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pool for a better and smoother shopping experience for all our customers, who simply had to select the textbooks to buy according to their respective booklists now. Besides textbooks, other items students would need for the new school year, including stationery, e-learning products and school bags, and assessment books, were all available in one spot. Furthermore, POPULAR Members got to enjoy 5% off their textbook purchases and up to 50% off their purchases of school supplies. Our bank partner POSB Bank increased the cash rebates from 0.3% to 8% with payments made using the POSB Everyday Card for all purchases, at both our online platform and our retail outlets. POPULAR members who were also NTUC Plus! members received an additional 5% off regular-priced stationery items and assessment books. The sheer variety of products and rewarding shopping experience came together to make back- to-school preparations a breeze for parents and students alike! A Feat of Impeccable Teamwork The back-to-school season is always a busy period for our bookstores. To ensure swift fulfilment of all orders, a feat of impeccable teamwork was necessary as all departments came together. With the e-Commerce team orchestrating the entire operation, the merchandising departments ensured sufficient stock to match the rates of fulfilment; the warehouse team worked with our logistics providers to fulfil orders on time; and the school bookshop and retail teams came together at 38 fulfilment locations, where parents could collect their orders. All orders had to be delivered within 14 working days. Achieving this goal was also made possible with technology, as enhancements were made to the online ordering platform to allow our fulfilment locations to work more efficiently. With the high volume of orders, ensuring customer satisfaction in the ordering process and managing their queries and expectations was crucial. Additional manpower was allocated for customer service to help manage enquiries across a host of issues, including booklists, promotions, payment, shipping and delivery. The Whole Nine Yards As one of the largest bookstore chains in Southeast Asia, POPULAR’s experience on the logistics front has enabled us to enhance our customers’ online shopping experience by offering various delivery options to our customers. Customers are able to collect their orders at POPULAR school bookshops and POPULAR retail stores, or select home delivery. The last option proved exceptionally popular for online purchases, particularly with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This was also one way we could help safeguard the wellbeing of our customers. While collection and purchasing in schools were subject to prevailing safety measures, walk-ins at our retail stores were also accepted as our staff were trained to assist and fulfil booklist orders as well. Parents could simply pass their booklist to a retail staff and have everything picked up on their behalf. A Resounding Success More than two months of hard work culminated in a roaring success for the “Back-to-School” campaign in 2021. Online orders clocked in a double-digit growth from the year before. With an all-round improvement to the ordering process, speed of fulfilling orders, customer service quality, and delivery options, we eased many common challenges of the hectic year-end preparations for parents and children. Going beyond items found in the booklist, the wide variety of products offered helped make us a one-stop solution for parents and students 除了书单上找得到的课本外，大众也提供种类繁多的商品，为家长与学生提供一站式服务 10 - popularnews 139