Cash not accepted at Honestbee's first brick-and-mortar shop space

SINGAPORE — It is a supermarket, restaurant, and retail concept testbed rolled into one. And cash is not accepted here.

Called Habitat, it marks online marketplace company Honestbee’s first foray into a new brick-and-mortar retail concept.

Launched on Tuesday (Oct 16), it occupies 60,000sqf of space in an industrial building in Pasir Panjang and features what is said to be two world firsts: A cashless automated checkout system called AutoCheckout, and a robotic collection point named RoboCollect.

Customers with 10 items or fewer at the supermarket have the option of scanning and paying for their items via the Honestbee mobile application without needing to queue at checkout.

Those with more items can take their purchases to the AutoCheckout, where it will be automatically scanned, packed and whisked to the collection point at the RoboCollect station.

Payment is done through the Honestbee mobile app using its e-wallet known as beePay.

“Orders can be processed between checkout and collection in as fast as five minutes, so shoppers will have more time to enjoy Habitat by Honestbee as a multi-sensory community,” said the company.

At the RoboCollect station, shoppers can scan a QR code — known as a Bee Pass — to collect their purchases. Robots will sift through the packed items and deliver the right bag to the shopper.

Habitat also features a dining area with 15 dining concepts, as well as an innovation laboratory that will partner business owners and retailers across industries to come up with technological solutions to help improve retail experiences.

The company said that partners can use the lab to pilot new shopping experiences while leveraging Habitat’s infrastructure, cashless payment system, logistics, as well as customer service and data, without having to commit to technological and operational costs.

“In this innovative space, one can expect a multi-sensorial food experience that nourishes, educates and inspires,” said Habitat’s managing director Pauline Png.

She added that Honestbee was “building on” its online business by making its foray into a brick-and-mortar shop space.

“We already have very good logistics delivery... we have great partners. What else can we do with them to extend that relationship to be able to give a different offering to customers?” she said.

“One of the things was (to go) offline, but we didn’t want to do another offline (concept).”

She stressed that “it was not just about technology”, even though Habitat is very much technology-driven.

“We do that, so that we can have more time for interactions,” she added, noting that customers are encouraged, for instance, “to talk to the lobster chef… and find out more about what you are eating”.

At any one time, there will also be around 100 staff members working at Habitat, she said.

Ms Png told TODAY that while the company will still be focused on growing its online markets, a large number of shoppers — about 90 per cent — still make their purchases offline.

“(We will) make sure whatever we do is not just a gimmick, but (to give shoppers) more time to be physically enjoying something,” she said.

“Physical space, we feel, is for physical things — you want to be able to taste it, smell it, see it. We use technology to enable it… to enable people to do these things.”

Habitat will be open to the public on Thursday (Oct 18).

Consumers interviewed by TODAY largely welcomed the new concept.

Ms Florence Ho, 30, said: “I think it is interesting that an online (company) goes offline, especially at a time when everyone (is moving) online.”

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