Presenting a curated selection of popular, authentic produce air flown from Japan

• In 1953, KINOKUNIYA pioneered the first “self-service supermarket” in Aoyama, Tokyo, where customers could choose their own products and pay at the cash register. Since then, KINOKUNIYA has continued to expand the possibilities of supermarkets by taking initiatives that are always ahead of the times.
• This innovative Japanese supermarket chain is constantly on the look for fresh ways to connect with customers. For the first time ever, KINOKUNIYA will unveil an exciting pop-up store in Isetan Scotts and JAPAN RAIL CAFE respectively.

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 24 February 2021 – With international travel not looking to resume soon, KINOKUNIYA has decided to bring the tastes of Japan to the travel-hungry people in Singapore through its first-ever pop-up series. For a limited period, the pop-up stores will offer an exclusive range of some of the most popular products in Japan.

Some of the delectable highlights include Strawberry Butter (an exquisite spread made with Japanese strawberries and butter), Premium Truffle Soy sauce (a decadent blend of white olive oil, French black truffles and Japanese soy sauce) and Drinking Yuzu Vinegar (a health boost made with yuzu juice and natural spring water).

Pop-up Promotion: Free Mini Cooler Bag with Purchase

Eco-friendly fashionistas will be pleased to know that KINOKUNIYA Original Eco-bags will be available for purchase as well. To top that off, customers who spend above $20 and above on KINOKUNIYA products, or order the “KINOKUNIYA Vinegar Drink” at JAPAN RAIL CAFE will receive a special edition mini cooler bag.

KINOKUNIYA mini cooler bag is a handy and chic tote that can be used together with an ice pack to keep your desserts or drinks cool. (Dimensions: 17cm (H) x 17cm (W) x 9.5cm (G))

KINOKUNIYA’s First Pop-up Series in Singapore

1. JAPAN RAIL CAFE

Dates: February 27, 2021 (Saturday) – March 18, 2021 (Thursday)

Address: 5 Wallich St, #01-20 Guoco Tower

Details: Vinegar drinks, Eco-bags and other KINOKUNIYA products will be on sale .

2. Isetan Scotts Departmental Store

Dates: March 3, 2021(Wednesday) – March 18, 2021 (Thursday)

Address: 350 Orchard Road, Shaw House. Basement level at Supermarket.

Details: Curated KINOKUNIYA products that are popular in Japan will be on sale.

*All information presented here are accurate as of 24 Feb 2021.

KINOKUNIYA’s flagship store in Aoyama, Tokyo.

About KINOKUNIYA

Established 111 years ago in 1910 as a fruit merchant in Aoyama, Tokyo, KINOKUNIYA is a long-established brand that has paved the way for the history of supermarkets in Japan. In 1953, the company opened Japan’s first self-service supermarket, modeled after supermarkets in the United states.

This innovative company has always taken on new challenges, such as air-freighting French cheese, which was difficult to obtain at the time, being the first to import lamb from New Zealand, learning how to produce processed meats and rare European breads, and taking the initiative in cultivating high-quality ingredients. Their passion and dedication have thus earned the trust of customers who are particular about food. Many of these efforts have changed the landscape of daily life in Japan.

Today, in addition to the main store in Aoyama, Tokyo, KINOKUNIYA has a total of 34 stores, mainly in the Tokyo metropolitan area. These include stores inside train stations which mainly retail ready-to-eat foods and specialty bakeries.

In the future, KINOKUNIYA will continue to deliver delicious foods, joy, and excitement to the tables of families by offering a full lineup of products from Japan and overseas. These include fresh foods, products developed with partner companies, and specialty breads, baked goods, delicatessens that have been well loved by consumers over many years.

Senoko Energy puts its support behind home cooking in a partnership with MasterChef Singapore

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 24 February 2021 – Kick off the new year with greater savings on electricity bills and an exclusive private dining experience, as Senoko Energy marks its new partnership with MasterChef Singapore.

As a co-sponsor of MasterChef Singapore, new and returning customers of Senoko Energy will also stand a chance to benefit from the latest season of the competitive cooking show. By making the switch to or renewing their electricity contracts with Senoko Energy between 19 February and 30 April 2021, they will qualify for the opportunity to experience a three-course gastronomical feast prepared by the next-to-be-crowned winner of the culinary programme.

The contest winner will also be able to bring along seven others to enjoy the curated experience. For more information, visit Senoko Energy’s official contest page.

Watch & Win

Senoko Energy is also giving out rewards to the viewers of MasterChef Singapore in its weekly “Watch & Win” contest, where viewers will get the opportunity to walk away with RedMart e-vouchers and Nespresso products worth more than S$5,000.

A trivia question will be unveiled in each episode (broadcasted on meWATCH and every Sunday at 9:30 p.m. on Channel 5) and viewers who submit the right answers through Senoko Energy’s online portal will be entered into a random draw. One lucky winner will be chosen every Friday. Full contest details can be found here.

Powering Home-based F&B Businesses

As contestants and judges of MasterChef Singapore gather to celebrate their love for food and the sense of togetherness that comes with cooking for people in the new season, Senoko Energy is extending its support to all local F&B entrepreneurs who run their businesses from home. Starting from 12 March 2021, the first 100 home-based F&B businesses that make the switch over to Senoko Energy will enjoy a S$300 rebate on their electricity bills, on top of prevailing promotions.

Heather Ang, Head of Marketing at Senoko Energy, said: “The impact of COVID-19 is being felt most acutely by small businesses. Some of these businesses have had to pivot their offerings and explore cost cutting measures by operating from home.”

“Through our latest campaign, we hope to cheer on local businesses as they forge ahead in the new normal and encourage them to make the switch to Senoko Energy as their electricity retailer of choice for greater cost savings,” she added.

Interested customers can get in touch with Senoko Energy by sending a direct message using their business’ social media account. More details will be revealed soon on the official Senoko Energy website and social channels 12 March 2021 onwards.

For more information, please contact:

Heather Ang

Head of Marketing

heatherang@senokoenergy.com

Nicole Ye

Digital Marketing Manager

nicoleye@senokoenergy.com

About Senoko Energy Pte Ltd

Senoko Energy Pte Ltd provides energy for life to generations of Singaporeans, delivering safe, innovative, and efficient energy supply to customers since 1977. Integral to Singapore’s development, it is a pioneer in power generation and energy solutions, serving Singapore’s energy needs with proven reliable performance.

As one of the largest power generation companies by installed capacity in Singapore, Senoko Energy has a licensed capacity of 2,807 megawatts (MW), providing about one-fifth of the nation’s electricity needs. The company launched its retail brand in 2018, offering retail products and services for Singapore households and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the Open Electricity Market.

Visit www.senokoenergy.com for more information.

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 24 February 2021 – NTUC LearningHub (NTUC LHUB) today announced the launch of LHUB GO Infinity, Singapore’s largest subscription-based online learning platform, which offers on-demand access to over 75,000 bite-sized online courses. LHUB GO Infinity, is designed in partnership with global leader in on-demand training Go1 to create equal learning opportunities by making world-class content affordable and accessible to learners.

The announcement comes amid the intensifying need for continuing education and training as the workforce prepares for a post-pandemic economy. By contrast, almost two thirds of Singaporean workers say that they have insufficient time to attend in-person training. This was evidenced in NTUC LHUB’s survey in December last year, where majority of workers (69%) have cited that they are required to adopt new skills due to a change in their work situation and 71% of them seeing the urgency to upgrade their current skills to keep themselves competitive in the job market. However, 55% of them cited the top reason for not upskilling as the ‘lack of time for training’.

“We hope that LHUB GO Infinity, with its extensive library of microlearning content by industry experts, will further NTUC LHUB’s agenda to democratise knowledge to all workers. Individuals can take ownership of their lifelong learning journey and diversify their skill sets to be better poised for a transformed future. Similarly, companies can better facilitate training and retraining of their workers through self-directed learning. Companies can approach us to discuss how LHUB GO can seamlessly integrate with your staff’s learning and development roadmaps,” says Tay Ee Learn, Director of NTUC LHUB’s Technical Skills Product Division.

The LHUB GO Infinity subscription offers a suite of courses mapped to growth industries such as Healthcare, Manufacturing and ICT. Learners will be able to enhance their employability through honing their competencies in adaptive, technology and technical skills, while earning certificates upon course completion. The platform also creates contextualised learning experiences for learning on-the-go. Some of the popular courses include ‘Work Health and Safety’, ‘Excel 2019 — Advanced’ and ‘Emotional Intelligence — Self Management’.

Additionally, companies who would like to offer asynchronous online learning for their workforce may approach NTUC LHUB for the LHUB GO ‘Enterprise Solutions’ which offers high quality content that supports workforce capability frameworks.

The launch of LHUB GO Infinity rides on the success of the LHUB GO ‘Learn100’ and ‘Learn200’ platforms, which were part of NTUC LHUB’s social initiatives with Go1 in 2020 to offer Singaporeans free access to up to 200 courses during the pandemic downtime. Within a span of six months, the platforms had garnered over 100,000 active users and an 81% completion rate.

NTUC LHUB’s Chairman, Eugene Wong says, “It is extremely encouraging to see not only the strong desire by the workforce to upskill and reskill, but also the record-high engagement we have witnessed in the LHUB GO Learn100 and Learn200 platforms. I am heartened that learners have experienced tangible outcomes from their learning journey so far. Through acquiring new, employer-coveted skills on LHUB GO, we have heard many stories of how their careers have advanced. We hope these stories can inspire others to expand their skill sets and broaden their career horizons.”

To find out more about LHUB GO’s offerings, please visit https://www.ntuclearninghub.com/lhub-go/.

MEDIA FACTSHEET

1. About LHUB GO Infinity

LHUB GO Infinity is Singapore’s largest subscription-based online learning platform by NTUC LearningHub, which offers learners affordable access through two subscription plans.

Learners can access up to 75,000 on-demand, bite sized, online courses, for their upskilling needs. These world class courses help build Adaptive, Technology, and Technical skills for Industry 4.0, including the top 10 skills coveted by employers in Singapore.

LHUB GO Enterprise Solution will also be made available for employers to customise the training solution to meet the needs of their company.

2. LHUB GO Infinity Subscription Plans

*promotional launch price, for a limited time only

3. LHUB GO Success Stories

LHUB GO Infinity is launched on the back of the success of the LHUB GO Learn100 and Learn200 platforms, offering free trials for learners to access up to 200 courses during the pandemic downtime. The platform has garnered over 100,000 active users, and a few of the success stories are listed below.

About NTUC LearningHub

NTUC LearningHub is the leading Continuing Education and Training provider in Singapore which aims to transform the lifelong employability of working people. Since our corporatisation in 2004, we have been working employers and individual learners to provide learning solutions in areas such as Cloud, Infocomm Technology, Healthcare, Employability & Literacy, Business Excellence, Workplace Safety & Health, Security, Human Resources and Foreign Worker Training.

To date, NTUC LearningHub has helped over 25,000 organisations and achieved over 2.5 million training places across more than 500 courses with a pool of over 460 certified trainers. As a Total Learning Solutions provider to organisations, we also forge partnerships and offer a wide range of relevant end-to-end training solutions and work constantly to improve our training quality and delivery. In 2020, we have accelerated our foray into online learning with our Virtual Live Classes and, through working with best-in-class partners such as IBM, DuPont Sustainable Solutions and GO1, asynchronous online courses.

For more information, visit www.ntuclearninghub.com.

• Delivery will take place on a weekly basis further to the first successful delivery on February 15
• Marks expansion of DHL’s global presence in vaccine logistics

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – Media OutReach – 24 February 2021 – To support the Australian government’s inoculation program, DHL Global Forwarding, the air and ocean freight specialist of Deutsche Post DHL Group, will deliver additional doses of COVID-19 vaccines on a weekly basis into the country. DHL Global Forwarding arranged for the collection and airfreight of the vaccines from the manufacturing site in Europe and upon the vaccines’ arrival in Australia, handled the customs clearance and final delivery to a designated location.

“Logistics plays a critical role in getting vaccines to where it is urgently needed. Globally, across many markets, our cold-chain network and pharmaceutical logistics expertise have meticulously planned every last detail to manage an extremely complex operation seamlessly,” said Charles Kaufmann, CEO, DHL Global Forwarding North Asia & South Pacific.

The strength of DHL’s global logistics network is deployed in Australia’s on-going response to the COVID-19. In December last year, the Australian Department of Health announced contracts with logistics partners, including DHL Supply Chain, to “design and operate a national distribution network” to support nationwide vaccinations even in remote and hard to reach areas.

“The shipments were delivered on time, and most importantly, in the right condition according to strict requirements. That’s the result of many months of rigorous planning to ensure the vaccines are delivered within the fastest possible time while ensuring the quality, safety and security of these critical shipments,” said George Lawson, Managing Director, DHL Global Forwarding Australia.

“Connecting People, Improving Lives is part of our Group’s core purpose. As we join the global response to the pandemic, we live this by doing what we do best — providing first rate logistics in the communities we operate in,” Lawson added.

Across DHL’s dedicated global network, more than 9,000 specialists work to connect pharmaceutical and research organizations, wholesalers and distributors, as well as hospitals and healthcare providers across the value chain. With this contract, the logistics expert for air, ocean and road freight expands its global presence in vaccine distribution.

DHL’s portfolio for the healthcare industry includes 150+ pharmacists, 20+ clinical trials depots, 100+ certified stations, 160+ GDP-qualified warehouses, 15+ GMP-certified sites, 135+ medical express sites, and an international network covering 220 countries and territories.

On a global scale, logistics providers are challenged to establish medical supply chains rapidly to deliver vaccines of unprecedented amount of more than 10 billion doses worldwide — also in regions with less developed logistics infrastructure, where approximately 3 billion people live. To provide global coverage of the next two years, DHL estimated in its vaccine whitepaper report that up to 200,000 pallet shippers and 15 million cooling boxes as well as 15,000 flights will be required across the various supply chain setups.

DHL – The logistics company for the world

DHL is the leading global brand in the logistics industry. Our DHL divisions offer an unrivalled portfolio of logistics services ranging from national and international parcel delivery, e-commerce shipping and fulfillment solutions, international express, road, air and ocean transport to industrial supply chain management. With about 380,000 employees in more than 220 countries and territories worldwide, DHL connects people and businesses securely and reliably, enabling global sustainable trade flows. With specialized solutions for growth markets and industries including technology, life sciences and healthcare, engineering, manufacturing & energy, auto-mobility and retail, DHL is decisively positioned as “The logistics company for the world”.

DHL is part of Deutsche Post DHL Group. The Group generated revenues of more than 63 billion euros in 2019. With sustainable business practices and a commitment to society and the environment, the Group makes a positive contribution to the world. Deutsche Post DHL Group aims to achieve zero-emissions logistics by 2050.

Trend Micro’s annual roundup report can guide strategic security planning for the new year

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 24 February 2021 – Trend Micro Incorporated (TYO: 4704; TSE: 4704), a global leader in cybersecurity, today announced it detected 119,000 cyber threats per minute in 2020 as home workers and infrastructure came under new pressure from attacks. This insight and many others come from Trend Micro’s 2020 roundup report, A Constant State of Flux: Trend Micro 2020 Annual Cybersecurity Report.

The report also shows that home networks were a major draw last year for cybercriminals looking to pivot to corporate systems, or compromise and conscript IoT devices into botnets. Trend Micro found attacks on homes surged 210% to reach nearly 2.9 billion–amounting to 15.5% of all homes. The vast majority (73%) of attacks on home networks involved brute forcing logins to gain control of a router or smart device.

Email-borne threats made up 91% of the 62.6 billion threats blocked by Trend Micro last year, indicating that phishing attacks continued to be hugely popular. The company detected nearly 14 million unique phishing URLs in 2020 as attackers targeted distracted home workers.

“In 2020, businesses faced unprecedented threat volumes hitting their extended infrastructure, including the networks of home workers. Familiar tactics such as phishing, brute forcing and vulnerability exploitation are still favored as the primary means of compromise, which should help when developing defenses,” said Tony Lee, Head of Consulting of Trend Micro Hong Kong and Macau. “Global organizations have now had time to understand the operational and cyber risk impact of the pandemic. The new year is a chance to adjust and improve with comprehensive cloud-based security to protect distributed staff and systems.”

Other key trends included:

• Newly detected ransomware families increased 34%, with “double extortion” attacks — where attackers steal data before encrypting it to force payment by threatening to release the stolen information — and more targeted threats becoming increasingly popular. Government, banking, manufacturing and healthcare were the most targeted sectors.
• The number of vulnerabilities published by the Zero Day Initiative (ZDI) increased 40% year-on-year, but Trend Micro continues to see flaws from as far back as 2005 being heavily exploited.
• Many attacks targeted flaws in VPNs used by remote workers. CVE-2019-11510, a critical arbitrary file disclosure flaw in Pulse Connect Secure, already has nearly 800,000 hits based on Trend Micro customer data.
• Cloud service misconfigurations increasingly had consequences in 2020. Trend Micro observed exploitation of unsecured APIs in several cryptocurrency mining attacks.
• The ZDI published 1,453 vulnerability advisories, nearly 80% of which were rated as Critical or High severity.
• On the positive front, there was a 17% fall in detections of BEC attacks, although there’s no indication of how many were successful.

Read the full report: https://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/hk/security/research-and-analysis/threat-reports/roundup/a-constant-state-of-flux-trend-micro-2020-annual-cybersecurity-report

About Trend Micro

Trend Micro, a global leader in cybersecurity, helps make the world safe for exchanging digital information. Leveraging over 30 years of security expertise, global threat research, and continuous innovation, Trend Micro enables resilience for businesses, governments, and consumers with connected solutions across cloud workloads, endpoints, email, IIoT, and networks. Our XGen™ security strategy powers our solutions with a cross-generational blend of threat-defense techniques that are optimized for key environments and leverage shared threat intelligence for better, faster protection. With over 6,700 employees in 65 countries, and the world’s most advanced global threat research and intelligence, Trend Micro enables organizations to secure their connected world. www.trendmicro.com.hk

Annual report finds top engagement drivers shifted significantly during 2020

BANGKOK, THAILAND – Media OutReach – 24 February 2021 – New research released today by Qualtrics, the leader in employee experience (EX) and creator of the experience management (XM) category, has revealed significant shifts to the drivers of employee engagement in Thailand in 2021.

According to the 2021 Thailand Employee Experience Trends Report, the top five employee engagement drivers changed over the last year. Pride in the work my team delivers, having in place processes allowing employees to be productive, and being part of a team effective at making decisions were found to be the top three drivers. Effective collaboration between teams, and being confident to share opinions with management completed the top employee engagement drivers.

The engagement drivers to drop out the top five were confidence in senior leadership, opportunities for learning and development, recognition for good work, my manager helps my career development, and a clear link between work and strategic objectives.

Employee engagement in Thailand on the rise

Despite the challenges faced by companies in 2020, overall levels of employee engagement in Thailand increased to 76% in 2020, from 72% in 2019. This is significantly above the 66% global average, which also rose 13% in the last year (66% vs. 53%). Intent to stay with an organisation three years or more also increased to 56%, from 43% in 2019.

Well-being, which is an important contributor to overall EX, continues to be a priority for workers and is predicted to be a key trend for organisations in 2021. Among employees in Thailand, more than seven in 10 (73%) rated their well-being as favourable – above the global average of 67%. Most notably, a sense of belonging at an organisation has the greatest impact on overall well-being, with well-being increasing to 80% for employees when this is the case.

Lauren Huntington, EX Solutions Strategy, Qualtrics Southeast Asia, said: “2020 has irreversibly changed the working world, and so it is unsurprising we have seen engagement drivers shift considerably this year. As businesses and governments look forward to 2021 we expect to see these engagement drivers change once again as restrictions continue to change. To ensure teams are provided with the support and services they need in fast changing situations it is critical leaders are able to understand how emerging trends are reshaping the workplace, and what they can do to design and improve employee experience.”

Listening up, positive action down

According to the Qualtrics study, more than nine in 10 employees in Thailand (93%) believe it’s important their company listens to feedback. Compared to 12 months previously more employees are being listened to, with the volume of respondents saying they have an opportunity to feedback increasing to 84% in 2020 (up from 77%). However, only 42% say their company acts on it very well – which is a 21% decrease over the same period.

“While it’s pleasing to see more employers listening to their teams, the study outlines the critical importance of acting on feedback. There is no one size fits all approach to improving the employee experience. By capturing responses from their teams across the entire employee lifecycle and in key moments that matter, businesses are able to design improved experiences.”

“The business impact of listening and acting on feedback is huge. When organisations do take action, scores increase across employee engagement (90%), wellbeing (88%) and intent to stay (91%),” said Huntington.

Mr.Borwornnan Thongkalya (Ph.D.) President, Personnel Management Association of Thailand, said: “Creating positive employee experiences has become an increasingly significant focus of human resources officers in recent years that cannot be downplayed. By adopting a ‘People First’ approach, organisations are empowering employees to share their feedback and are better equipped to address the changing needs of their people. Particularly during times of uncertainty, ensuring employees are heard and taking appropriate action is vital to fostering positive experiences in the workplace, boosting well-being, morale and productivity.”

About the study

The 2021 Global Employee Experience Trends Report examined more than 11,800 full-time employees across 20 different countries around the world, to find out what’s changed in employee experience, and what is driving employee engagement in a post-COVID world. More than 340 respondents polled were from Thailand.

To download the full 2021 Global Employee Experience Trends Report, please click here.

About Qualtrics

Qualtrics, the leader in employee experience and creator of the Experience Management (XM) category, is changing the way organizations manage and improve the four core experiences of business—-customer, employee, product, and brand. Over 12,000 organizations around the world are using Qualtrics to listen, understand, and take action on experience data (X-data™)—-the beliefs, emotions, and intentions that tell you why things are happening, and what to do about it. The Qualtrics XM Platform™ is a system of action that helps businesses attract customers who stay longer and buy more, engage employees who build a positive culture, develop breakthrough products people love, and build a brand people are passionate about. To learn more, please visit qualtrics.com.