Singapore’s health and wellness landscape is evolving, and Guardian Health & Beauty is leading the charge. The retailer, recognised as Singapore’s #1 trusted health and wellness brand, has officially reopened its flagship store at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, unveiling a fresh design and a wellness-first shopping experience.
The transformation reflects a strategic shift toward holistic, preventive, and personalised wellness solutions. With five thoughtfully curated zones — Health & Wellness, Derma Skincare, Men’s, Trial & Travel, and Guardian’s Picks, the store is designed to simplify product discovery, reduce decision fatigue, and provide a seamless in-store journey. Complementing this layout is Guardian’s signature AI-powered Skin and Scalp Assessment, alongside expert pharmacist-led services, digital touchpoints, and an integrated mobile application to create a cohesive omni-channel experience.
As customers increasingly seek functional and preventive solutions rather than basic care essentials, Guardian’s new flagship exemplifies the brand’s commitment to supporting long-term wellbeing. It offers a curated selection of clinically validated supplements, derma skincare, and functional haircare products, guided by professional advice and data-driven insights.
To provide deeper insight into the thinking behind this transformation, we spoke with Naresh Kalani, Managing Director of Guardian Health & Beauty Singapore, about the retailer’s strategy to be Singapore’s trusted wellness advisor and how it is innovating through retail excellence, expert services, and assessments. Read on to find out more.
Q1) What does Guardian’s role as Singapore’s trusted wellness advisor mean to you, and how is this strategy brought to life through your products, services, and store experiences?
Naresh Kalani: Being Singapore’s Trusted Wellness Advisor means supporting our customers through their long-term wellness journey, beyond simply selling conventional products to actively guiding and being a part of their journey. It’s about earning trust through professional expertise and trusted products.
Our strategy comes to life at our newly refreshed flagship at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, where we have five thoughtfully and clearly defined zones — Health & Wellness, Derma Skincare, Men’s, Trial & Travel, and Guardian’s Picks. These zones make product discovery more intuitive, reduce decision fatigue, and create a more seamless and efficient shopping journey.
A key differentiator in our retail approach is also the professional advice available in-stores. Pharmacists and trained skin and scalp advisors engage and recommend suitable solutions, supported by technology such as our AI-powered Skin and Scalp Assessment. This enables more personalised and data-informed guidance, strengthening trust and confidence in decision-making.
Q2) The newly redesigned Marina Bay Sands flagship marks a key milestone for Guardian. What were the strategic objectives behind this transformation, and how does it reflect Guardian’s evolving wellness-led retail approach, particularly in shaping the way customers engage with preventive and functional wellness solutions in their daily lives?
Naresh Kalani: The Marina Bay Sands flagship represents an evolution of our retail strategy. Our objective was to create a store format that reflects how customers actually shop and make wellness decisions today.
Insights from an internal customer study conducted by DFI Retail Group, Guardian’s parent company, show that customers increasingly view wellness as a holistic pursuit of vitality and long-term wellbeing, rather than a transactional need. This reflects a broader shift in expectations, where wellness is no longer centred solely on treating illness, but on proactively helping individuals feel their best and live well every day.
The Marina Bay Sands flagship was designed specifically to meet this shift, which is reflected in three key ways:
● First, we are moving beyond basic care essentials to offer daily functional and preventive solutions, supported by professional services from our pharmacists.
● Second, we are building our wellness assortment on trust and prevention by focusing on clinically validated supplements, derma skincare, synthetic- and chemical-free brands, and functional haircare, giving customers confidence in meeting their diverse wellness needs.
● Third, we are investing in wellness assessments to provide additional support and personalised guidance for our customers.
Through these strategic approaches, this flagship has created a more seamless and informed shopping journey. It is also a tangible expression of our sharpened focus on the fast-growing wellness category – where health, beauty, and personal care converge – and how our retail environments are supporting more proactive customer engagement.
Q3) The flagship features five wellness-led zones — Health & Wellness, Derma Skincare, Men’s, Trial & Travel, and Guardian’s Picks. How do these curated zones enhance product discovery and simplify decision-making for customers?
Naresh Kalani: Customers today have access to an extensive range of wellness and beauty products, and the sheer volume of options can be overwhelming. Without clear guidance, navigating these choices can make decision-making more difficult.
Our five wellness-led zones address this by organising the space around customer intentions rather than by brands alone — all to simplify navigation, reduce decision fatigue, and help customers find what is most relevant to them. Supported by clear signposting and digital touchpoints, the result is a more intuitive discovery process and a more confident purchasing experience.
Ultimately, the design reflects a shift towards more informed, purposeful engagement with health and beauty retail.
Q4) Guardian’s AI-powered Skin & Scalp Assessment measures 12 skin and 12 hair parameters in just five minutes. How does this technology enhance personalised recommendations and elevate the in-store experience?
Naresh Kalani: We are seeing a clear shift in Singapore’s beauty and wellness landscape — from generic, one-size-fits-all products to solutions that are personalised, evidence-based, and technology-driven. Many customers don’t lack options; they lack clarity. When routines fail to deliver results, it’s often because the products aren’t tailored to their individual skin or scalp needs. Our Skin and Scalp Assessment service addresses this gap by combining AI-powered solutions with personalised assessments and product recommendations, shifting the focus from trial-and-error to informed, preventive care.
Using advanced imaging technology, the assessment measures 12 skin and 12 scalp parameters, including hydration levels, oil balance, sensitivity, skin barrier health, pigmentation, acne-related concerns, and visible signs of aging. For the scalp, it evaluates oil balance, scalp condition, follicle health, and early indicators of hair thinning. The results are generated instantly and presented in a clear, easy-to-understand format, enabling our Skin & Scalp Advisors to provide tailored product and care recommendations based on objective analysis.
With growing customer expectations on personalised solutions, the assessment helps identify underlying or early-stage concerns, allowing customers to course-correct and take a more preventive approach to their skin and scalp health.
This complimentary service is currently available at nine locations, including The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, and will be progressively rolled out to more stores across Singapore.
Q5) Beyond retail, Guardian offers pharmacist-led services such as minor-ailment consultations, chronic condition management, and supplement guidance. How do these expert services strengthen Guardian’s role in supporting long-term wellness?
Naresh Kalani: Our pharmacists play a fundamental role in our journey to being the #1 trusted advisor for wellness. We have the widest pharmacy network in Singapore, with more than half of our stores operating a pharmacy counter. This scale allows us to play a meaningful role in preventative healthcare and wellness within the communities we serve.
Beyond dispensing medication, our pharmacists offer a wide range of health and wellness services designed to support long-term wellbeing. Most of these services are complimentary, including travel medicine advice, minor-ailment consultations, chronic condition management, and supplement recommendations. Certain services, such as the Start to Stop smoking-cessation programme and influenza vaccinations, are chargeable.
In October 2024, we partnered with the Ministry of Health to launch a sandbox pilot offering influenza vaccinations at our Guardian NEX store. The service has been very well received, highlighting strong demand for convenient, community-based access to preventive care.
Q6) Guardian has introduced digital touchpoints and a new mobile application to better connect in-store and online experiences. How does this omni-channel approach support a seamless and personalised wellness journey for customers?
Naresh Kalani: Our omni-channel approach is designed around integrating online and offline touchpoints to drive engagement.
In-store, digital screens provide contextual recommendations that enhance discovery and support more informed decision-making. Beyond the store, our mobile application strengthens engagement by connecting customers to relevant content, tailored offers, and a more integrated shopping experience. By leveraging data-driven insights responsibly, we are better able to anticipate customer needs and deliver more meaningful experiences in-store.
Importantly, this is not about adding more channels; it is about creating continuity. Whether a customer is browsing in-store, consulting a pharmacist, booking a service, or shopping online, the journey should feel cohesive and intuitive.
Q7) Following the Marina Bay Sands flagship reopening, Guardian plans to progressively roll out this store format across Singapore. What can customers expect next as Guardian continues to innovate in wellness-led retail?
Naresh Kalani: The Marina Bay Sands flagship is an important milestone for us. What we have introduced reflects the direction we are taking as a brand, and over time, customers will start to see elements of this evolved format rolled out across more Guardian stores in Singapore.
Moving forward, our focus remains clear. We will continue strengthening our curation of functional and preventive wellness solutions, expanding the use of technology to make experiences more personalised, and enhancing our pharmacist-led services to better support customers in managing their long-term health.
Wellness itself is constantly evolving, and so are customer expectations. People want more than just products; they want guidance, relevance, and confidence in their choices. Our role is to continue evolving alongside them and to make holistic wellness more accessible, more intuitive, and more seamlessly integrated into everyday life.
Guardian’s Marina Bay Sands flagship exemplifies a modern, wellness-led retail experience that goes beyond conventional health and beauty. By combining curated product zones, AI-driven assessments, professional pharmacist services, and seamless omni-channel integration, the retailer is positioning itself as a trusted advisor for holistic wellness.
As Guardian continues to roll out this flagship format across Singapore, customers can expect more accessible, personalised, and preventive solutions that support long-term wellbeing, turning everyday shopping into a truly empowering wellness journey. Find out more about Guardian at https://www.guardian.com.sg/
