‘Sik Tak Fan La’ is a Cantonese phrase meaning ‘the meal is ready to serve’. We launched our first ‘Sik Tak Fan La’ campaign in Hong Kong in 2022, collaborating with non-governmental organisation (NGO) partners to donate hot meals, and other supplies to people in need. Since then, this powerful phrase has inspired further successful collaborations, and provided food for more people in more communities across Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area (GBA) and Singapore every day.

In June 2023, we extended our ‘Sik Tak Fan La’ programme to the GBA. Given the sharp increase in the over-60s demographic in Guangzhou, through our partnership with the Guangzhou Volunteers Association, we provided vouchers for hot meals to elderly people as well as families in need. 
Our 7-Eleven stores in Guangzhou donated RMB 0.5 for every 7-SELECT meal box sold. Over the first six months of the initiative, we raised RMB 251,092, which we converted into vouchers equivalent to 14,946 meal boxes.

To kick-start the programme in the GBA, 7-Eleven South China donated 1,000 meal vouchers for 100 elderly people living alone and 100 families with children under 14 years old. Throughout the year, the Guangzhou Volunteers Association shared the vouchers with 18 community service organisations that then distributed the meal vouchers to beneficiaries to redeem 7-SELECT meal boxes in any 7-Eleven store. 
One beneficiary, Ms Zheng, faced challenges in cooking due to her limited mobility. As a result, she often prepares only one meal a day. Despite the presence of a canteen for elderly people in her area, the 85-year-old found it tiring to walk there. Ms Zheng said the ‘Sik Tak Fan La’ programme is very helpful because she can redeem hot meals at a 7-Eleven store near her home at any time, saving her time, money and effort spent in cooking and allowing her to rest more.

"I hope this programme can spread love and care, and reach more people in the community in Guangzhou. It is also a continuation of the Meal Voucher Programme in 2020, to encourage more compassionate individuals who wish to assist others to participate and offer a helping hand for those in need"Jack Wen, Managing Director, 7-Eleven China

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7-Eleven South China: "Sik Tak Fan La'" charity programme outreach in the Greater Bay Area

The #guardiancares initiative supports a range of projects in communities where we operate and passed several key milestones in 2023. Our #guardiancares ‘Together, Keeping Kids Clean and Healthy’ programme first launched in Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia in late 2022. 
During 2023, we expanded the programme to support initiatives in Brunei and Cambodia. The ‘Together, Keeping Kids Clean and Healthy’ programme provides bath care products for underprivileged children across our markets in Southeast Asia. We reached our 2023 goal of providing the equivalent of 20 million baths in one year to underprivileged children by July. Building on this success, we doubled the target to 40 million baths a year. 
For each litre bottle of Guardian Own Brand bath care sold, a designated amount (e.g. RM 0.15 in Malaysia/VND 2,500 in Vietnam), is donated to a fund used to provide Guardian Own Brand bath products to children living under challenging circumstances. Our customers can also support the programme by purchasing a #guardiancares Bear plush toy. 
All proceeds from the sale of #guardiancares Bears go towards funding bath care products and education for disadvantaged children. 
Each market works with a recognised local NGO partner to identify and reach communities in need. Our partners support engagement activities, including distributing bath products, organising hygiene workshops for school children and projects to upgrade schools. 
In Brunei, Guardian collaborates with the Children’s Cancer Foundation (YASKA), which supports children living with cancer and their families. Guardian Brunei donates B$0.1 to YASKA for every litre of Own Brand bath care products 
purchased by customers. Guardian also organised a donation drive for Guardian Essential body wash to support YASKA beneficiaries in Brunei and offered activities for children such as basic lessons in hygiene, a pop quiz session and colouring activities. 
Meanwhile, Guardian Cambodia collaborates with non-profit Pour un Sourire d’Enfant (PSE) to support the education of children facing acute hardship and helps them break the poverty cycle. PSE operates community service centres in slum areas and supports over 6,500 children a year to receive an education, including some who scavenge from dump sites and grow up on the streets. Additionally, PSE has established a vocational training institute that enables school leavers to gain skills and learn a trade. 
Guardian team members marked the start of the #guardiancares initiative in Cambodia by visiting the PSE community service centre at Phum Russey. Our volunteers distributed Guardian body wash products and #guardiancares Bears to over 135 schoolchildren. In addition, we gave gift bags out to them, which contained educational materials about the importance of staying clean and healthy and the best way to wash hands and bodies. 
Meanwhile in Vietnam, where Guardian funds better education opportunities to children living in remote areas, we presented scholarships to 10 children in the Cẩm Mỹ district. At the same time, we also distributed #guardiancares hygiene kits to the communities in need.

Guardian: #guardiancares: Keeping kids clean and healthy across Southeast Asia

Mannings launched the ‘Helping Kids Grow Happier, Healthier and Stronger’ charity campaign in June 2023 to address the growing health challenges facing children and young people in Hong Kong. This initiative was a collaboration with The Hub Hong Kong, a local community centre that supports children living in poverty and difficult circumstances. 
We recognise that all children and teenagers need healthy food, sleep and plenty of exercise opportunities to thrive and reach their potential. However, studies show that around 75% of Hong Kong students are not reaching the recommended minimum levels of physical activity. Many low-income families live in very cramped homes and children have little opportunity for physical activities or to exercise outdoors, which was exacerbated by the pandemic. 
For some families, financial challenges can also lead to a poorer diet quality, putting children at increased risk of nutritional and vitamin deficiencies, as well as obesity.

The ‘Helping Kids Grow Happier, Healthier and Stronger’ campaign was designed to support sports and fitness programmes at The Hub Hong Kong’s centre and offer activities related to health and well-being for beneficiaries.

We raised funds by donating HK$2 for every item from the Own Brand Health Supplements range sold during the campaign period. Our initial goal was to raise HK$2 million in a year to support programmes for over 2,200 underprivileged families and children. With our customers’ support, we raised HK$1.98 million in just four months.

Co-managed by Mannings and The Hub, the ‘Helping Kids Grow Happier, Healthier and Stronger’ programme offers arrange of activities such as rope skipping, fitness training, floor curling, hip-hop, table tennis and Muay Thai. The programme helps children become more active and discover new sports and hobbies, which can support building self-esteem as well as physical health. Our donation also enabled The Hub Hong Kong to offer health education activities, health workshops and lectures for parents and children to learn more about healthy living, with Mannings pharmacists and dieticians providing nutrition consultation services.

As of 31 December 2023, we donated HK$2.86 million to fund shared community programmes co-run by Mannings and The Hub Hong Kong. Having identified that a lack of balanced nutrition, physical activity and time outdoors could contribute to vitamin deficiencies and weight issues in children, Mannings also donated HK$882,000 worth of Own Brand health supplements for children. We aim to further support children’s health and build a solid foundation for their future development and well-being. 
Mannings is committed to protecting the health of the community. We will continue striving to support children's well-being, encouraging activities to improve physical and mental health and raise self-esteem, as we believe all of these play a part in nurturing the next generation.

Mannings Hong Kong: Helping Kids Grow Happier, Healthier and Stronger

DFI takes a proactive approach to our ageing population and shrinking workforce. We have extended our employment service period and welcome new team members who aged 65 or above, providing opportunities for senior citizens to work longer and share their knowledge and talents.

To support senior team members, we provide flexible working hours, training, and virtual training courses. This enables individuals to continue developing their skills and stay engaged in the workforce while also accommodating other challenges they may face.

By fostering an inclusive work environment that values senior citizens’ experience, wisdom and diversity, we are creating a positive impact on society and contributing to the well-being of our team members. We hope this initiative expands to assist more seniors in staying physically and intellectual active, providing purpose and offering opportunities to stay connected with their community.&nbsp;

DFI Retail Group: Employment opportunities for senior citizens

We recognise the value of a diverse workforce in driving innovation and growth, and are committed to fostering a culture of inclusivity. With a non-discriminatory and inclusive hiring policy long implemented, we ensure a balanced representation of genders among our team members. By creating a more inclusive and empowering culture within our organisation, we hope to foster an environment where everyone can thrive and reach their full potential.

The DFI Women’s Network advances female leadership and promotes a more inclusive workplace environment. Since its launch on International Women’s Day, 8th March 2022, the network has organised a successful speaker series and workshops, all of which have seen strong participation from team members across different levels and geographies.

Building upon our first year’s accomplishments, on International Women’s Day in 2023, the DFI Women’s Network launched a new tailored mentorship programme for female team members. It empowers women’s leadership and promotes equity and personal growth, and aims to provide female professionals with guidance and access to tools that help them succeed in their careers. During 2023, we recruited and connected over 20 mentor-mentee pairs from various banners across our markets. We look forward to witnessing the positive impact this programme will have on their careers and personal growth.

“I’m proud to work for a company committed to fostering diversity, equity and inclusion. It is important to have a diversity of views from all team members as it leads to more innovative solutions and ultimately better business decisions, driving our collective success. We strive to create an environment where everyone feels heard and valued for their contributions.” Danni Peirce, Chief Executive Officer, 7-Eleven

“Through personal experience, I understand the unique challenges that women often encounter. Don't quit, even when faced with challenges! Pursue your passions, hold onto your beliefs, and never underestimate the strength that arises from being authentic and true to yourself.” Erica Chan, Group Chief Legal, Governance and Corporate Affairs Officer

“Building more gender equality and inclusion is a win-win-win for team members, our organisation and customers. Organisations that invest in their people this way tend to be both happier and more successful! ” Joy Xu, Group Chief People &amp; Culture Office

DFI Retail Group: Fostering equity through mentorship

The first ‘Sik Tak Fan La’ programme was launched by 7-Eleven Hong Kong in collaboration with local social enterprise Pei Ho Counterparts in 2022 to provide hot meals to the underprivileged including elderly people living alone, the homeless and low-income families, within the Sham Shui Po district. We fund this initiative by donating HK$0.5 to Pei Ho Counterparts for each designated 7-SELECT meal box sold at 7-Eleven stores across Hong Kong. 
In 2023, our partnership with Pei Ho Counterparts continued, expanding our community outreach to a second neighbourhood, Shau Kei Wan. As of December 2023, we have donated over HK$1.35 million, equivalent to 54,000 meal boxes, to people in need.

We also donated some new shopping trolleys to beneficiaries to make it easier to carry bulky or heavy items. Contributing to the success of ‘Sik Tak Fan La’, around 90 team members from DFI and Jardines took part in four volunteer sessions to pack goodie bags, shopping trolleys, deliver meals and supplies. 
With the support of our customers, team members and NGO partners, we will continue to seek new ways of providing food and assistance to vulnerable members of our communities.

“Mid-Autumn Festival represents ‘reunion’ in Chinese culture, so it was especially heart-warming when we brought meal boxes to the elderly, as if we were celebrating the festival together as a family.” Monica Kwan, 7-Eleven Hong Kong Volunteer

7-Eleven Hong Kong “Sik Tak Fan La” charity programme expands in Hong Kong

In 2022, we launched ‘Chi Fan Le Ma?’, which means ‘Have you eaten?’ in Mandarin, in partnership with Food Bank Singapore. Our initial goal was to provide one million meals to help feed beneficiaries over the next two years by donating SG$0.10 for every kg of our Own Brand Meadows rice sold at Cold Storage, CS Fresh and Giant supermarkets. The funds raised are used by FBSG to purchase Meadows rice at cost price for their beneficiaries. 
Under the same campaign, in early 2023, Giant collaborated with United Overseas Bank (UOB) to donate 25,000 kg of Meadows rice to over 30 beneficiary organisations in the Joo Chiat district, including charities, religious organisations, community groups and elderly homes. 
The donation took place at an event attended by the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Second Minister for Law, Edwin Tong, who is also the Member of Parliament representing Joo Chiat, and UOB's former First Vice President, Cards and Payments, Personal Financial Services, Luke Siew. Meanwhile, Giant also donated 120 packs of 5kg Meadows rice for a community event held at the Giant Supermarket in Ubi.

Cold Storage, CS Fresh, Giant Singapore: ‘Chi Fan Le Ma?’ extends new partnership in Southeast Asia

In Singapore, Cold Storage and Giant initiated the ‘Better Together’ food donation programme in 2020, providing daily necessities and nutritious products to families in need. 
We work with the Food Bank Singapore (FBSG), a local charity, to tackle food insecurity, which affects one in 10 families in Singapore, according to The Hunger Report. FBSG supports over 360 member beneficiaries that work with underprivileged families. To participate in this campaign, customers purchase items for FBSG beneficiaries and drop them off at collection points in stores after checkout. Through our customers’ generosity and stores donating date-expired food, we donated 305,506kg of food, equivalent to 872,876 meals, since the start of the programme in December 2020 until December 2023.

The Better Together initiative aims to complement existing food donation efforts by focusing on nutrition and work with FBSG to encourage customers to donate items that enable vulnerable families to meet dietary needs and have a healthier lifestyle. We target achieving the equivalent of 10,000 meals per month from customer donations. To achieve this goal, we have made the campaign more visible with in-store signage highlighting FBSG’s specific requirements and prominently displayed roller cages designated for collecting food donations.

Cold Storage and Giant Singapore: Better Together: tackling food insecurity

IKEA Hong Kong’s ‘Light Up Hope’ programme aims to reduce energy poverty and improve the quality of life for children and families living in inadequate housing. In partnership with Caritas Hong Kong, we have launched a broad range of initiatives, including practical support, outreach programmes and educational workshops on energy conservation for families in need under the programme. 
Living in inadequate housing causes numerous life challenges. Properties are often run-down, crowded and equipped with old, energy-consuming appliances, resulting in higher energy bills, especially in hot weather. With limited space to move around at home, children often do homework and play under poor lighting and uncomfortable conditions. 
During 2023, the programme’s scope included donating energy-efficient household items such as LED light bulbs, reading lamps, and cooling bedding, to disadvantaged families. The items improve their quality of life by lowering energy costs, relieving discomfort in hot weather, and creating a more conducive environment for children to study and play. By reaching out to beneficiaries through two Caritas community centres, these practical measures have helped 40 families in Tsuen Wan and Ngau Tau Kok.

In addition, IKEA Hong Kong worked with Caritas and other organisations to offer educational workshops to more than 40 families living in inadequate housing. These workshops provided tips on daily energy-saving and methods of reducing electricity consumption, as well as advice on eye protection. 
IKEA team members and Caritas will also offer community education to schools on the impact of climate change, energy conservation and the importance of eye protection in 2024. It is expected more than 40 primary school students will join workshops to learn more about the challenges that people living in inadequate housing in the community face. 
Meanwhile, IKEA Taiwan addressed the needs of children and families facing financial challenges and economic instability. This initiative also extends to remote rural elementary schools with limited resources. 
IKEA Taiwan’s ‘Light Up Hope’ programme also aimed to alleviate energy poverty. The initiative included providing economically disadvantaged families with energy-efficient appliances and LED bulbs that can help reduce electricity bills in Taiwan’s hot summers and cold winters. 
We will also supply educational equipment, and volunteers will help make home improvements and boost energy awareness to help households devise appropriate and effective energy-saving solutions. More broadly, IKEA Taiwan will promote sustainable energy education to the public.&nbsp; 
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IKEA Hong Kong and Taiwan: ‘Light Up Hope’ helps families reduce electricity bills

In Hong Kong, Wellcome continues to promote the ‘Sik Jor Fan Mei’ rice donation programme in collaboration with the NGO Foodlink, which provides hot nutritious meals and food to elderly people, the homeless and low-income families. Foodlink uses the funds raised to buy Yu Pin King rice at cost price. As of December 2023, Welcome has raised over HK$9.2 million, which is equivalent to over 28 million bowls of rice, for Foodlink beneficiaries in two years. 
The ‘Sik Jor Fan Mei’ programme includes other initiatives such as regular fresh and dry food donations and a monthly ‘Double Up Day’ when we double donations to HK$1 per kg of Yu Pin King rice sold. Additionally, on major festivals such as Chinese New Year, Mid-Autumn Festival and Winter Solstice, not only do we double the donation for Yu Pin King rice, but we also match customer purchases on selected Yu Pin King products. For every designated Yu Pin King item a customer buys, we donate one item to Foodlink.

By involving our customers in our charity programmes, we hope to raise awareness and inspire more people to take action in building a more caring community.

Wellcome Hong Kong: ‘Sik Jor Fan Mei’ rice donation programme continues in Hong Kong

DFI has launched a wide selection of Own Brand products ranging from food, beverages, groceries to health and beauty, all offering high quality at prices that are on average over 20% lower when compared to similar national or name brands. We also aim to help our customers manage their budgets for daily essentials by negotiating better deals with our suppliers to stabilise the cost of our Own Brand products. In 2023, we managed to save a total of US$6.8 million for customers by rejecting and postponing cost price increases, alongside other supports, in our Own Brand products sold in supermarkets and Health and Beauty stores, including Meadows, Yu Pin King, Giant, Mannings and Guardian.&nbsp;

To offer greater value for money, we launched 750 unique new Own Brand Health and Beauty products, expanding the category range to encompass oral care, sun care and facial skincare. We also added new products to existing lines, including our Own Brand vitamins and supplements, such as launching the Gummy Vitamin format for adults. There are now over 1,600 Own Brand Health and Beauty products available across DFI’s business and market.&nbsp;

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DFI Retail Group: Own Brand products deliver value for money

In June 2023, Lucky Cambodia donated surplus food to feed disadvantaged children on International Children’s Day. 
Through collaboration with our local community NGO partners Pour un Sourire d’Enfant (PSE), Cambodian Children’s Fund, and Khmer NGO for Education (KHEN), we contributed food valued at US$7,432 to our three NGO partners, reaching about 4,500 underprivileged children.

Lucky Cambodia: Lucky celebrates International Children’s Day

In Hong Kong, 7-Eleven works closely with various NGOs to recruit and support team members with special needs. 
Since 1995, we have supported people with intellectual impairments and those who are recovering from mental illness, enabling them to connect with the community in an inclusive workplace.

Since 2022, we have recruited 48 team members for 7-Eleven stores by partnering with NGOs such as Rehabilitation Alliance Hong Kong, Youth Outreach, Caritas, Hong Chi Association, Baptist Oi Kwan Social Service, New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation, Shine Skills Centre and MINDSET. The team members are assigned front-line roles in stores with simple responsibilities including shelf cleaning, stock replenishment and date code checking.

Currently, 27 team members recruited from designated NGOs are working in our Combined Distribution Centre, including three team members who joined us since 2013.

“I enjoy working here as this place brings me a great sense of belonging and self-confidence after I have successfully completed a task my supervisor assigned.” Ho Tsz Pang, 7-Eleven Hong Kong team member in a Shau Kei Wan store

7-Eleven Hong Kong: Creating employment opportunities for more people with special needs

DFI is committed to providing value to our customers across the region, particularly in times of inflation. We have worked closely with suppliers to avoid or postpone price increases and offer consistent savings to customers on everyday essentials. During 2023, our ‘Keep Prices Down’ campaign in Mannings Hong Kong and ‘Low Prices Locked to Stay Low’ at Guardian Singapore offered customers savings on everyday health, beauty and personal care products of over US$30 million and US$6.75 million, respectively. 
Similarly, Wellcome Hong Kong’s ‘Low Prices Locked’, Giant Singapore’s ‘Lower Prices That Last’ and Hero Indonesia’s ‘HALO HERO: Low Prices, Savings, and Don't Run Out’ campaigns delivered significant savings to customers’ shopping at our supermarkets. These initiatives not only provide reassurance to customers, but also helpthem better plan and budget. By providing consistent pricing on essential products across various categories, Wellcome, Giant and Hero saved our customers a total of US$1.5 million, US$5.3 million and US$9,000 in 2023, respectively. To provide more savings to customers, Wellcome, Giant and Hero have resisted US$16.8 million, US$5.8 million and US$3,000 of cost price increases from suppliers, creating value for our customers.&nbsp;

DFI Retail Group: Helping customers meet everyday needs

In collaboration with the Baptist Oi Kwan Social Service, Maxim’s Group established the " Kiddy Heart Canteen" in 2013. Kiddy Heart Canteen is Hong Kong's first of its kind to provide meals for underprivileged children and their parents. The Canteen offers healthy dinners consisting of two dishes and a soup priced at only HK$10 for low-income families. For families facing extreme financial hardship, the meals are provided free of charge. Maxim's Group's nutritionists also review and adjust the meal offerings to cater to the growth and health needs of the children.

In 2023, Kiddy Heart Canteen expanded its services to Mong Kok, increasing the number of canteens to three. Additionally, over 16,000 nutritious breakfasts were supplied to the three canteens. Through the Canteen, Maxim's Group has donated over 230,000 nutritious meals and provided various support services to families in need, including children's tutoring classes, parental counselling, and emotional and holistic development programmes.

Maxim’s Group opens the Third Kiddy Heart Canteen

Every Wednesday, Wellcome offers Hong Kong’s senior citizens a 10% discount on selected items, including Own Brand products, helping our senior customers stretch their budgets further. In 2023, we lowered the eligibility requirement of this offer from anyone aged 65 or above to all holders of a JoyYou card, which all Hong Kong residents aged 60 or above are entitled to carry, making the offer more inclusive.

In Singapore, Giant offers a senior citizen discount programme every Tuesday and increased the discount from 3% to 4% in October 2023. Meanwhile, Cold Storage continues to offer senior citizens a 3% discount on all items storewide every Wednesday.&nbsp;

Wellcome Hong Kong, Giant Singapore and Cold Storage - Extra discounts for senior citizens

We actively support the annual MINDSET charity fundraiser Walk Up Jardine House in Hong Kong. Walk Up Jardine House aims to boost mental health awareness and raise money for the underserved mental health community. In 2023, the physical race returned for the first time since the pandemic, and it was held in conjunction with a virtual race.

Team members from across our banners in Hong Kong took part in the race to the top of Jardine House. Together we accomplished over 6.8 million steps, equivalent to 7,184 Jardine Houses, which is 700,000 more steps or 651 more Jardine Houses than last year.&nbsp;

DFI Retail Group: Walk Up Jardine House 2023

The 7-Eleven Franchising System has so far given hundreds of franchisees the chance to be their own bosses and build successful businesses. The company finds the best locations for stores, and builds and operates them, giving potential franchisees an easier way to start their business without massive upfront costs. It provides comprehensive training and ongoing support for the franchisees, who include everyone from homemakers to young graduates to the company’s own team members. It also provides franchising opportunities to charities, so they can provide employment to people with special needs. So far two of them, Rehabilitation Alliance and Youth Outreach, have established stores with 7-Eleven.

7-Eleven: Empowering People to Build Their Own Businesses through Franchising

For the past three years, IKEA has helped spruce up the homes of those in need in Hong Kong with donations through Operation Santa Claus (OSC), an annual fundraising drive run by the South China Morning Post and public broadcaster RTHK that has run since 1988. In 2020, IKEA Hong Kong donated nearly 2,800 items, including furniture and accessories, that had previously been displayed in stores, helping more than 300 residents of subdivided flats; low-income workers; women, children and elderly living in poverty; migrant workers; and ethnic minorities. IKEA followed that up in 2021 by donating HK$180,000 worth of furniture and accessories that underprivileged people had specifically asked for, including light bulbs, crayons and shelving units.

IKEA Hong Kong: Brightening the Homes of the Underprivileged

As one of Asia’s leading retail groups, we can make a big difference to the communities we serve. We aim to do that by tackling hunger, by keeping prices as low as possible, and by providing employment for our diverse workforce.

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