• Building on the success of the Hive 2.0 innovation hub, Stellar Lifestyle launches Hive Express, its new innovation space at Raffles Place, developed to help merchants expedite retail innovations such as smart vending machines and self-service checkout stores, within the SMRT-operated train station.
• Singapore’s leading online supermarket, RedMart, will be the inaugural tenant at Hive Express Raffles Place with its first physical storefront. RedMart’s physical storefront will offer curated daily necessities for busy office workers on their daily commute at the competitive prices.

SINGAPORE, 16 SEPTEMBER 2024 — Stellar Lifestyle today opened its first innovation space at Raffles Place MRT station called Hive Express. The innovation space expands on Stellar Lifestyle’s successful Hive 2.0 innovation hub to help merchants expedite retail innovations across the transit network faster and at a more cost-efficient manner.

With Hive Express, Stellar Lifestyle has taken another step closer to its vision of high-tech retail through the creation of innovation spaces along Singapore’s rail network. By reimagining the use of open spaces within SMRT-operated MRT stations, Stellar Lifestyle aims to bring innovative retail experiences such as smart vending machines and self-service checkout stores to more stations across Singapore.

Tony Heng, President of Stellar Lifestyle, said, “Building on the success of Hive 2.0, Hive Express creates even more opportunities for SMEs to innovate and test retail concepts within train stations. By harnessing new technologies and SMRT’s vast rail network, we can deliver unique retail experiences in compact spaces, enhancing convenience and enriching the daily journeys of commuters. Hive Express reflects Stellar Lifestyle’s commitment to designing dynamic, future-ready environments that serve both commuters and small businesses alike.”

The first partner featured at Hive Express is RedMart, Singapore’s leading online supermarket. Its first physical storefront at Raffles Place MRT station will offer curated daily necessities for busy office workers and commuters at the competitive prices, through vending machines that are accessible via Lazada’s popular app. Customers can pay through the app and the vending machine will dispense the chosen product, seamlessly blending the convenience of online shopping with the immediacy of offline access.

The first of its kind by a grocer in Singapore, RedMart’s vending machine store will operate seven days a week, offering commuters an extensive selection of products—including beverages, snacks, and personal care items.

The assortment is tailored to the needs of commuters that frequent Raffles Place MRT, who may be looking for quick access to drinks and snacks, workout fuel and protein, or personal care items to tide them through their day. Commuters will also be able to try RedMart’s affordable and high-quality private label items such as kombucha, trail mix, drinking water, and trendy new product samples which include the viral MONDAY haircare line—available exclusively on RedMart in Singapore.

“We understand that consumers on the go are looking for both online and offline touchpoints for greater convenience. We are delighted to partner with Stellar Lifestyle to expand RedMart’s presence beyond the Lazada app to give consumers a taste of the wide range of products that we offer,” said Martin Daney, Head of RedMart at Lazada Singapore. “We want to help busy commuters save time by seamlessly integrating grocery shopping into their daily commute, while providing a wide assortment with competitive prices.”

About Stellar Lifestyle

Stellar Lifestyle, a business arm of SMRT Corporation Limited, transforms spaces in and around MRT stations into vibrant lifestyle destinations, enhancing the daily journey for commuters.   We innovate to benefit the community by reimagining the use of existing spaces and leveraging the extensive train network to introduce new business models and foster community engagement.   As the largest managing agent of retail and advertising spaces in Singapore’s rail network, we bring expertise in property and retail management, media, and digital advertising solutions.

About Lazada Group

Lazada Group is Southeast Asia’s pioneer eCommerce platform. For the last 12 years, Lazada has been accelerating progress in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam through commerce and technology. Today, a thriving local ecosystem links about 160 million active users to more than one million actively-selling sellers every month, who are transacting safely and securely via trusted payments channels and Lazada Wallet, receiving parcels through a homegrown logistics network that has become the largest in the region.