Keeping the customer satisfied: The fall and rise of Sa Sa (A) and (B)

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. In December 2023, the company returned to Singapore, setting up its first store at Jurong Point Shopping Centre. This was quickly followed by four more stores across the island. Sa Sa also launched initiatives to deliver better service quality while improving itself from within to upgrade its capabilities.This case explores how an improved customer experience and omnichannel strategy delivered through phygital (a blend of physical and digital) stores might have helped save the situation prior to Sa Sa’s Singapore store closures. It also delves into the role of live and social commerce in retail, as well as new emerging retail concepts.This case is intended for use in a digital transformation course in an information systems undergraduate programme. Students should be able to achieve the following learning objectives: analyse the impact of changing customer behaviours and expectations, evaluate the importance of the omnichannel strategy, examine how live and social commerce can boost retail sales, study the limitations of live and social commerce, and explore how new retail concepts can attract customers and jack up sales.