Wellcome Hong Kong lands win at Retail Asia Awards 2024

Its investments have focused on store development to deliver a more exciting and fulfilling proposition for customers.

Supermarket chain Wellcome Hong Kong took home the win in the Supermarket of the Year - Hong Kong category at the esteemed Retail Asia Awards 2024 for the significant investments it has made to step change its operations in the market.

Investments in store development have played a crucial role in Wellcome's market share gains. The company has rebranded and refurbished more than 90% of its 280 stores, creating modern and appealing shopping environments.

It has also introduced the innovative Wellcome Fresh concept in eight of its locations. Wellcome Fresh is a new supermarket format that offers customers an elevated shopping experience in a vibrant market-style setting.

It has also implemented self-checkout systems in over 80% of its stores, enabling quicker and more convenient transactions. This function now contributes to over 40% of daily customer transactions.

Meanwhile, Wellcome Hong Kong has ongoing investments in digital transformation to enhance overall business operations and efficiency. It has installed new point-of-sale systems, ensuring real-time inventory visibility across stores. It has also facilitated the launch of an omnichannel e-commerce platform and the implementation of an automatic ordering system. Both systems have improved in-store availability and reduced the out-of-stock rate from 20% to below 4%.

In its efforts to drive sustainability in Hong Kong, the supermarket chain has also purchased its first electric delivery truck in 2023, with the long-term goal of transitioning to an electric fleet. It is also the first retailer in Hong Kong to venture into sustainable solar energy, installing a solar panel system on the rooftop of its Fresh Food Centre. This system comprises 2,000 solar panels covering 1,400 square metres and supports the company's energy requirements.

Wellcome Hong Kong has also increased its efforts to support communities. It has collaborated with non-governmental organisations for recycling and waste reduction, participation in food waste collection schemes, and responsible product sourcing. 

Notably, its community engagement is exemplified through partnerships with Foodlink under the Sik Jor Fan Mei charity programme, which provides food supply to those in need. In its first year, the programme achieved HK$6m in donations, equivalent to 20 million bowls of rice.

Since 2019, Wellcome has consistently demonstrated market share leadership and experienced continuous growth, with an impressive increase of over 450bps since the past year.

Retail Asia Awards honours companies that have recently launched innovative retail projects or initiatives, as well as industry leaders that have propelled their respective brands to maintain a competitive edge.

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 2025 awards programme and be acclaimed for your company's exceptional products or initiatives in the Retail industry, please contact Jane Patiag at [email protected].