Year after year, a group of old friends would gather to reminisce about their bygone days — not of the mischief they got up to as students, but the camaraderie forged as employees of the old Yaohan department store that first opened in 1974.
Before Covid-19 struck, the size of their annual gatherings would reach up to 200 people. Among their many fond memories were the daily morning gatherings where they did mass exercises, sang the company’s song and the national anthem before starting the work day.
But more importantly were the motivational pep talks where they reminded each other they were both “wonderful and beautiful”, said a former human resource manager of the now-defunct Japanese chain.
“We used to have this encouragement throughout the day,” said Adrian Png, who joined Yaohan at the tender age of 16 in 1982, and stayed on for a decade.
The encouraging words made them feel good and ready to serve the customers, explained the 54-year-old, who is now a headhunter.
“When you have a good start in the morning, it will show in how you interact with a customer — with a positive outlook,” he said, adding that it consequently led them to wanting to find solutions for any problems their customers might face.
Chiming in, 62-year-old Jenny Gan, a former Yaohan cashier, said: “We worked with our hearts and our souls.”
About three weeks ago, Robinsons — one of Singapore’s oldest retailers at more than 160 years old — announced that it would be closing its two remaining stores at The Heeren and Raffles City Shopping Centre, as well as its outlets in Malaysia.
As consumers mourn the loss of yet another well-known department store, Robinsons’ closure brought back memories for many like Gan and Png who grew up shopping or working at such chains, which once dominated the retail scene and were a big part of Singaporeans’ lives.
For Gan, she believed in the work ethos of Yaohan so much that she stayed on for nearly two decades after joining the company in 1978.
More at https://tinyurI.com/y3lq7w5a
Before Covid-19 struck, the size of their annual gatherings would reach up to 200 people. Among their many fond memories were the daily morning gatherings where they did mass exercises, sang the company’s song and the national anthem before starting the work day.
But more importantly were the motivational pep talks where they reminded each other they were both “wonderful and beautiful”, said a former human resource manager of the now-defunct Japanese chain.
“We used to have this encouragement throughout the day,” said Adrian Png, who joined Yaohan at the tender age of 16 in 1982, and stayed on for a decade.
The encouraging words made them feel good and ready to serve the customers, explained the 54-year-old, who is now a headhunter.
“When you have a good start in the morning, it will show in how you interact with a customer — with a positive outlook,” he said, adding that it consequently led them to wanting to find solutions for any problems their customers might face.
Chiming in, 62-year-old Jenny Gan, a former Yaohan cashier, said: “We worked with our hearts and our souls.”
About three weeks ago, Robinsons — one of Singapore’s oldest retailers at more than 160 years old — announced that it would be closing its two remaining stores at The Heeren and Raffles City Shopping Centre, as well as its outlets in Malaysia.
As consumers mourn the loss of yet another well-known department store, Robinsons’ closure brought back memories for many like Gan and Png who grew up shopping or working at such chains, which once dominated the retail scene and were a big part of Singaporeans’ lives.
For Gan, she believed in the work ethos of Yaohan so much that she stayed on for nearly two decades after joining the company in 1978.
More at https://tinyurI.com/y3lq7w5a
