Starting from today (6 September) onwards, National Servicemen will be able to conveniently purchase their Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) products on Lazada through the Lifestylemart store and get them delivered to their homes.
The store was launched after a memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed by Lazada and SAF’s support arm, the Combat Service Support Command (CSSCOM).
Personal items used by NSmen for their in-camp training can be purchased from the online store, which currently has 21 products available for purchase.
This includes things like track shorts, various training shirts, running shoes, pocket knifes, and other training necessities.
Personally, what stands out to me is the SHEIN-like prices of some of these things.
I mean, $3.95 for that green shirt? That’s a steal, even if it means you’ll be giving major NS-boy-off-duty vibes whenever you wear it in public.
After the pilot stage concludes, more items are expected be made available on the site.
Did you know that every year, those serving the army would be given free credits to buy things from the stores known as “E-marts”? These are physical stores located in camps and in two retail outlets located at The Chevrons and SAFRA Punggol.
The items for sale usually include outfield-based things like camo cream for the face and other items seen on the new Lazada store. There would also be several products you can purchase only using cash, such as bags.
This probably isn’t the only army fact that’s new to you, though. To know about 10 more facts about serving NS in the army, watch this video to the end:
SAF to Continue Exploring Collaborations with E-Commerce Partners
Brigadier-General Terry Tan, The Commander of CSSCOM, told CNA that goal of the e-store was to provide greater convenience for national servicemen and enhance the support given.
He also said that the MOU has opened up an opportunity to learn from best practices in the industry, and that such partnerships have the potential to enhance CSSCOM’s peacetime and operational effectiveness.
“We want public-private collaboration to be a lot stronger,” BG Tan told CNA, who added that this was something the organisation had first started considering during the pandemic.
He also noted that strengthening this partnership during peacetime would enable SAF to better support Singaporeans in times of crisis and during national emergencies, providing aid in a more seamless manner.
With regards to what’s in store for the organisation, CSSCOM will continue exploring more collaborations with other e-commerce partners to enhance the purchasing flexibility that NSmen can enjoy.
Loh Wee Lee, Lazada’s current CEO, also said that the company was proud to contribute to improving the NS experience, telling CNA that it was glad to be able to share its experiencing in using technology to digitalise the e-commerce experience, seeing as the CSSCOM shared similar supply chain operations with the company.
Above all, I guess if we ever run out of things to buy to feed our online shopping addictions, there’s always NS merch we can consider.
Featured Image: Lazada