When the Customer Is Not Queen: The Cautionary Tale of Sasa Singapore

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.

Inspection copies and teaching notes are available for university faculty. To receive an inspection copy and teaching note, please email cmpshop [at] smu.edu.sg with your registered faculty email ID and a link to your contact information on the faculty directory at your university as verification. An inspection copy and teaching note will then be sent to your faculty email account.

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· The Case (SMU-20-0013)

· Teaching Note (SMU-20-0013TN)

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· The Case (SMU-20-0013)

· Teaching Note (SMU-20-0013TN)

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· The Case (SMU-20-0013)

· Teaching Note (SMU-20-0013TN)