Staff Reporter, Dhaka : Solidifying its position as a trailblazer in the industry, Apex Footwear Limited recently
earned three awards at the Retail Asia Awards 2026, marking its third consecutive year of recognition at the
prestigious event. This year, the company won honors in the ‘AI Initiative of the Year’, ‘Footwear Retailer of the
Year’, and ‘Sustainability Initiative of the Year’ categories.

The Retail Asia Awards is an annual event that recognizes outstanding retail achievements, technological
innovation, and industry leadership across the Asia-Pacific region. Apex had previously secured the ‘Footwear
Retailer of the Year’ and ‘Sustainability Initiative of the Year’ titles for two consecutive years, in 2024 and 2025,
underscoring its sustained excellence in these fields. In the 2026 edition of the awards, the company also received
the ‘AI Initiative of the Year’ accolade, adding a new category to its list of honors.

Apex was evaluated through a rigorous judging process by industry leaders from EY-Parthenon, Euromonitor
International, KPMG, and RSM Singapore, Kearney, PwC Australia among others.

Firoze Mohammad, Chief Executive Officer of Apex, received the award on behalf of the brand at the ceremony
held in Singapore. Md. Raihan Kabir, Head of Marketing, and Arbabur Rahman, Head of Retail Business, were also
present at the event.

Central to the recent win was the Eid launch of Apex AI Stylist, marking a milestone deployment of AI in
Bangladesh retail sector. The digital tool recorded over 83,000 sessions and generated nearly 390,000
recommendations for users. This ecosystem helped fulfill approximately 9,500 digital orders with a 90.4% Customer
Satisfaction Score, generating approximately USD 19.1 million in sales, driving a 7.5% year-on-year growth.

“Proudly Bangladeshi, globally recognized. For three consecutive years, Retail Asia has honoured Apex – Footwear
Retailer, Sustainability, and now AI Initiative of the Year. These awards belong to every Apexian and every
customer who believed that Bangladeshi quality can stand tall on the global stage. Thank you for walking with us,
year after year,” Firoze Mohammad, CEO of Apex Footwear Ltd, remarked On the sustainability front, Apex pioneered eco-efficiency measures by saving 4.6 million liters of groundwater annually through rainwater harvesting and operating the country’s only full-phase LWG Gold-certified Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP). By integrating solar energy and recycling 451 tons of waste via a PET-to-Product circular economy, Apex cut CO 2 emissions by 2,507.20 tons this past year.

Complementing these industrial and digital milestones is Apex’s unparalleled physical market presence. Headlined
by a USD 5.45 million revenue milestone during the Founder Day 2025 event, Apex’s retail network now exceeds 500 stores nationwide.

Backed by a strategic marketing reach of 32 million people during Eid, this expansive retail ecosystem caters to over
7 million shoppers, with 5.8 million registered loyalty consumers maintaining a remarkable 57% repeat purchase
rate that solidifies Apex industry leadership.