NACS has named Stephane Coum, CEO–Food Group, Central Retail, at Central Food Retail Co. Ltd in Thailand, as the 2026 NACS Convenience Industry Leader of the Year for the Asia-Pacific region.
Coum, who represents Tops Daily from Thailand/Central Food Retail Co. Ltd, helped grow the organization’s success through executive vision and resilience. He led the company through a complete business turnaround by 2022 and has transformed Tops Daily into a growth engine, achieving 3.7% year-over-year sales growth.
Coum has also redefined the traditional convenience store model by introducing the “Joy-venience” brand concept under the banner #EveryDayForEveryone. This strategic shift moved the brand from basic utility to a destination-based experience through four pillars: Joy Eat, Joy Shopping, Joy Value and Joy Loyalty.
He also pioneered the "First Room Concept" for Thai convenience stores, creating a distinct market differentiation for "Eat Now" and "Eat Later" categories. Furthermore, his vision for the Tops Daily Hybrid Model—integrating specialty offerings like TOPS WINE CELLAR, The Baker Café and LOOKS—has set a new benchmark for cross-category synergy in the global convenience industry.
Through the retailer’s YES! Program, Coum has empowered the workforce to focus on service excellence, store standards and customer satisfaction. This human-centric approach ensures that the innovation at the top is felt by every customer on the store floor.
At NACS Convenience Summit Asia, March 10-12 in Shanghai, China, Coum will receive his award and join NACS Chairman Emeritus and CEO International of NACS Henry Armour on stage for an exclusive conversation.