The MTick Arrives in Asia: DFI Retail Group Leads as First Asian Retail Partner with GenM to bring Visibility and Accessibility to the Menopause Support

• 1 billion women are experience menopause at any given time—yet 87% feel overlooked and underserved by retailers and brands.¹
• For the first time, the MTick^® is going global, as leading Asian retailer DFI Retail Group partners with GenM to champion menopause visibility, accessibility, and inclusivity to the Asian retail market.
• The initiative will roll out at DFI's stores across 5 different markets, including Guardian in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia, and Mannings in Hong Kong and Macau.
• Customers can expect to see M-Tick-certified displays in stores starting in mid-2026.

HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 21 October 2025 - DFI Retail Group (DFI) becomes the first Asian retailer to join the GenM Collective and adopt the MTick^® symbol - bringing menopause-friendly products to millions of women across five key Asian markets. This marks an important milestone in setting a new international standard for the retail landscape, and underscores DFI's commitment to positioning its Health & Beauty business as a trusted advisor for wellness, empowering everyday wellbeing for all.

Guardian and Mannings stores under DFI Retail Group

DFI and GenM are partnering to transform how women search, source and shop for menopause-related products by curating MTick®certified selections tailored to each market. The products will meet one or more of the following criteria: backed by authorised medicinal, cosmetic or health claims; tried and tested by women experiencing menopause; and feature verified technology designed to support any of the 48 identified signs of menopause.

Starting in mid-2026, Guardian and Mannings stores will introduce dedicated spaces featuring menopause-friendly product ranges, supported by online product information and educational content. Every activation will feature clear product signposting and accessible menopause resources designed to empower women to shop with confidence and make more informed choices.

The MTick®is the trusted, universal shopping symbol and certification designed to signpost menopause-friendly products. To date, over 1,000 MTick-certified SKUs are available, with eight of the largest UK retailers displaying MTick-certified products in dedicated areas, either online or in-store, including Boots, Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons, Holland & Barrett, Next, Matalan, and most recently, Asda and Ocado.

Globally, 1 billion women are experiencing menopause at any given time - yet 87 per cent of women report feeling overlooked and underserved by brands and retailers that they've trusted throughout their lives. GenM's research also shows that 94 per cent of women want to shop menopause-friendly labelled products, but two-thirds (66 per cent) say that these are difficult to find.¹

United by the MTick®, GenM and DFI, with Guardian and Mannings, are set to provide visibility, choice, and trust to customers going through menopause across five different markets, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Macau.

Andrew Wong, Chief Executive Officer for Health & Beauty, DFI Retail Group, commented:

"At DFI, we are committed to empowering everyday wellbeing for all our customers. Partnering with GenM to bring the MTick® to Asia is a meaningful step forward in our wider Health & Beauty strategy focusing on wellness—one that champions inclusivity, accessibility, and education. By offering menopause-friendly products and services across our Guardian and Mannings stores, we're not only addressing an underserved need, but also reinforcing our role as a trusted wellness advisor in the region. This partnership reflects our dedication to supporting women through every life stage, with confidence and care."

Heather Jackson, CEO and Co-Founder of GenM, commented:

"DFI joining the GenM Collective marks a truly global milestone for menopause inclusivity and accessibility. By breaking new ground in Asia's health and beauty sector, with Guardian and Mannings, we're redefining how women search, source, and shop for menopause-friendly products - not just here in the UK, but on a global scale.

Menopause is not a trend; it's a forever market and a lifelong reality that retail must play a vital role in supporting women through. We're creating a new category of retail that is the most exciting, inclusive, accessible and vibrant category that has been seen in retail for the last 40 years. Now, with DFI on board, our mission to empower the 1 billion menopausal women globally and to ignite a purposeful shift in the retail landscape is accelerating fast.

United by the MTick®, retailers like DFI are truly transforming the shopping experience; delivering choice, trust, accessibility, and visibility to menopausal consumers. This is the start of something extraordinary. Watch this space!"

For more information on the MTick^® and GenM Collective, please visit: https://gen-m.com/

References
[1] UK Visibility Report 2024 - representative of 2,000 UK respondents.
Hashtag: #DFIRetailGroup #Guardian #Mannings #GenM #MTick #HealthandBeauty #MenopauseProducts #Women'sHealth

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About DFI Retail Group

DFI Retail Group (the 'Group') is a leading Asian retailer, driven by its purpose to "Sustainably Serve Asia for Generations with Everyday Moments". As at 30 June 2025, the Group, its associates and joint ventures operated over 7,500 outlets, and employed over 83,000 people. The Group is dedicated to delivering quality, value and service to Asian consumers through a compelling retail experience, supported by an extensive store network and highly efficient supply chains. The Group, including associates, operates a portfolio of well-known brands across five key divisions: health and beauty, convenience, food, home furnishings and restaurants.

Guardian
Guardian was established in 1967 in Malaysia and has grown into a trusted health and beauty retailer in Southeast Asia. With more than 1,100 stores across Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam. Guardian offers a comprehensive range of healthcare, beauty care, personal care, and baby care products to meet the diverse needs of its customers. Guardian stores also offer professional services such as patient-care counselling, dispensary and personal care services, providing a convenient, one-stop health and beauty solution.

Mannings
Mannings is Hong Kong's largest health and beauty retailer, operating over 340 outlets, including more than 60 in-store pharmacies, across Hong Kong, Macau, and the Greater Bay Area. With a diverse range of products and services, Mannings is committed to integrating the concept of "Wellness" into our daily lives while pioneering a new era of health. By offering innovative health technologies, AI solutions, preventive healthcare, self-managed health tools, and digital wellness and beauty solutions, Mannings empowers individuals and families to prioritize their well-being.

Mannings also provides complementary professional services, including Safe Disposal of Unused Medicines program, Advice for Minor Ailments, as well as medication and usage consultations, safeguarding the community's health and beauty.

About GenM

GenM is the Menopause Partner for Brands and Home of the MTick^® – the universal symbol and certification for menopause-friendly products. With a Collective of over 120 of the most progressive and powerful retail partners such as Boots, Tesco, QVC, Matalan, Morrisons, Next and Sainsbury's as well as brand partners; TENA, Colgate, Sanex, Charles Worthington, Dove, Sure and Revolution Beauty, GenM is driving the creation of a new purposeful retail category of menopause, delivering trust, choice and visibility to the overlooked and underserved 15.5 million menopausal audience in the UK.

GenM's game-changing MTick^® is transforming the way women search, source and shop for products that may ease, relieve or support any of the 48 menopause signs. The MTick^® is only displayed on products that meet the strict qualifying criteria of this certification. United by the MTick^®, the GenM Collective is empowering women to shop with ease and confidence so that she can, ultimately, live her best menopause.

About the MTick^®
MTick^® certification is only granted to brands and retailers which meet one (or more) of these criteria, and means they can proudly display the symbol on packaging, marketing, or at point or sale:

1. Backed by authorised medicinal, cosmetic and/or health claims*
2. Tried and tested by menopausal women in clinical user trials that generate statistical evidence for a specified symptom(s) or sign(s)
3. Features trialled and verified technology or functionality to support one (or more) of the 48 symptoms or signs

*Health claims – For the 48 symptoms and signs, EFSA approved health claims.

News Source: DFI Retail Group