Selected SAF products now available online on Lazada

SINGAPORE: National servicemen can buy selected Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) products online and get them delivered to their homes from Tuesday (Sep 6), with the launch of a new store on e-retailer Lazada.

The Lifestylemart store was launched after the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Lazada and the Combat Service Support Command (CSSCOM), SAF's supply support arm.

Personal equipment and items for yearly in-camp training can be purchased from the store, which currently stocks about 20 products.

These include exercise attire, running shoes, camouflage face paint, water bags and other items in the SAF kit. More items are expected to be available at a later stage, after the pilot phase.

Describing the Lazada platform as "intuitive", Brigadier-General Terry Tan, Commander of CSSCOM, said the e-store would support national servicemen by bringing them greater convenience.

The MOU will also open up opportunities for exchanges in e-commerce expertise, supply chain management strategies and sustainability initiatives, a press release by Lazada stated.

BG Tan said the opportunity to learn from industry best practices could enhance CSSCOM's peacetime and operational effectiveness.

"We want public-private collaboration to be a lot stronger," said BG Tan, adding that this was something learnt during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"(It is) important for this private and public partnership to take place in peacetime so that when we need to better serve and help Singaporeans in crisis, in national emergencies, we are able to do it a little bit more (seamlessly)," he said.

CSSCOM will continue exploring more collaborations with other e-commerce partners to offer greater purchasing flexibility to national servicemen, he added.

Lazada CEO Loh Wee Lee said that the company was proud to contribute to a positive NS experience, adding: "Our national servicemen contribute precious time for their training to keep Singapore safe and sovereign."

He told CNA that Lazada was happy to share its experience leveraging technology to digitalise the e-commerce experience, as CSSCOM also has similar supply chain operations.

Prior to the launch of Lifestylemart, national servicemen could buy SAF kit items online on eMart using eMart credits, with home delivery available at S$10.50.

Physical outlets for eMart can be found at selected SAF camps and two commercial retail outlets at The Chevrons and SAFRA Punggol.