This kickstarted a long-term partnership between the organisations to jointly explore more opportunities in science-backed and clinically relevant health and wellness solutions for the region.
DFI Retail Group and NHG Health have established a new partnership to make preventive care and everyday health and wellness more accessible to the public in across Singapore and Asia, and will collaboratively develop affordable solutions for general well-being, healthy ageing and family health.
This partnership seeks to address the growing public health need by offering clinical-based solutions for better health management in the areas of general well-being, healthy ageing and family health. These solutions emphasise preventive care, empowering individuals to take charge of their health early: act early to lower the risk of escalation to severe conditions and potential to reduce the need for future clinical treatment.
Addressing a Critical Regional Need
Asia has been experiencing some of the world's fastest demographic transitions of rapidly ageing populations1 and rising lifestyle-related diseases2, with increasing prevalence of conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and metabolic disorders. This has created complex healthcare needs that require early intervention and culturally-sensitive preventive strategies.
Traditional hospital-centric models alone cannot meet these demands at scale, as communities require care that is accessible, culturally-attuned, and focused on staying well, not just treating illnesses. Preventive care delivered at the community level, where it can be most effective, remains a significant gap.
This partnership between NHG Health and DFI Retail Group recognises these regional realities and brings clinical expertise into everyday community touchpoints—supporting preventive health and general well-being and enabling successful ageing in place.
Under this partnership, NHG Health will provide clinical expertise, research capabilities and public health experience. This includes providing clinical and scientific guidance on unmet clinical needs, supporting clinical research and health studies, and driving public education on preventive health and early intervention. DFI Retail Group will contribute retail expertise, customer insights, and omnichannel distribution across its Guardian and Mannings stores to ensure wide accessibility of these solutions. Beyond physical retail distribution, DFI will also support with customer engagement and education, marketing and e-commerce capabilities.
This partnership underscores the importance of public-private collaboration in shaping the future of healthcare, with Singapore as a launchpad for impact across Asia. By combining clinical depth and trusted infrastructure of the public sector with the innovation, scale and reach of the private sector, this partnership will support new pathways to preventive care and health ownership in a strategic and sustainable way for consumers in Singapore and across Asia.
The Collaboration Agreement (CA) to formalise this partnership was signed by Professor Benjamin Seet, Group Chairman Medical Board (Research), NHG Health, and Ms Fann Yuen, Group Own Brand Director, DFI Retail Group.
Prof Seet said, "With population health as a national priority, there is greater focus on care provided in the community, rather than in hospitals and clinics. This partnership with DFI achieves exactly that. Through its extensive retail network, we will be able to reach millions of people across Singapore and the region, allowing us to bring evidence-based solutions closer to home to impact more lives."
Andrew Wong, Chief Executive Officer, Health & Beauty, DFI Retail Group, said, "This partnership sets a new benchmark for public-private healthcare collaboration, and we are very proud to be the first retailer in Asia to lead the way with NHG Health. In the growing wellness space where health and beauty converge, customers are increasingly looking for holistic solutions so they can take charge of their well-being. Teaming up with NHG Health strengthens Guardian's and Mannings' role as the trusted advisors for wellness, delivering accessible, affordable and relevant solutions to the communities we serve in Singapore and across Asia."
Long-term Partnership
Singapore's value as a launchpad for healthcare innovation across Asia reflects both its unique advantages and the broader regional opportunity. Our robust and well-established healthcare system, supportive regulatory environment, and strong smart nation foundation create an ideal testing ground for these new health and wellness solutions. Our multicultural population can also provide valuable insights that can be applied across diverse Asian markets.
In the longer term, NHG Health and DFI Retail Group will explore co-developing health and wellness solutions for Asia in other areas such as preventive screening tools, lifestyle interventions including wellness offerings and nutritional solutions, and integrated care solutions. These address unique health challenges facing Asian populations, particularly ageing demographics and rising lifestyle-related diseases.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About DFI Retail Group
DFI Retail Group (the 'Group') is a leading Asian retailer, driven by its purpose to 'Sustainably Serve Asia for Generations with Everyday Moments'.
At 30 June 2025, the Group and its associates operated over 7,500 outlets and employed over 83,000 people. The Group had total annual revenue in 2024 of US$24.9 billion and reported revenue of US$8.9 billion.
DFI is dedicated to delivering quality, value and service to Asian consumers through a compelling retail experience supported by an extensive store network and highly efficient supply chains.
The Group, including associates, operates a portfolio of well-known brands across five key divisions: health and beauty, convenience, food, home furnishings and restaurants. The principal brands are:
Health and Beauty
Mannings on the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macau S.A.R.; and Guardian in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam.
Convenience
7-Eleven in Hong Kong and Macau S.A.R., Singapore and Southern China.
Food
Wellcome and Market Place in Hong Kong S.A.R.; Cold Storage and Giant in Singapore; Lucky in Cambodia.
Home Furnishings
IKEA in Hong Kong and Macau S.A.R., Indonesia and Taiwan.
Restaurants
Hong Kong Maxim's group on the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macau S.A.R., Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
The Group's parent company, DFI Retail Group Holdings Limited, is incorporated in Bermuda and has a primary listing in the equity shares (transition) category of the London Stock Exchange, with secondary listings in Bermuda and Singapore. The Group's businesses are managed from Hong Kong. DFI Retail Group is a member of the Jardine Matheson Group.
About NHG Health
NHG Health is a leading public healthcare provider in Singapore recognised for its quality clinical care and its commitment in enabling healthier lives through preventive health, innovative solutions and person-centred programmes tailored to every life stage. Our integrated health system, which spans primary care, hospitals and national specialty centres, includes Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, Woodlands Health, Yishun Community Hospital, NHG Polyclinics, the Institute of Mental Health, National Skin Centre and the National Centre for Infectious Diseases.
Together with academic and industry partners, we advance medical education, research and healthcare innovation in Singapore, addressing areas that are critical to Singapore's population needs. As the Regional Health Manager for Central and North Singapore, NHG Health partners general practices and health and social care agencies to ensure the physical, mental and social well-being of residents in the community.
Together, we are committed to building healthier and resilient communities, and Adding Years of Healthy Life to the people we serve.
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