Mr. Stephane Coum, Chief Executive Officer, Central Retail Food Group, has been honored with the “Convenience Industry Leader of the Year – Asia-Pacific” award at the NACS Convenience Retail Awards Asia-Pacific 2026. This prestigious accolade recognizes outstanding leaders who demonstrate excellence in leadership, innovation, and the advancement of the convenience retail industry on a global scale. Under the leadership of Mr. Stephane Coum, Chief Executive Officer, Central Retail Food Group has successfully driven the strong growth of TOPS DAILY, while elevating the convenience store format into a new era of shopping experience through the “Joy-venience” concept. Guided by the #EveryDayForEveryone philosophy—“Discover happiness your way, every day”—this approach redefines the traditional convenience store model into a lifestyle destination, driven by four key strategic pillars:
- Joy Eat – Elevating the ready-to-eat offering with high-quality meals that cater to modern consumer lifestyles
- Joy Shopping – Enhancing store formats and assortment curation to deliver greater convenience and variety
- Joy Value – Providing compelling value and promotions tailored to everyday spending needs
- Joy Loyalty – Building stronger customer engagement through seamless shopping experiences and loyalty programs
At the same time, the company has introduced the new TOPS DAILY Hybrid Model, seamlessly integrating convenience stores with specialized products and services such as TOPS WINE CELLAR, THE BAKER Café, and LOOKS. This model enhances cross-category shopping experiences and better responds to diverse consumer needs. In addition, TOPS places strong emphasis on cultivating a people-centric organizational culture through the TOPSTER Spirit, guided by core values including Customer First, Determination, Passion & Transparency, and People Care. This is further reinforced by talent development initiatives such as the YES! Program, aimed at elevating service excellence and delivering superior customer experiences across the organization.
“This prestigious award marks another proud milestone and a significant achievement for TOPS, reflecting the strong capabilities and dedication of the TOPS DAILY team in elevating Thailand’s convenience retail business to international standards. We remain committed to continuously advancing innovation and enhancing the shopping experience to meet the evolving needs of modern consumers, while driving sustainable growth for Thailand’s retail industry,” said Mr. Stephane Coum, Chief Executive Officer, Central Retail Food Group
The NACS Convenience Retail Awards Asia-Pacific is organized by the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS), a leading global organization in the convenience retail industry. The awards are presented during the NACS Convenience Summit Asia, held in Shanghai, People’s Republic of China—an international platform that brings together retail leaders from around the world to exchange insights, strategies, and perspectives on the future of the retail industry.
