Apex Achieves AI Accolade, Clinches Triple Triumph at Retail Asia Awards 2026

Bangladesh’s leading footwear manufacturer and retailer, Apex Footwear Limited has earned a new international distinction through the successful application of Artificial Intelligence (AI), becoming the first Bangladeshi company to win the prestigious “AI Initiative of the Year” award at the Retail Asia Awards 2026 held in Singapore. In addition to this milestone achievement, Apex maintained its dominance on the international stage for the third consecutive year by securing top honors in three categories: AI Initiative of the Year, Footwear Retailer of the Year, and Sustainability Initiative of the Year. The company had previously received awards in the retailer and sustainability categories in 2024 and 2025.

According to a press release issued on Thursday, June 4, the awards were formally received on behalf of Apex Footwear Limited by Chief Executive Officer Firoz Mohammad at a grand ceremony in Singapore. He was accompanied by Head of Marketing Md. Raihan Kabir and Head of Retail Business Arbabur Rahman. The Retail Asia Awards annually recognizes outstanding achievements, technological innovation, and visionary leadership in the retail sector across the Asia-Pacific region. This year, a panel comprising senior officials from globally renowned organizations including EY-Parthenon, Euromonitor International, KPMG, RSM Singapore, Kearney, and PwC Australia evaluated Apex’s overall performance and selected the company for the honors.

The newly introduced “AI Initiative of the Year” award was primarily driven by the success of the company’s “Apex AI Stylist” initiative, launched during the Eid season. This pioneering AI-powered service, a first in Bangladesh’s retail market, completed more than 83,000 customer sessions. Through the intelligent recommendation system, customers received nearly 390,000 personalized product suggestions, resulting in approximately 9,500 digital orders and achieving an impressive customer satisfaction rate of 90.4 percent.

The company stated that these technological and sustainability-focused initiatives have also contributed significantly to business growth. Over the past year, Apex recorded sales worth approximately US$19.1 million, marking a 7.5 percent increase compared to the previous year. During its 2025 Founders Day campaign, the company achieved a historic milestone by generating US$5.45 million in sales within a single day. Apex currently operates more than 500 retail outlets across Bangladesh. Through strategically planned Eid-centric marketing campaigns, the brand reached nearly 32 million people nationwide. Its extensive retail network now serves more than 7 million regular customers, including 5.8 million registered loyalty members, of whom around 57 percent are repeat purchasers.

Beyond commercial success, Apex has also set benchmarks in sustainable and environmentally responsible industrial practices. Through advanced rainwater harvesting technologies, the company conserves approximately 4.6 million liters of groundwater annually. It also operates the country’s only full-fledged Leather Working Group (LWG) Gold-certified Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP). In addition to expanding the use of solar energy across its operations, Apex recycled 451 tonnes of plastic and other waste materials through its PET-to-Product circular economy initiative, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 2,507.20 tonnes over the past year and making a significant contribution to climate change mitigation efforts.

Commenting on the international recognition, CEO Firoz Mohammad said, “Receiving such recognition on the global stage as a renowned Bangladeshi company is a matter of immense pride for the entire Apex family. Retail Asia has honored us in different categories for three consecutive years, which further strengthens our commitment to excellence. This unique achievement is a true reflection of the dedication of our frontline employees and the trust and support of millions of our valued customers.”

/DBTech/ BCR/ EK/ OR/