HDB Annual Report 2020/2021

Transforming the Heartland Retail Experience In the FY, there were 17,860 commercial properties under HDB’s management, with the average occupancy rate remaining high at 96%. 460 commercial units were allocated and 95 shops/ eating houses were completed in the FY. HDB piloted 2 mobile apps, RetailerLink and ShopperLink, to help enhance the heartland retail experience through the use of e-commerce tools. RetailerLink o ers HDB retailers a one-stop digital platform to better engage their customers and promote their businesses to a wider audience. The app for customers, ShopperLink, provides users with the latest promotions and events happening at HDB Malls, and personalised updates from their favourite shops. RetailerLink and ShopperLink were launched in December 2020 and January 2021 respectively for beta trial at Oasis Terraces. As at March 2021, all 94 retailers at Oasis Terraces are onboard the RetailerLink app, and over 5,000 customers have signed up for ShopperLink. HDB will progressively expand the use of these apps to other new-generation Neighbourhood Centres and HDB malls. Helping Our Heartland Businesses To help support businesses impacted by COVID-19, assistance measures were introduced as part of the 2020 Budgets. In the FY, qualifying tenants in HDB shops and Social-Communal Facilities received 4 months’ worth of rental rebates in total, while qualifying tenants in HDB O ces received 2 months’ worth of rental rebates in total. Additional rental waivers were granted on a case-by-case basis last FY to help businesses severely impacted by the pandemic. HDB also o ered flexible payment plans upon request and waived late payment charges for arrears. Majority of tenants who renewed their 3-year tenancy in 2020 also received a downward adjustment in rental, in line with market conditions. 23 HDB ANNUAL REPORT 2020/21