When the customer is not queen: The cautionary tale of Sasa Singapore
Publication Type
Case
Publication Date
6-2020
Abstract
Sa Sa International Holdings Limited, a leading cosmetics retail group in Asia, announced on December 2, 2019 that it would close all 22 stores in Singapore. It attributed the closures to the less-than-satisfactory performance of its Singapore operations for many years, where it had recorded losses for six consecutive years.
This case analyses the possible reasons for Sasa’s store closures, and explores how an improved customer experience and omnichannel strategy delivered through phygital stores might have helped save the situation.
This case is intended for use in a digital transformation course in an information systems undergraduate programme. Students who have successfully examined the case should be able to achieve the following learning objectives: 1) Identify what factors led to the exit of Sasa from the Singapore market, 2) Analyse the impact of changing customer behaviours and expectations in the digital business era, and 3) Evaluate the importance of the omnichannel strategy and how it can be executed.
Keyword(s)
Cosmetics, Discount retail, E-commerce, Digital marketing, Branding, Customer experience management, Marketing channels, Target audience
Discipline
E-Commerce | Marketing
Data Source
Published Sources
Industry
Discount department stores
Geographic Coverage
Singapore
Temporal Coverage
2019
Education Level
Executive Education; Postgraduate; Undergraduate
Publisher
Singapore Management University
Case ID
SMU-20-0013
Additional URL
https://cmp.smu.edu.sg/case/4396
Comments
SMU Faculty/Staff can download the case and teaching note with your SMU login ID and Password via the following links:
For purchase of the case and supplementary materials via The CMP Shop, please access the following links:
For purchase of the case and supplementary materials via The Case Centre, please access the following links:
For purchase of the case and supplementary materials via Harvard Business Publishing, please access the following links: