FairPrice Group’s Vipul Chawla wins CEO of the Year at Retail Asia Awards 2026

The retailer advanced tech-led transformation, affordability, and sustainability initiatives under Group CEO Vipul Chawla.

Vipul Chawla, Group CEO, FairPrice Group (FPG) was named the CEO of the Year - Singapore at the Retail Asia Awards 2026, recognised for his role in leading the retailer’s transformation since 2022. His “Every Day, Made a Little Better” brand ethos refresh led the Group to refocus on keeping daily essentials within reach for all in Singapore whilst laying the foundation for long-term growth through retail technology, community engagement, and sustainability initiatives.

Underpinned by his “Easy on the Wallet, Experience, and Planet” strategy, the Group achieved a 2025 revenue nearing $5b, with $49.9m profit from operations. The success of this strategy is also reflected in FPG’s strong brand perception, with both the FairPrice and Kopitiam brands recognised amongst the top 10 strongest brands in Singapore in the 2026 Brand Finance report.

Easy on the Wallet

With FPG’s core mission of keeping daily essentials within reach at heart, Vipul led the Group to deliver significant affordability measures. This included returning $175m to the community as of 2025 through Linkpoints to members, direct donations, price freezes on daily essentials, and targeted discounts for Pioneer Generation, Merdeka Generation, senior, and Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) Blue and Orange beneficiaries. FPG’s Own Brands range—a cornerstone of this value proposition—has grown to more than 3,500 housebrand products across 70 categories, priced on average 10-15% below branded alternatives.

Central to this community-first mission is FPG’s deep commitment to its roots in the labour movement. Under Vipul’s leadership, FPG was the first retailer in Singapore to implement the Progressive Wage Model (PWM) — a framework to ensure that workers’ wages are raised at a sustainable and meaningful pace — across its entire network. This initiative has provided clearer career pathways and better wages for over 10,000 non-executive FPG employees.

Easy on the Experience

Guided by Vipul’s strategic roadmap, FairPrice Group launched its Store of Tomorrow programme, committing to pilot 20 digital solutions annually over three years to transform retail experiences across its stores and food services network.

Amongst these innovations are FPG’s smart carts, introduced in August 2025, which provided shoppers with personalised deals and discounts, recording a 98% customer satisfaction rate during its pilot at the Punggol Digital District outlet. Furthermore, Generative AI shopping assistants were rolled out across the network; in supermarkets, they assist customers in locating products tailored to their wellness preferences, whilst at Kopitiam food courts, they help diners find seats, choose meals, and view active promotions.

Easy on the Planet

Vipul has consistently anchored FPG’s operations in its social mission, remaining deeply committed to uplifting the most vulnerable in our community. Through the Neighbourhood Food Share initiative, the retailer distributes more than eight tonnes of rescued fruits and vegetables each month to communities in need. Additionally, FairPrice Foundation’s A Full Plate food donation drive provided over $1.6m worth of fresh groceries to more than 700,000 beneficiaries in 2025, alongside the Protein Pledge, which will deliver $1m in fresh protein to vulnerable Singaporeans by 2030.

FPG and FairPrice Foundation also launched The Carbon Gallery, a carbon-focused experiential hub aimed at promoting carbon literacy in accessible ways for heartland Singaporeans. FPG also became the first organisation in Singapore to receive government approval to operate autonomous vehicles on public roads for supply chain operations, with each vehicle expected to cut CO2 emissions by 27 tonnes a year.

The Retail Asia Awards highlights the pinnacle of excellence, innovation, and leadership within the retail industry across the Asia Pacific region. It serves as a benchmark of success, honouring companies and individuals who have made remarkable contributions to shaping the future of retail.

The Retail Asia Awards is presented by Retail Asia Magazine. To view the full list of winners, click here. If you want to join the 2027 awards programme and be acclaimed for your company's exceptional products or initiatives in the Retail industry, please contact Marni Marco at [email protected].