SINGAPORE—NACS recognized four outstanding Asian convenience retailers during its NACS Asian Convenience Retail Awards, which took place Wednesday, July 20, in Singapore during NACS Convenience Summit Asia. This prestigious competition recognizes outstanding achievements in the Asian retail communities. The awards—judged by the pillars of the convenience industry—provide some of the greatest benchmarks in Asian convenience retailing excellence.
APCO received the 2022 NACS Asian Convenience Retailer of the Year Award for its APCO 24/7 Café Wangaratta. The award was sponsored by The Hershey Company. APCO has 24 retail sites throughout New South Wales, Australia, and is growing its 24/7 Café convenience retail brand.
The APCO 24/7 Café located in Wangaratta, Victoria, caters to the needs of its local community and has developed its convenience retail format to offer customers a quick and easy shopping experience that allows for fill-in grocery shopping, fresh to-go foodservice and a full barista-made coffee offer. Judges agreed that the store truly offers a one-stop-shop that delivers everyday convenience with affordable pricing.
Blibee received the NACS Asian Convenience Retail Technology Award for its fully automated convenience store concept. The award was sponsored by Gilbarco Veeder-Root.
Blibee (“Convenience Bee”) currently has more than 2,000 company-owned-and-operated stores in 20 cities in China, chiefly concentrated in business districts, and plans a major expansion push into tier-2 and tier-3 cities. The stores use cameras and sensors that constantly send information to centralized data processors that analyze customer traffic, manage electronic shelf tags and manage in-store operations like product selection and employee scheduling, as well as food choices and menu optimization.
Other fully automated aspects of the store include automatic temperature controls and self-service checkouts. Blibee’s Convenience Bee stores carry nearly 400 proprietary products, and customer preference determines which products are sold.
Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation received the 2022 NACS Asian Convenience Retail Sustainability Award for its Zero Emissions Goal by 2050 initiative. The Coca-Cola Company sponsored the award.
Pilipinas Shell is committed to managing emissions of greenhouse gases, using less energy more efficiently, flaring and burning off less gas during oil production, preventing spills and leaks of hazardous materials, using less fresh water and conserving biodiversity wherever it operates. The company is committed to becoming a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050.
In December 2021, Pilipinas Shell launched a collaboration with Mazda Philippines to offset CO2 emissions, making Mazda the first in the car dealership industry to drive carbon neutrality in the Philippines. The voluntary carbon offset program recognizes that, while the industry is trying to avoid or reduce emissions, the need for traditional fuel options remains during the transition. Through Pilipinas Shell, participating companies can offset their fleet’s unavoidable CO2 emissions produced by the fuel purchased from Shell-branded service stations.
As previously announced, Tanin Buranamanit, managing director and CEO of CP ALL Plc, operator of 7-Eleven convenience stores in Thailand, was named the 2022 Asian Convenience Industry Leader of the Year. The award was sponsored by PepsiCo.
Under Buranamanit’s leadership, CP ALL dramatically grew its store count, supported expanding and upskilling labor through education, and developed a retail business model that combines the best aspects of convenience with the competitive value of supermarkets.
When the COVID-19 pandemic tremendously affected youth access to education in 2021, CP ALL developed online teaching and learning system for students. This new method of learning made education easier, faster and safe.
CP ALL also strives to work with its suppliers as partners. According to Buranamanit, CP ALL works with its suppliers to help differentiate 7-Eleven stores in Thailand by working together on communications and merchandising strategies.
NACS Convenience Summit Asia, taking place in Singapore July 19-21, is where Asian convenience retailers can see what future disruptions are taking place today. To learn more, visit convenience.org/CSA.