CNA938 Rewind

A beauty and wellness chain has agreed to provide up to S$1 million in refunds after an investigation found employees used high-pressure sales tactics to pressure customers into making purchases. The case has raised questions about when hard selling crosses the line into an unfair trade practice, how investigators determine when consumers have been subjected to undue pressure, and what warning signs consumers should look out for. Daniel Martin spoke with Kho Qin Yao, Director of the Fair Trading Practices Division at the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore.

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In ‘Made in SG’ Melanie Oliveiro speaks to Aida Zulkifli, lead singer from homegrown indie-pop band ABSENCE!, and singer Noah Fang – both are performing live for their fans at The Centrestage, a cultural event at shopping mall The Centrepoint. Rachel Fang, its General Manager will talk more about The Centrestage which features local music makers and artists.

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In ‘Culture Club’ Melanie Oliveiro profiles the 2026 PAssionArts Festival (from 1 August to 30 September), turning nearly 80 neighbourhoods into community art spaces. Esther Quek from the People’s Association will describe the festival villages, performances & interactive installations. Eco artist Didier Ng talks about the workshops she held and the community folk she worked with.

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In ‘Made in SG’ Melanie Oliveiro profiles W Optics, the homegrown vision care specialist and optical retail chain. Jonathan Wong, W Optics’ CEO will talk about how his father Francis started the business and later handed the reins of the company to him. Oh Shwu Ji, senior optometrist & manager will also talk about common eye issues and what the latest specs design trends are.

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As Pan Pacific Singapore marks its 40th anniversary, we take a closer look at how wellness has evolved within the hotel through St. Gregory. Susan Goh speaks with Jennifer Ong, Lifestyle Manager at St. Gregory, Pan Pacific Singapore to explore the trends shaping wellness today and the enduring appeal of traditional practices.

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Susan Ng gets you updated on where to dine with our monthly check in with Dinesh Balasingam, Head of restaurant reservation dining platform Chope. 

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A difficult manager can make work stressful, but not every frustrating boss is a reason to resign. Susan Ng looks at favouritism, micromanagement and poor accountability at the workplace, and the signs that a manager may be limiting your growth with Nat Fetalvero, host of CNA’s Work It podcast.

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Wildfires across Europe have brought attention to the phenomenon of fire clouds – towering storm clouds generated by intense heat that can produce lightning and spark new fires. Singapore may not face massive wildfires, but a warming climate is bringing more extreme weather around the world. Andrea Heng and Hairianto Diman speak with Professor Steve Yim, Director of the Centre for Climate Change and Environmental Health, Nanyang Technological University, to find out how fire clouds form, why climate change may make them more frequent, and what lessons Singapore can draw from these extreme events.

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On today's (31 July) markets analysis on Open For Business, Andrea Heng and Hairianto Diman speak with Adam Coons, Chief Investment Officer, Winthrop Capital Management .

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Singapore's MICE industry has unveiled an expanded Sustainability Roadmap 2.0, broadening its focus beyond environmental goals to include social and economic sustainability. Andrea Heng and Hairianto Diman discuss how the strategy aims to attract more international events and support the country's ambition to triple MICE tourism receipts to S$4.5 billion by 2040. For more, they speak with Dr Samer El Hajjar, Senior Marketing Lecturer, NUS Business School.

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