Keells, a supermarket chain operating with a mission to enhance the nation’s standard of living, is responding to economic challenges by prioritizing the needs of its stakeholders. The company is enhancing accessibility and affordability for the daily requirements of customers whilst supporting its team members, suppliers, and the farming community.

Extending this retail ecosystem further, Keells has undertaken to support the wider community by initiating a preschool meal programme.

At Keells women represent 51% of the workforce. Most of the consumer decision-making in households is still predominantly done by women, therefore it makes business sense to have women contributing towards the decision-making at the business end as well. In line with the ONE JKH initiative, Keells is committed to promoting diversity, equality, and inclusivity in the workplace, says Nilusha Fernando, Vice President of John Keells Group and Head of Marketing of Keells Supermarkets.

In this interview, Nilusha shares insights into how the supermarkets are adapting to the current context both in facing the unfolding economic crisis and driving the agenda of diversity through the various initiatives introduced by Keells aimed at creating a more conducive work environment for women.

For context, can you give us an overview of how the retail sector is performing amidst the unfolding economic crisis?

The supermarket industry caters to the basic requirements of every household therefore throughout this period customer footfall has remained stable, however, as expected the current inflationary environment has eroded consumers’ purchasing power, rendering certain items increasingly unaffordable compared to the same period a year prior. The supermarket industry which supports a very large ecosystem in its value chain is also grappling with escalating overhead costs, such as utilities and salaries, which impacts the bottom line. While anxieties over product shortages stemming from import bans have somewhat dissipated, a degree of uncertainty still lingers. The problem has evolved to one of concern about affordability rather than availability.

How is Keells responding to these challenges to drive value to customers and suppliers and grow the business?

Keells operates with an overarching mission to enhance the nation’s standard of living, and thus, we ensure that every strategy we deploy is beneficial to our stakeholders. Our customer-centric approach revolves around bolstering accessibility and affordability for daily requirements, facilitated by the availability of Keellsbranded products priced 10% lower than comparable brands, great deals and offers on an array of products, and the introduction of smaller pack sizes for selected items.

We have not overlooked the well-being of our team members, with meals at concessional prices and free meals depending on the shift and cost-of-living allowances tailored to mitigate the current inflationary landscape. We have extended our efforts towards the farming community, deploying sustainable agricultural practices in collaboration with third-party organizations, to guarantee superior yield and support our farmers’ welfare.

Our commitment to our suppliers, particularly MSMEs, manifests in providing them with the requisite assistance to augment their capacity and capability. Furthermore, we strive to make a positive impact on the communities we serve by running a preschool meal program, which is progressing towards catering to 1,000 children across the country for over six months.

What is Keells doing to empower women and why is it important now more than ever?

Whilst the current economic crisis is impacting every citizen in the country there is a disproportionate impact on the majority of the women who now have to run the home economy and execute caregiving roles with limited resources. Therefore, times like this, highlight the importance of empowering females in their chosen vocations.

In line with the John Keells Group’s ONE JKH initiative, Keells is committed to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusivity in the workplace. While retail was a male-dominated industry, the entry of a growing number of females into the workforce has transformed it into a space that empowers women to progress and flourish. Currently, Keells boasts of a female workforce representation of 51%, with women occupying leadership positions at a commendable 20%.

The SanNap initiative rolled out at Group-level to provide free sanitary napkins to all female employees is available to the staff at Keells supermarkets as well, which supports eliminating the stigma surrounding menstruation / menstrual health. To recognize the efforts of high-performing females the ‘She Inspires’ award was introduced for both executive and non-executive female staff.

Our non-biased hiring policy over the years has helped infuse more women into nontraditional technical roles to bridge the gender gap. To create a more ergonomic and woman-friendly workplace, the company has revamped the design of certain spaces within the stores, including areas such as meat counters and stock unloading processes.

The efforts do not end there. Keells has also prioritized the inclusion of a certain percentage of female farmers in the new projects undertaken whereby 72 female farmers have been supported to develop sustainable agricultural practices and is committed to supporting MSMEs with a focus on female-owned and operated businesses to enhance their capability and capacity.

What are some of the success stories of women empowered by Keells?

We have plenty of examples and we take pride in all the initiatives which have paved the way for these women at Keells. These stories of how women have been empowered continue to encourage more women to excel in their chosen vocations. Pradeepa Sanjeewani Galahitiyawa, from Kappetipola, has successfully ventured into the greenhouse capsicum farming industry as an agripreneur for over two years. She is among the growing number of women in the country who account for 5% of the total number of Sri Lankan farmers. Female farmers like her take on crucial roles in the farming industry and strive to break the stereotype in farming communities. Her farming journey began on a small scale in her garden. However, Pradeepa’s fortunes changed when she began supplying her fresh produce to Keells approximately two years ago. She now grows capsicum and other vegetables in a greenhouse environment due to the support and expertise imparted to her through the Keells field officers.

We have also been supporting MSMEs with a focus on female entrepreneurs. Rushini Kumari, the founder of Sethum Products, which offers a range of products from grains to nuts and seeds, began her business as a courageous mother who was trying to provide for her family. She is currently a supplier of our Keells branded products as well. She has been working with Keells since the inception of her business and has grown with Keells. With the support of the Keells team, she was able to obtain GMP certification and ISO22000. Rushini was also part of the Skill into Progress English language programme facilitated by the John Keells Foundation and Keells. She believes that the business relationship support she receives from the team has been instrumental in her success as a businesswoman in the industry.

Our team members also play a crucial role in the value chain and here too, we have made great strides in empowering women to thrive in their roles.

Asini Dewmini is among the 11% of women working at the newly constructed Keells distribution center. She has taken on the role of picking products using a power pallet truck (pallet trucks are power-driven to allow lifting and moving of heavier and stacked pallets over longer distances) and has received recognition for her impeccable accuracy and efficiency. Keells management is working to empower females in this male-dominated industry by carefully assessing roles in which females can excel and providing training and development to build the necessary skills and making it a female friendly workplace with safety standards and proper equipment.

Keells operates with an overarching mission to enhance the nation’s standard of living, and thus, we ensure that every strategy we deploy is beneficial to our stakeholders

Lasanthi Madagama, a Meat Supervisor at the Kaduwela store, has made significant strides since joining Keells in 2009 as a Customer Service Assistant. After resigning due to family commitments, Lasanthi rejoined the workforce in 2020 as a Senior Service Assistant and was later promoted to Trainee Meat Supervisor through the Keells “Be the Boss Challenge” in June 2020. The support, empowerment, and flexibility that Keells provides have allowed Lasanthi to progress in her career while balancing part-time netball playing and single motherhood.

Anoma Wijesinghe was the first female regional manager recruited to the otherwise male-dominated operational leadership role. The company consciously broke gender stereotyping by recruiting women into non-traditional operational roles and providing the skills required to reach supervisory and leadership positions. Anoma has had the opportunity to train many young and aspiring women within the team, and she takes great pleasure in observing their career and professional development. Currently, she works alongside other female store managers. Her 32-year journey as a career woman has been challenging yet rewarding.

I have been with the company for over 10 years and currently head the Marketing team at Keells. My career with the John Keells Group began as a Management Trainee. I have had the pleasure of working under several men and women who have inspired me to reach my potential. The opportunity to lead the rebranding exercise for Keells and drive the agenda of sustainability has helped me contribute towards the business, and wider communities and grow as an individual. I believe that leadership has a responsibility to mentor and sponsor young and aspiring female professionals in a structured and purposeful manner. As one of the team members playing a role in advanced data analytics within the business, we have a unique opportunity to even analyse past data and then predict women’s representation at different levels and roles and course correct during the performance management cycles.

There is an onus on each of us to continue to drive the commitment of diversity, as a diverse and inclusive team will lead to better outcomes overall for the business.