How FairPrice is making sustainability a part of the shopping basket

It has a three-pillar strategy built on low-carbon operations, waste reduction and supplier enablement. By Renald Yeo

- By Renald Yeo

At FairPrice Group’s flagship sustainable store in City Square Mall, shoppers wheel trolleys made of recycled plastic down aisles lit entirely by LED bulbs.

Cold items are placed in chillers with closed doors, rather than on open shelves, conserving energy. Prices flash on digital tags instead of on paper.

This is the future of grocery shopping: one where sustainability is built into the customer experience.

FairPrice has committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2045, but its ambitions go beyond meeting environmental targets.

The supermarket operator clinched the Impact Enterprise Excellence Award in the large enterprise category at the 2025 Sustainability Impact Awards.

Jointly presented by The Business Times and UOB, the award recognises businesses and individuals who have had a positive impact on the environment and community.

"Sustainability has been deeply rooted in FairPrice since our founding in 1973," said group chief executive officer Vipul Chawla.

"It’s more than a business strategy; it’s part of our DNA, guided by our brand purpose of making every day a little better for all in Singapore."

That ethos now underpins a three-pillar strategy built on low-carbon operations, waste reduction and supplier enablement.

FairPrice’s approach extends across the entire value chain, from energy-efficient stores and electrified logistics fleets, to food redistribution programmes and supplier training.

It also filters down to the daily shopping experience, ensuring that sustainability is something customers can see, feel and choose every time they step into a FairPrice store.

LOW-CARBON OPERATIONS

At City Square Mall, the store’s green features cut its operational carbon footprint by about 30 per cent compared with a standard supermarket.