CapitaLand continues to place the well-being of our tenants, shoppers and guests as our top priority. Standing in solidarity with our customers, employees and the vulnerable community, we have come up with various measures and future-ready initiatives to ride through current challenges with our ecosystem partners and position for the future.
Phase 3: Safe Nation
CapitaLand is committed to creating a safe and convenient shopping environment. With the arrival of Phase 3, we remain vigilant with the necessary safe management measures in place. These include increased frequency of cleaning and disinfection in the malls, with a focus on key touch points at the common areas such as lift buttons, handrails and auto-door panels. Hand sanitisers are available at contact tracing counters at mall entrances.
Shoppers are required to register for mall-entry using either scanning of the SafeEntry QR code, the TraceTogether app or TraceTogether token when visiting CapitaLand malls and our retailers. Mask wearing in the malls remains compulsory and shoppers are reminded to maintain a safe distance of at least 1 metre. Our malls operate from 10am to 10pm, and customer service counters from 10am to 9.30pm. We thank our shoppers, tenants and staff for their understanding and cooperation in continuing to adhere to the safe management measures.
Future-ready initiatives
CapitaLand boosts recovery in China with digitalisation strategy
On 15 June 2020, CapitaLand announced a sustained recovery of its businesses in China post nationwide lockdown due to COVID-19. From January to May 2020, the Group recorded about RMB4 billion of residential sales, while about 88% stores in CapitaLand malls across China have resumed operations as at end May 2020. The malls have also recovered about 70% of pre-pandemic footfall levels.
CapitaLand’s recovery in its residential and retail businesses in China has been boosted in part by the Group’s recent digitalisation efforts to sustain engagement with consumers. CapitaLand launched “Homes” – a feature on CapitaStar’s WeChat for house hunters to book viewing appointments online. It also reduced its CapitaStar’s platform fees and simplified the onboarding process to encourage more tenants sell online. Building on the expanded online merchant base, CapitaLand started livestream sales to ramp up the delivery of integrated online and offline shopping experiences to shoppers. Riding on this positive momentum, CapitaStar’s online retail sales in May 2020 showed a 6.5-fold increase compared with March 2020.
Enhancing safety through increased cleaning and contactless technologies across its business parks in India
On 11 January 2021, CapitaLand announced it was accorded the British Safety Council’s global benchmarking certification for implementing effective safety measures in all of its 10 operational business parks across India amid COVID-19. The certification was granted following a thorough assessment against the stringent global safety standards laid down by the British Safety Council, an established organisation with 60 years of expertise in health, safety, and environmental management. The Council has developed a detailed COVID-19 framework that is in line with guidelines by the Government of India and World Health Organization.
On 11 June 2020, CapitaLand announced it is stepping up cleaning and adopting contactless technologies across its nine business parks in India to continue to provide a safe environment to tenants and employees amid the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. The measures aimed at minimising contact between people and surfaces are:
- Thermal scanners for temperature screening at entry points;
- Contactless lift activation with foot-operated pedal system;
- Hands-free sanitiser dispensers at common areas;
- Hands-free access with foot-operated doors for washrooms;
- Hands-free faucets at washrooms;
- App-based visitor management system;
- Contactless security for business park entry;
- Ultra-low volume (ULV) fogging and disinfection;
- Ultra Violet Germicidal Irradiation Air Handling Unit (UVGI-AHU) solutions for enhanced indoor air quality;
- Dedicated deep cleaning team with increased frequency of cleaning and disinfecting at all common spaces;
- Dedicated bins for disposing used masks and gloves; and
- Social distancing markers at all lobbies, lifts and other common areas.
CapitaLand's three-pronged approach to enhance safety in its business parks in India
Contactless lift activation with foot-operated pedal system at International Tech Park Chennai
Getting operationally ready with innovative tech solutions
On 29 May 2020, CapitaLand announced a series of enhanced COVID-19 safety measures aimed at creating a safe shopping environment in time for Singapore’s Phase 1 safe reopening. Tapping innovative tech solutions, the enhanced measures at CapitaLand malls include:
- Application of anti-microbial coating for high contact areas;
- Placement of disinfection floormats at key entrances;
- Deployment of UV disinfection robots after mall operating hours;
- Disinfection of lift cars with PhotoPlasma technology; and
- Trial of automated escalator handrail disinfection and contactless lift activation system at The Atrium@Orchard.
Paving the way forward with omnichannel 24/7 retail
Singapore’s circuit breaker has brought to the fore the importance of an omnichannel, 24/7 strategy for retailers. On 22 May 2020, CapitaLand announced the launch of an ecommerce platform eCapitaMall, and an online food ordering platform Capita3Eats to drive bricks-and-clicks sales for its retail partners in Singapore. Both platforms are accessible via CapitaStar app.
eCapitaMall is a curated digital mall that offers shoppers the flexibility to browse online before purchasing in-store or browse in-store before purchasing online. Capita3Eats is Singapore’s first mall-operated food ordering platform that offers consumers three ways to fulfil their food orders – delivery, takeaway or dine-in. For both platforms, CapitaStar members get to earn instant STAR$® for every transaction.
Redefining guest experience and enhancing existing cleanliness at Ascott
On 28 May 2020, CapitaLand’s wholly owned lodging business unit, The Ascott Limited (Ascott) announced that it will review the design of its lodging products and services to ensure they are future-ready for continued growth in a post COVID-19 landscape. Leveraging the existing design strengths of Ascott’s serviced residences, it will redefine the guest experience to take advantage of emerging trends such as the increased popularity of working-from-home, deeper health and safety concerns, and a rapidly digitising world.
Ascott also launched ‘Ascott Cares’ to raise standards of cleanliness to continue to provide safe homes for guests. ‘Ascott Cares’ covers nine commitments to enhance Ascott’s existing cleanliness protocols:
- Our Staff’s Work Environment
- Guest Safety
- Physical Distancing
- Housekeeping
- Apartments & Rooms
- Food & Beverage
- Shared Facilities
- Contactless & Paperless
- Our Vendors
The comprehensive protocols that are in compliance with the World Health Organization standards and local regulations will be rolled out progressively to its properties globally from June 2020.
On 16 March 2020, Ascott’s CEO Mr Kevin Goh shared the company’s initiatives and measures taken to ensure a high standard of care at Ascott properties and flexibility on Ascott Star Rewards (ASR) membership. Precautionary measures at Ascott's serviced residences and hotels such as intensified cleaning and disinfecting of its properties, having housekeeping attendants wear masks and gloves when cleaning the apartments, and temperature screening, were implemented in accordance with the guidelines from the World Health Organization and public health authorities in the respective countries.
Ascott’s global reservations team has also exercised flexibility on guests’ reservations. For ASR members, they can continue to earn points toward their current tier status for an additional year until 2021. The expiry of current balance of ASR points has also been extended until April 2021.
CapitaLand reaffirms COVID-19 support to ecosystem partners
As of 6 April 2020, CapitaLand has committed about S$100 million to support its stakeholders, including its retail tenants; as well as to help the governments and healthcare communities in the various markets where it operates. To view a message by CapitaLand Group CEO, Mr Lee Chee Koon on the business impact of COVID-19, and the support the Group has rendered to stakeholders, please visit here.