Singapore retailers retrain workers as social commerce reshapes jobs

SINGAPORE: Scroll through a shopping app, and you may come across livestreams where salespeople demonstrate products, answer questions and offer promotions.

Viewers who are interested can add the product to their cart or simply leave a comment indicating that they want to buy it.

As such shopping habits become more common, retailers in Singapore are training workers in social commerce and redesigning jobs to meet demand for new skills.

BUILDING NEW SKILLSETS

Social commerce – where consumers discover and buy products through social media – is on the rise in Singapore.

Local bank DBS projected last year that Singapore's social commerce market would grow at a compound annual rate of about 16 per cent through 2030, when sales are expected to reach S$8.47 billion (US$6.6 billion). Live commerce is expected to account for more than a third of that market.

The bank also cited research suggesting that conversion rates for livestream selling can be up to 10 times higher than traditional e-commerce. Seeing a person use and review a product live can also build trust and help shoppers make decisions faster. 

As retailers build their social commerce capabilities, the roles and skills they require are also evolving.

A search by CNA on recruitment portal Jobstreet found more than 3,400 openings related to social commerce, including at least 1,500 related to live commerce.

Industry players say the demand reflects retailers' efforts to respond to changing consumer expectations.

"I think the industry has also picked that up, and they understand that now consumers want a bit more engagement, and so they're trying to build social commerce capability to meet that need," said Singapore Retailers Association director Shaan Liew.

"For example, the need for a social commerce lead, social commerce engineer, and also live stream host. So we are working with the industry to help them redesign some of these jobs."

One programme helping companies adapt to these changes is the Jobs-Skills Integrator (JSIT) for Retail.

Launched by the Ministry of Manpower alongside the Singapore National Employers Federation and the National Trades Union Congress in 2023, the programme helps retail companies identify jobs affected by changes in the industry and supports job redesign and worker training.

"Since the launch of JSIT Retail, we have benefited over 1,000 retail companies, and about 4,500 employees have gone through the process of job redesigning, upskilling, and reskilling, so that they are better prepared for the future retail landscape," said JSIT for Retail director Loh Chu May.

AI HOSTS ENTER THE PICTURE

Even as workers learn how to sell through livestreams, AI is starting to change how such broadcasts are produced.

Singapore snack brand Irvins began experimenting with AI livestreaming about nine months ago, after about two years of selling its products through livestreams.

The company now uses AI avatars for livestreams at least once or twice a week.

Irvins senior vice-president of commercial Reno Chow said the use of AI has made its livestreaming operations more efficient.

"That allows us to cut the cost significantly, (with) at least savings of 50 per cent, and we can do it for longer hours … without heavy setup," he said.

"It helps boost our sales by more than 20 per cent on a monthly basis as compared to last year."

The company can also reuse material created for its AI hosts rather than produce an entirely new livestream each time.

“We can actually use the same content for the whole month before we refresh with new content, new products, new scripts,” said Mr Chow.