Hong Kong retailer Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Ltd (CTF) is harnessing the power of social media and online shopping to drive business amid the Covid-19 crisis.

The company is maximising the use of its new tailor-made O2O sales channel, Cloudsales365, which allows employees to continuously promote and sell goods through social media, revealed Bobby Liu, executive director of Chow Tai Fook.

“Based on the popular WeChat app, Cloudsales365 allows our staff to respond to customer enquiries and needs, recommend products, send invitations to our stores and provide personalised services, among others,” explained Liu. 

CTF has connected with a total of 463,600 customers since the platform's launch in early January, driving over 4.7 million page visits to its e-store, which in turn translated to 35 per cent of online sales volume through CTFMall. 

The retailer is likewise implementing various online initiatives such as training courses and medical consultations to support its staff during the pandemic. 

Liu said employees can avail themselves of a paid “online learning leave,” which includes online training courses on brand management, ecommerce and new retail experience to promote skills enhancement.  

The group also teamed up with UMP Medical to provide China-based employees who are working from home with free medical consultations via video, noted Liu.

Other initiatives include setting up an anti-coronavirus fund at the onset of the outbreak as part of a business contingency mechanism, donating over one million face masks to frontline medical workers, and implementing flexible working hours and home office policies.

Chow Tai Fook also purchased face masks and sanitisers for those working onsite. In stores, all frontline staff are required to wear surgical masks while customer service desks and floor surfaces are sanitised every two hours. Hand sanitisers are provided for customers. 

The group has no plans to retrench its workforce at the moment, noted Liu, adding that executive directors also took a 30 per cent pay cut from February to April.

Chow Tai Fook also started producing masks using its high-standard, dust-free cleanroom technology at its T MARK diamond processing factory in Lunjiao, Shunde. The facility has the capacity to produce around 100,000 face masks per day. The masks have been distributed to employees since early May.