SINGAPORE, Aug. 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Asia Pacific Enterprise Awards (APEA) 2022 Thailand is pleased to honor 18 exemplary business leaders and enterprises that have paved the path for Thailand's economic resurgence.

Organized by leading regional NGO Enterprise Asia, the APEA is held annually across 16 countries and markets and is the most reputable award recognition program recognizing entrepreneurial excellence across Asia. The Awards aim to congregate outstanding business leaders and enterprises across Asia into one unparalleled platform for fostering the continuity of sustainable entrepreneurial growth in Asian economies.

The Mall Group Co., Ltd. is among the elite award recipients under the Corporate Excellence Category in the Retail industry. Established in 1979, The Mall Group has grown to become one of Thailand's leading retail mall operators and now encompasses 9 shopping malls, 7 stand-alone, and 2 online platforms.

Malls under The Mall Group's portfolio are the Siam Paragon, The Emporium, The Emquartier, The Mall, Skyport, and two new upcoming malls Emsphere and Bangkok Mall. The group has over 10,000 employees.

Six of the group's malls operate under The Mall brand, a long-established and iconic name familiar to generations of Thais. In 2019, it decided to reimagine and reinvent The Mall brand for a new generation of Thai shoppers with new attitudes and new expectations. Thus, The Mall Lifestore concept was born.

The Mall Lifestore was also awarded the Asia Pacific Enterprise Awards 2022 Thailand under the Inspirational Brand Category. The store is a fun, vibrant physical space where shopping, entertainment, dining, services, and events are presented in new and captivating ways. In 2020, The Mall Ngamwongwan, one of the group's heritage malls, reopened as the new Mall Lifestore Ngamwongwan followed by The Mall Lifestore Thapra in 2021.

The Mall Lifestore is positioned as a true community mall where all age groups can enjoy a complete day out. The target audience for brand communications has been middle to upper- income families living within ten kilometers of the mall and students studying at the nearby Kaset University and other universities or schools in the vicinity.

From the start, the involvement of the surrounding local community has been an important part of The Mall Lifestore brand project. The community was invited to be part of the store design. Wall decorations by local and autistic children, as well as flower decoration and art projects, have been woven into the design, adding a unique local flavor.

The Mall Lifestore has been a great success both in terms of design, functionality, and customer traffic. Despite two years of Covid-19 restrictions on retail businesses in Thailand, sales have gone up, making it the only store in the group to record a rise in sales during the pandemic period. Tenants have also reported better-than-expected results over this period.

Feedback on the design of The Mall Lifestore has been overwhelmingly positive and, in addition, the management and staff now have a much more positive outlook for the future of these iconic bricks & mortar stores. Following this success, the Group will roll the concept out across The Mall brand selective properties in Thailand.

As the Thai retail market continues to expand, The Mall Group is seeking new opportunities to grow its business and offer its customers a more innovative product. The Group's digital shopping channels continue to grow, and it has expanded into new technologies into a new shopping experience. For physical stores, it is currently developing two new malls (Bangkok Mall and Emsphere).

The Mall Group's continuous growth have demonstrated the group's effective talent mobilization and organizational capability to deliver consistent business results while remaining aligned to its vision. Meanwhile, the societal impact of The Mall Lifestore has led it to be recognized as an inspiring transformational brand to the people of Thailand. These outstanding achievements have set The Mall Group and The Mall Lifestore as the new benchmark in the retail industry, earning them the prestigious Corporate Excellence and Inspirational Brand awards at the Asia Pacific Enterprise Awards 2022 Thailand.

About Enterprise Asia

Enterprise Asia is a non-governmental organization in pursuit of creating an Asia that is rich in entrepreneurship as an engine toward sustainable and progressive economic and social development. Please visit www.enterpriseasia.org for more information.

About Asia Pacific Enterprise Awards

With a presence across 16 countries and markets, the Asia Pacific Enterprise Awards is the region's most prestigious awards for outstanding entrepreneurship, continuous innovation and sustainable leadership. For further information, visit www.apea.asia.