Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1405706
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 29 AUGUST 2021 18 COMMERCIAL Social initiatives at Vassallo Group A number of CEOs within the group have taken the initiative to interact more with the work- force but still abiding by all the safety measures necessary to keep everyone's health a priority. THE Group CEO Pio Vassallo together with the Chief People Officer, Lee Xuereb organised a breakfast for corporate head office employees where a selec- tion of bread, yoghurts, fruit, cupcakes, juices and coffee were available for staff to enjoy with hygiene measures still in place. Vassallo Builders CEO Jon- athan Buttigieg set a weekly appointment to visit different sites to discuss any matters in an informal manner over some delicious cupcakes. This initi- ative was introduced since the interactions between workers and management was reduced drastically because of COV- ID-19 and subsequently no events were being held. Besides this intimate gathering on each site, lunches on the group's main sites Campus Hub and Vassallo Business Park were organised as a thank you to em- ployees since no Summer Staff Parties can be held for the time being. Natalie Briffa Farrugia, CEO of CareMalta together with her team is also working on a long term well-being strategy aimed at supporting its employees. The main objective is to sustain and restore the well-being of each individual person inside and out. The Group has taken every precaution to safeguard the employees' health and safe- ty however it has also kept the mental health a priority and besides doing its best to reward staff with simple gestures the group also offers free support through its Employment As- sistance Programme, a service which is provided by The Rich- mond Foundation. ANCHOVY catapults another retailer into the digital future ANCHOVY. PLC, in collabora- tion with NIU & ONEST Data was recently commissioned to rebuild the e-commerce website for Crosscraft, one of Malta's leading retailers for household appliances. Faced with changing con- sumer demands and increasing competition from companies and start-ups, the white goods distributor felt the time had come to change its approach. It decided to adopt a "digi- tal-first" strategy, involving the rollout of connected applianc- es that will generate valuable data and open up opportuni- ties to sell consumers ancillary products and services. The overarching objective was to boost the top line by providing products and ser- vices across the full consumer journey. Understanding the customer's requirements was paramount, so the website design exercise was preceded by a market re- search and intelligence gather- ing project led by Onest. This was done to provide in- telligence allowing Crosscraft to solidify their position as a market leader while highlight- ing the needs, wants, and frus- trations of both their existing customer base and their inter- nal staff. This gave the digital experts the opportunity to strategical- ly reposition their brand and digital presence in a way that provides maximum benefit to both their customer base and internal operation. With intel- ligence in hand, the goal was to design an online shopping ex- perience beyond anything cur- rently available on the Maltese market. One of the main consider- ations was to ensure that the website caters for the wide va- riety of ages and skill sets that make up Crosscraft's customer base, allowing everyone to eas- ily identify and purchase the perfect product for their needs while putting the spotlight on the superior customer service offered by Crosscraft. Crosscraft director Robert Farrugia Vella confirmed that "the business is already clearly seeing the benefit of the new digital experience, with more revenue than ever before orig- inating through digital chan- nels. Customer feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, en- couraging us to continue our journey with ANCHOVY. by continuously improving every aspect of our digital presence". Benji Borg, ANCHOVY founder added, "By adopt- ing data-driven and consum- er-centric business models, Crosscraft has transformed its offering and enhanced its port- folio with digital features." ANCHOVY is made up of a group of digital natives from across the globe. ANCHOVY provides services across the full business land- scape. Focused on the digital con- nection of your business AN- CHOVY can research and identify new opportunities throughout your customer journey and help you define, design and develop brand initi- atives so they are market ready. Crosscraft director Robert Farrugia Vella (left) and Benji Borg, ANCHOVY founder (right)