innovation and technologies like GenAI and data analytics can make things easier on the wallet and experience for both physical and digital retail formats," added Chawla.

FPG’s long-term play is hyperpersonalisation. Through the FPG App, soon to be synced with MyInfo, shoppers will receive curated promotions based on their preferences, budgets and past purchases. Eligible seniors and CHAS cardholders will also get automatic discounts at checkout, without needing to flash a physical card.

Biometric payments via palm scan will also roll out progressively, letting users link their palm print to their FPG App and pay without a wallet or phone. Digital price cards are being tested across 164 supermarkets, with the goal of cutting paper waste, freeing up staff time, and ensuring real-time promo updates.

In tandem, Smart carts, which are already live at FairPrice Finest Sengkang Grand Mall, will soon come with built-in displays that surface personalised product recommendations and promotions based on shopper movement and app profiles. The carts also support scan-and-go checkout and are expected to create new retail media inventory for brand advertisers.

Back-of-house, FPG is integrating CCTV infrastructure with "Vision AI" to track shelf stock, queue lengths and potential safety issues. These alerts are routed to "Grocer Genie", an AI-powered ops portal for staff that helps assign tasks, monitor store performance, and automate interventions. For example, snapping a photo of a spill in-store will trigger a clean-up task to the right staffer with no paperwork or manual follow-up needed.

Karan Bajwa, president of Asia Pacific at Google Cloud, which powers the AI infrastructure behind FPG’s rollout, said the initiative sets a global benchmark for smart retail.

“The sheer ambition of FairPrice Group’s vision, coupled with their relentless commitment to implementation at speed and scale, is forging the blueprint for the future of retail — not just in Singapore, but internationally,” said Bajwa.

As AI becomes more deeply embedded in retail, a recent regional study by SleekFlow found that shoppers still want a human touch. The study showed that while AI is becoming an essential part of the customer journey in Southeast Asia, 73% of shoppers prefer AI to enhance, not replace, human interaction. The report, “AI Transformation in SEA: Aligning Consumer Demands with Business Goals,” surveyed 1,100 consumers across Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. It reflects a growing appetite for hybrid service models, where AI handles routine tasks, but humans remain essential for empathy and nuance.

The study also found that AI significantly boosts purchase conversions when it delivers personalised, relevant offers. In Singapore, 73% of respondents said tailored promotions increased their likelihood of buying — a number that rose to 80% in Malaysia and 86% in Indonesia.

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