(8 January 2015 – Hong Kong) New World Department Store China Limited (“NWDS” or the “Company”; Hong Kong stock code: 825), one of the largest owners and operators of department stores in Mainland China, is pleased to announce that NWDS Management Academy has been accredited as “China’s Best Corporate University” in Chinese Corporate University Rankings Award Presentation Ceremony for two consecutive years. It also garnered the honor of “2014 Chinese Corporate University – Top Ten Innovative Practices” with its LOL Products and Brand Knowledge Enhancement Application developed for training salespeople. The awards show that Company’s well-established and innovative staff training mechanism has won wide industry recognition. 

Shanghai Jiao Tong University has announced the Chinese Corporate University Rankings since 2011. Entering its fourth year, the Ranking has become now one of the most authoritative corporate university rankings in China and the only one organized by tertiary institution. The competition in this year was especially keen with about 150 corporate universities entries. Strictly adhering to the mission of “authoritative, scientific, strict, open-minded and confidential”, the judging panel is formed by entrepreneur, experts and principals of corporate universities. Winners are selected in accordance with the China Corporate University Maturity Model (CUMM^TM) in which their development planning, organization management, business mechanism and operation support would be closely examined. 

With the conviction of “Nurture Talents with Respect, Care and Trust”, NWDS Management Academy provides a clear career development roadmap and establishes a systematic Four-Peng Nurturing Plan for staff at different levels. The Plan includes “Xinpeng Nurturing Program” which provides introductory courses for new blood, “Dapeng Nurturing Program” which provides elementary and advanced level supervisory skills, “Feipeng Nurturing Program” which trains middle-level management with efficient management practice and mindset, and “Jinpeng Nurturing Program” which is specially designed for senior management. The Plan has effectively strengthened the Company’s leading management culture and helped cultivate all-round retail talents, and made the Academy “China’s Best Corporate University” for two consecutive years. On the other hand, to keep abreast of the Company’s rapid development in its LOL direct sales business, the Academy developed a specific Products and Brand Knowledge Enhancement Application in 2014 as a platform to enable staff to gain access to LOL’s product features, brand culture, after-sales service and ordering cycle in the form of text and video anytime and anywhere so as to raise customer service standard, thus garnered the honor of “2014 Chinese Corporate University – Top Ten Innovative Practices”.  

Ms. Rebecca Woo, Corporate Affairs Director and Chairman of Sustainability Steering Committee of NWDS, said, “Talents are company’s valuable asset. Thanks to NWDS Management Academy’s comprehensive and innovative training mechanism, it serves as a talents nurturing platform for the Company and the industry as a whole. Since 2012, the Academy has won various honors in the Rankings, and proved that our conviction of talents nurturing is widely recognized. Looking forward, the Company will continue to make timely and responsive move to develop more innovative talents cultivation programs to foster sustainable growth of the Company together with our staff.”

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