By Sharon Poh

Returning for its fourth edition, Retail Spark! is an annual appreciation event organised by Frasers Property Singapore to recognise its tenants and strengthen industry partnerships. The event also serves as a valuable networking platform, bringing industry players together to spark new ideas, explore strategic collaborations, and share meaningful insights to shape the future of Singapore's retail industry.

This year’s theme, “Retail Forward: Experience Driven, Future Ready,” highlights the necessity of evolving beyond traditional brick-and-mortar transactions. It emphasises understanding customer preferences, needs, and behaviours by embracing advanced technologies, including Artificial Intelligence. This enables brands to deliver authentic products, services, and experiences that resonate deeply with consumers, fostering genuine customer loyalty. Additionally, valuable insights shared by a panel of industry leaders helped redefine perspectives and inspire breakthroughs in conventional retail models.

Celebrating Customer Service Excellence in Retail

The highlight of the evening was celebrating tenants who demonstrated business excellence. We are deeply honoured to announce that our retail staff member, Yap Ai Chern from POPULAR White Sands, received the prestigious Outstanding Customer Service Award.

Selected based on more than 1,000 customer nominations in a network-wide mall survey, the award reflects the significant impact she has made on customers. We spoke with Yap to learn how she embraces her role as a brand ambassador to consistently deliver service excellence in a rapidly changing retail landscape.

Q: How long have you been with POPULAR, and what do you enjoy most about your role?

Yap: I’ve been with POPULAR for 35 years, starting as a retail assistant in 1991 and working my way up to my current role as a retail manager. I absolutely love interacting with our customers. I am not someone who can sit at a desk all day, so I am incredibly grateful that this role allows me to connect with people every single day.

Q: Were you expecting the win, or did it come as a surprise?

Yap: It definitely came as a surprise for me. The mall management informed us that I had won the award based on positive customer feedback, and they were even arranging a photoshoot for me. I am incredibly happy and excited about it.

Q: Is there a personal motto or principle you follow when serving customers?

Yap: I strongly believe in serving customers with genuine sincerity. You have to put your heart into your work by truly understanding the customer and their needs. Building trust and rapport is also important for maintaining long-term relationships. Over the years, I’ve grown so close to some of my regular customers that I even text them personally whenever we have exciting new promotions that I know may interest them.

Q: Are there any memorable customer stories that have shaped the way you serve shoppers today?
Yap: One story that always warms my heart is about a family whose kids I literally watched grow up. I first met them at our Lot One outlet, where the mother regularly came in to purchase assessment books and educational materials. Over time, I got to know the family well and frequently helped them select the most suitable resources for their children.

Later on, the family moved overseas, but they never forgot me! Every single time they came back to Singapore, the parents made it a point to drop by the store and say hello. They trusted my recommendations and would stock up on local assessment books and textbooks for the kids to study abroad.

What touched me most was when the family eventually moved back to Singapore. They actually took the effort to locate me and visit me at our NEX outlet. It’s amazing to think I’ve been a small part of their lives—from Primary 3 until now, when they’re in their 20s.

Moments like this make my job so rewarding. Experiences like these reinforce my belief that authentic customer service goes beyond a single transaction. When you genuinely care for customers and consistently serve them with sincerity, you build relationships that can last a lifetime and strengthen customer retention.