Fraser & Neave Holdings Bhd Annual Report 2020

Working with Our Partners to BringSmiles Hj Ab Wahab Bin Long Chief Executive Officer, Yayasan Food Bank Malaysia “F&N has been supporting our Food Bank Siswa programme since 2019, distributing 100PLUS, condensed and evaporated milk, and other products which are channelled to the needy. During the Movement Control Period, many local university students have been stranded in their universities’ dormitory and are unable to return home. While they are away from their loved ones, they also struggle to maintain their supply of food and necessities to survive through this challenging period. F&N stepped up their support and contributed generously to these students, as well as various underprivileged communities. Their actions made a real difference to so many Malaysians and demonstrate that we can count on F&N through thick and thin. This is something we highly value and we look forward to more collaboration with F&N to serve the community.” Irene Khor Kim Ean Head of Division – Grocery, Non-food and HBC, AEON Retail “AEON Retail has enjoyed a good relationship with F&N for many years, and we are today one of the biggest retail outlets for F&N’s chilled products like fresh milk and fruit juices. This year, I’m happy to say, our relationship has grown even stronger as we worked together to overcome the challenges posed by COVID-19. The pandemic caused a change in buying behaviour among our customers. At the same time, it created a temporary shortage of supply for F&N. But, with close collaboration and frequent communication, we were able to overcome most of the obstacles. Most importantly, we kept F&N apprised of products that were in demand so they could ensure replenishment of their stock in our outlets. We also came up with promotions that would keep sales up. For example, when F&N wasn’t able to supply us with the twin FARMHOUSE milk packs (due to constraints faced by the packaging manufacturer), we offered a mix and match deal through which consumers were able to buy two 1L packs at the same discounted rate of the twin packs. When the supply of any particular product was interrupted for any reason, we would discuss alternatives that would meet customers’ needs. The fact that F&N has assigned a dedicated sales manager to service the AEON chain is a great help. Having gone through the worst of COVID-19, I look forward to continued collaboration with our account manager to keep enhancing our sales by listening to the voice of the end consumer.” Kian Joo Group “When the MCO was declared in March, it brought significant challenges to normalise our operations, in view of restrictions around the movement of capital goods, materials and people within Malaysia, as well as between countries. It is critical for packaging material manufacturers like us to work closely with our customers like F&N to weather the pandemic period. Invariably, if businesses thrive during this period, it means jobs for Malaysians. Given the myriad of challenges faced during this period, we continue to retain our commitment to F&N in the best possible manner. The level of cooperation and professionalism between Kian Joo and F&N’s team is well demonstrated. A strong partnership with F&N during the MCO proves that they truly see us as business partners, and has made us appreciate our business relationship with themmore than ever before.” Stephanie Yeoh Director of Sales, BidFood Malaysia Sdn Bhd “We’ve been distributing F&N products to Foodservice segment outlets since July 2019. When the pandemic hit, and the MCO was implemented, we found ourselves with a significant volume of chilled products as practically all our customers – cafes, restaurants and coffeeshops – were required to shut down. We didn’t want this to go to waste, so we quickly shifted our focus online and used social media to connect directly with consumers. The response was pretty good. Many consumers came personally to our office to purchase the chilled products, especially milk. Most were middle- aged or elderly folks who bought in bulk, for themselves and their friends. I guess they came to us because they preferred buying from a physical store and it was convenient because we are in their neighbourhood. We also worked with F&N to give away more than 500 cartons to charitable organisations such as Food Aid Foundation, which distributes food to those in need. It felt good ensuring the milk was consumed, and bringing neighbours together. We’re always ready to partner F&N to bring smiles to consumers.”