DFI Singapore Food Store Team Members Honoured at Parliament

On 20 March, two of our Singapore Food Team Members were invited to the Singapore Parliament House for an event in appreciation of frontliners’ contributions to Singapore’s fight against Covid-19. Mr Puah Kia Kiang, Senior Supermarket Manager at CS Fresh Great World City, and Ms Ong Pei Lay, Store Manager at Giant Pasir Ris, were chosen to represent all our Singapore Food Team Members at a Parliament sitting, where they, along with other frontliners, received a resounding standing ovation from MPs to honour their hard work and sacrifices.

At the sitting, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said that the frontliners’ dedication helped keep Singapore going through unprecedented and uncertain times. “We express a grateful nation’s deepest appreciation for the contributions and courage. Your acts of duty, sacrifice and care for fellow Singaporeans uplifted our spirits, boosted our confidence, and kept us all safe,” he said.

Mr Puah and Ms Ong did outstanding work, and they were chosen to represent all our store team members in Singapore who worked tirelessly during the lockdowns. We are thankful and proud of all our team members for pulling together during those difficult times, and who continue to deliver quality services to our customers. 

Like all our team members, Mr Puah and Ms Ong worked hard during the lockdowns in Singapore to ensure that customers were able to get their essential items and that both customers and their store team members were safe. Whether it was keeping shelves stocked every day with essentials, ensuring enough cashiers were open so that queues were not too long or controlling the crowd, both Mr Puah and Ms Ong were on their toes and leading by example.

They both admit that the lockdowns were a stressful time for them, especially as their stores remained open throughout and they faced manpower issues as staff had to be quarantined. Keeping things running efficiently all boils down to planning, says Mr Puah. He devised a daily plan of attack for the store to ensure that the Health Ministry’s ever-evolving health and safety protocols could be considered and incorporated.

“In the beginning, it would be a madhouse when the store opened in the morning. It felt like hundreds of people storming in to conquer the store,” says Mr Puah. But eventually things calmed down and customers settled into a rhythm, figuring out how to stagger their visits. Team members also learned customers’ routines and planned accordingly.

By planning ahead and stocking shelves with the precise essential items that customers needed, the team was able to ensure that customers got in and out with everything they needed safely within an hour despite large crowds and social distancing measures.

“Covid taught us to be adaptable and think on our feet. The team came together beautifully. We were no longer working in silos according to our department but were supporting each other wherever we could,” says Mr Puah.

“We were able to get through it together and it made us stronger,” adds Ms Ong. “My team now knows that we can manage any problem together. It was also a great learning experience for us.”

Ms Ong has worked in retail for 24 years, 10 of which have been at Giant Pasir Ris, which means that she knows the regular customers well and was able to get feedback from them on needs and concerns. She ensured that groceries were delivered to regular customers who were under house quarantine and personally sent care packs to quarantined team members. She says that it is passion for her job that enabled her to keep going through the lockdowns.

Our two team members certainly embody our values of Caring Passionately and Doing the Right Thing, especially during challenging times, which is why they were chosen to represent our store team members. We are incredibly proud of our team for rallying together when our customers needed them the most.