SINGAPORE—APCO won the 2022 NACS Asian Convenience Retailer of the Year Award for its APCO 24/7 Cafe Wangaratta. The award, sponsored by The Hershey Company, was presented to the company at NACS Convenience Summit Asia, taking place July 19-21 in Singapore.

With 24 retail sites throughout New South Wales, Australia, APCO is growing its 24/7 Cafe convenience retail brand. 

The APCO 24/7 Cafe 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.

The APCO 24/7 Cafe Wangaratta is in a town with a population of 20,000. The store was remodeled in late 2020 and reopened in 2021 with new features such as competitive pricing for groceries, an extensive fresh produce range, a state-of-the-art kitchen facility, in-store dining with seating for 30 customers and takeaway food options, as well as an upgraded car wash and a modern fuel forecourt.

"Globally we see that today's convenience store shoppers are looking for choice. They want the option of picking up groceries between larger shopping trips while enjoying a quick and delicious meal on the go or inside the store. We applaud the APCO 24/7 Cafe team for delivering on their brand promise," said NACS President and CEO Henry O. Armour. 

"We are in unprecedented times, and it is imperative that we can foster innovation and creativity in the global retailing community. We are happy to have partnered with NACS to recognize and promote convenience retailing excellence in the Asia Pacific region," said Herjit Bhalla, vice president, AEMEA & India, The Hershey Company.