When it comes to doing its part to encourage families to live and play together, the NTUC Social Enterprises (SEs) have always done their best to serve Singaporeans and union members. In doing so, many have been honoured for excelling in what they do, and a good example is NTUC Fairprice Co-operative Limited. Their hypermarket brand, FairPrice Xtra, became the first supermarket in Singapore to receive the Business for Families Mark in August 2011 from the Businesses for Families Council (BFC) which is supported by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS). This award serves to recognise companies that have implemented initiatives to cater to the specific needs of families.
For instance, the FairPrice Xtra at nex Mall introduced special trolleys fitted with baby seats and baby strollers with connective trolleys which allows families with young children to move around more easily while doing their grocery shopping.
Housewife Chan Wyei Gee, 38, who shops at the store twice a week, shared that her 20-month-old son Kyle always requests for the baby stroller when he sees it and stays in it for most of the session.
Both Madam Chan and husband Andre Yong also find the range of products at FairPrice Xtra suitable for families. “I can find most of the things here,” said Mr Yong, 45, a flight attendant. Another popular feature at FairPrice Xtra is the regular family oriented activities it organises. For example, its Breadwinners photo competition for Facebook fans was a big hit earlier this year.
To cater to the needs of families with elderly members, FairPrice offers a two per cent discount for seniors every Tuesday at all its stores. FairPrice Xtra has the added luxury of rest areas for seniors to take short breaks in between their shopping as well as dedicated checkout lanes for wheelchair bound customers.
This comes within six months of the NTUC SEs pledging to expand their products and service offerings to support 3-generational families to care for the young and the old as part of the SE2015 Vision outlined in April 2011.
Pioneering Unique Living & Dining Concepts For Families
But it is not only Fairprice that has made the effort to be more focused on the family. In the last six months, other NTUC SEs such as NTUC Foodfare Co-operative Limited and NTUC Choice Homes Co-operative Limited have also made strides in encouraging families to live and enjoy family time together.
In July 2011, Foodfare launched Singapore’s first 3-generational food court at Level 4 of Clementi Mall which is specially designed for families with young children, and also incorporates facilities to assist aged parents to move around easily within its premises.
The 357-seat food court boasts a cosy family dining area with customised tables and seats of lower height that make it easy for the little ones to sit and dine. There is also a built-in playground where the children can play with brightly coloured giant lollipops, watch cartoons from the overhead television sets or read their favourite books while the adults get some time to enjoy their meal. There are also old school card games such as Happy Family which are perfect for grandparents, parents and children to bond over the meal.
“Look at the toddler-friendly furniture. With the low table and broad seats, kids can sit easy without slipping. There is also a playground nearby; parents can feed the infant while the toddlers swing and slide in front of them. Cool!” said CRM Consultant Andy Lee, 37, who enjoyed a meal at the food court with 8-year-old son Boon Wee.
The 3-generational food court also includes a parent’s room complete with a hot water facility, a diaper changing station as well as a separate breastfeeding room for mothers - something Mr Lee found “thoughtful”. This gives new mothers the convenience of attending to the baby’s needs should the need arise during the meal.
Another special feature of the food court is the availability of a kids’ menu at every stall. The children’s meal comes with a smaller portion and is served in a colourful animal bento set to make meal time more fun and interesting.
This also frees parents and grandparents to indulge in their favourite dishes without having to compromise their own meal choices. “We have kids’ menu with smaller portions so there is no food wastage. The menu design is so cute, both kids and parents should feel hungry. With four cute designs, your kids should find the bento boxes adorable, and food delicious,” shared Mr Lee who is also the founder of sengkangbabies.blogspot.com, a popular local family blog.
To cater to families with grandparents, the aisles of the food court are wider to facilitate easy movement for those who are wheelchair bound. Apart from Foodfare, Choice Homes also aspires to strengthen family bonding in its business. It pioneered a concept to encourage three generations of family members to live together. In May, it launched the Belysa Executive Condominium at Pasir Ris Drive 1/Elias Road which encourages grandparents to live with their families. It features three and four-bedroom (suite) units for family members of three generations to stay together under one roof but still enjoy their privacy. For instance, grandparents can build a kitchen pantry within their “unit” to make it “self contained”.
The apartment also comes with a two key system, meaning that parents and children have a separate door to their own “units” for that feeling of privacy and ownership.
Bringing Families Together
Even before the NTUC SEs pledged to Do More for families, NTUC Club has always put families first. It stepped up its efforts this year to focus on bringing families together, particularly the young and the old.
For instance, NTUC Club’s communities have recently been organising events to promote intergenerational family bonding. For instance, nEbO and U Live members recently went on a photography themed travel trip to Malacca, Malaysia. “Malacca Through Your Lens: A 3G Adventure” provided opportunities for youths, adults and seniors to interact and indulge in their common passion for photography.
Currently, U Live has teamed up with the People’s Association to organise a nationwide talent contest. “U’ve Got Talent” includes an intergenerational category to encourage seniors aged 50-years-old and above to take part with their family members and show off their talents in singing, dancing or assorted talent acts. Auditions just concluded in October 2011 and the finals will be on 26 November 2011.
In addition, as part of its ongoing effort to serve families better, two of NTUC Club’s popular facilities, Downtown East and eXplorerkid, were recognised in November last year for their family-friendly business practices and facilities with the Excellence award and Achiever award respectively at the inaugural ‘We Welcome Families’ Awards organised by the Businesses for Families Council (BFC). Like Fairprice, eXplorerkid, Downtown East, and two other NTUC Club facilities, Wild Wild Wet and Costa Sands Resort, also have the Business for Families Mark. eXplorerkid, located at Downtown East, is one facility worth mentioning. Singapore’s largest indoor children’s playground hosts monthly activities for members such as baking or craft workshops as well as the annual Baby and Junior Race to enable families with young children to bond together. Madam Ezza Emalina Azman, whose daughter Aleesya won the 2011 Baby and Junior Race in Category A, shared: “I got to know about eXplorerkid through my friend, and I signed my daughter up as a member in July 2011. I live at Hougang but I bring Aleesya to eXplorerkid almost every other weekend because she likes it here. It is very child-friendly, and there are nursing rooms in and around Downtown East as well.” To reach out to more families, eXplorerkid will be opening a second outlet in the last quarter of 2012 at Ang Mo Kio Hub.
