Annual FairPrice Walks With U event sees record 8,000 participants this year; $1.2 million to be donated to support low-income families

• FairPrice Foundation pledged to donate $150 for each event ticket sold; event was fully subscribed with 8,000 participants – $1.2 million will be donated to support low-income families through the FairPrice Food Voucher Scheme
• FairPrice looks to renew its social commitment with a brand refresh exercise that focuses on four tenets: bringing value to customers, doing good for the community, being eco-friendly, and creating a better workplace

Singapore, 14 May 2016 – NTUC FairPrice (FairPrice)’s signature walking event, ‘FairPrice Walks With U’, returned for the fourth year to bring multi-generational families and the community together, promote healthy and active lifestyles, and raise awareness for the less fortunate. The event was attended by a record 8,000 participants and over 200 FairPrice staff participants and staff volunteers.

The walk this year was flagged off by Guest-of-Honour, Mr Masagos Zulkifli, Minister for the Environment & Water Resources and FairPrice Chairman, Mr Bobby Chin.

Mr Bobby Chin said, “FairPrice brings back ‘FairPrice Walks With U’ this year, to bring together families as we encourage the community to live out healthy lifestyles and do good. We are encouraged by the strong support by the community and we are pleased to announce that $1.2 million will be donated to benefit over 20,000 low-income families across Singapore. Our event theme, ‘Making Lives Better Through The Years’, reflects our commitment in walking alongside our community and serving our social mission by keeping prices of essential items affordable. It is also a reminder for us to remain relevant and to stay close to the hearts of the people we serve.”

As part of efforts to give back to the poor and needy in the community, FairPrice Foundation pledged to donate $150 to charity for every event ticket sold with each ticket, priced between $10 and $15. The event was fully subscribed with 8,000 participants, and a total of $1.2 million will be donated to help low-income families through the FairPrice Food Voucher Scheme.

Since 2002, the FairPrice Food Voucher Scheme has donated to $14.4 million in FairPrice vouchers to low-income families through all 89 GROs in Singapore and selected welfare organisations in Singapore, benefitting more than 20,000 requests for assistance from the poor and needy annually.

Making Lives Better Through The Years

As a homegrown brand, FairPrice reflected its social mission with the Walk’s theme, “Making Lives Better through the Years”. Participants had an interactive walk experience featuring FairPrice’s heritage and key milestones through the years in moderating the cost of living and serving the community.

A participant of the walk, Kenny Tan, 33, said, “Through the walk, I am reminded of FairPrice’s role in selling affordable groceries, since I was a young child. Today, I continue to enjoy shopping at FairPrice, which I have seen grow over the years. This walk event also allows me to spend quality time with my wife while keeping fit.”

Besides the mass walk, families also enjoyed multi-generational stage performances and larger-than-life traditional games including Jumbo Rubik’s Cube, Mega Tetris and Ultimate Pick-Up Sticks, which allowed participants from different generations to reminisce Singapore’s history and roots.

FairPrice’s social commitment to make lives better

At the event, FairPrice also renewed its social commitment through a new tagline, “Here to Make Lives Better”. This follows a brand refresh exercise which looks to effectively communicate its social goals through four main message pillars – “Making every day better”, “Giving back for the better”, Better for our planet” and “A better place to work”.

“Making every day better” is centred on providing good value through initiatives such as the Seniors’ and Pioneer Generation discounts, Every Day Low Price and Yellow Dot items. FairPrice’s housebrand products are also priced 10 to 15 per cent cheaper than comparable national brands.

“Giving back for the better” is defined by efforts to give back to the community and help the less fortunate. In 2015, FairPrice Foundation donated over $11.2 million to the community and contributed over 5,000 volunteer hours to community work. FairPrice has pledged to donate another $50 million to the Foundation to benefit the community and aims to engage its customers to volunteer alongside its employees to give back to those in need.

“Better for our planet” relates to eco-friendly initiatives to protect the environment. For example, FairPrice saved a record of over ten million plastic bags in 2015, and through the FairPrice Food Waste Framework focusing on Processes, Public Education and Partnerships, reduced food wastage by 40 per cent over the past year.

“A better place to work” focuses on creating a better working environment for employees. FairPrice ensures that staff are offered competitive remuneration, a safe and caring environment, a culture of continuous learning and a roadmap for career development. FairPrice employs over 10,000 people and invests 250,000 hours in training annually for staff.

[END]

About NTUC FairPrice

NTUC Fairprice Co-operative Ltd was founded by the labour movement in 1973, with a social mission to moderate the cost of living in Singapore. From one supermarket, it has grown to become Singapore’s largest retailer serving over half a million shoppers daily, with a network of over 130 outlets, comprising FairPrice supermarkets, FairPrice Finest and FairPriceXtra. Its convenience arm comprises a network of over 160 FairPrice Xpress and Cheers convenience stores, which serves over 100,000 customers daily. FairPrice Online caters to over 115,000 subscribers offering a hassle-free online shopping experience. NTUC FairPrice also owns a Fresh Food Distribution Centre and a centralised warehousing and distribution company.

Today, with its multiple retail formats serving the varied needs and interests of people from all walks of life, NTUC FairPrice has kept pace with the changing needs of its customers while remaining committed to its social mission and its aspiration to be Singapore’s leading world-class retailer with a heart.

Guided by the philosophy to do well in order to do good for the community, NTUC FairPrice launched FairPrice Foundation in 2008 to focus its giving efforts to provide a better life for the community. FairPrice Foundation focuses its giving on three strategic thrusts – the poor and needy, nation building and community bonding, and advancing workers’ welfare. FairPrice has since donated over S$98 million to the Foundation to further these three areas of focus.

For more information on NTUC FairPrice, visit https://www.fairprice.com.sg.