70% Consumers Feel More Confident in Consumer Caring Companies

HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach - 29 April 2021 - GS1 Hong Kong (GS1 HK) today announced the result of the 10^th Consumer Caring Scheme, honouring 91 local companies for their consumer-centric practices. 37% of the recognised companies are from cosmetics, personal care and healthcare sectors, whereas household products and F&B companies made up 23% and 20% of the total awardees respectively. This highlights that despite the raging pandemic, many companies are still committed to maintaining quality products and services in hope to thrive through the crisis. Award presentation ceremony will be held on 10^th June 2021 at the S200 meeting room series in Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre after the GS1 HK Summit, where Dr. Bernard Chan, Under Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, will deliver a speech at the officiating session.

Since its inception 10 years ago, the "Consumer Caring Scheme" has commended more than 150 companies that demonstrated excellence in customer service. In 2021, more than half of the companies (49 companies) received the endorsement for 5 consecutive years or more - 12 companies were recognised for "10 Years", 29 companies for "5+ Years" and 8 companies for "5 Years". This showed Hong Kong business community always pursues consumer care as top priority by making continuous improvement to enhance customer experience and satisfaction.

Commissioned by GS1 HK, a consumer survey conducted by KANTAR Hong Kong ('Consumer Survey') revealed that 73% of the respondents feel more confident in the companies with "Consumer Caring" logo. The result indicated the Scheme's high level of integrity and credibility, supported by strong trust from the industry and public stakeholders. Being assessed based on the "4C" principles and core values, including "Consumer Centric", "Conforming to Commitment", "Championing Quality" and "Caring for Staff", the recognised companies are evaluated through field visits, interviews and the above-mentioned Consumer Survey, with reference to the internationally-acclaimed Efficient Consumer Response (ECR). The assessment concludes companies' service and performance on consumer care. (Please refer to the Appendix for the Recognised Companies)

Ms. Anna Lin, Chief Executive of GS1 HK said, "I am pleased to see many new joint companies, such as suppliers of personal protective equipment and healthcare products, not only set sights on short-term benefits, but also consider customer centricity as the foundation to sustaining business in the long-run. As the prospects of local sectors like F&B and retail still look bleak in the current global economic woe, 'Consumer Caring Scheme' could essentially serve as an invaluable platform for companies to advocate their commitment to product and service excellence, which helps build consumer trust and positive brand image, paving way for them to stand out in the market."

Local business community has been proactively embracing high level of service standards even in pandemic. 17 new joint consumer caring companies have been selected this year, exceeding the number in the previous edition. One Health, a brand founded by the former researchers from the Institute for the Advancement of Chinese Medicine of the Hong Kong Baptist University, is one of them. "Pledged to stringent production and monitoring processes, our products have passed all safety tests set by world-class laboratories. We always put our customers first and listen to their needs and feedback, at the same time fostering positive environment for the community and the employees. The 'Consumer Caring Company' honour is a vote of confidence for our customers and team, offering customers a peace of mind to buy and consume whilst empowering employees to strive for excellence." Ms. Carry Yu, the company's Chief Executive Officer remarked.

Crowned with the "10 Years Award", Linson Global Seafood Trading Ltd. has remained committed to first-rate customer service for decades. Its General Manager Mr. Paul Lee said, "Having worked in seafood wholesale business for years, the Consumer Caring title has driven us to strive our best from time to time to supply clients with fresh, safe, high-quality seafood at reasonable price, which help us secure a good industry reputation. We are planning to extend our value chain to the retail sector to meet the market demands, carrying forward the time-honoured heritage and service to consumers."

For further details, please visit our website: https://www.gs1hk.org/industry-recognition/consumer-caring-scheme

Appendix

List of recognised companies of Consumer Caring Scheme 2020

(in alphabetical order by brand or company name)

About GS1 Hong Kong

Founded by the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce in 1989, GS1 Hong Kong (GS1 HK) is the local chapter of GS1^®, which supports companies' digitalisation to enhance supply chain transparency and efficiency, ensure product authenticity, and facilitate online and offline commerce with global supply chain standards (product identification key and barcode) and a full spectrum of standard-based platforms, solutions and services.

Currently, GS1 HK has around 8,000 corporate members covering close to 20 industries including retail consumer goods, food and food services, healthcare, apparel, logistics as well as information and technology. By engaging with communities of trading partners, industry organisations, government, and technology providers, GS1 HK is fostering a collaborative ecosystem with the vision of "Smarter Business, Better Life".

Headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, GS1^® is a not-for-profit, standards organisation that has 115 national chapters serving 150 economies globally.

For more information, please visit www.gs1hk.org.

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