The Mills Fabrica wins Asian Experience Awards 2025 for pioneering impact retail concept

Fabrica X impact retail store has engaged with over 41,000 visitors across three strategic retail locations in Hong Kong.

The Mills Fabrica, a go-to solutions platform accelerating techstyle and agrifood tech innovations for sustainability, was recognised at the Asian Experience Awards 2025 with the Hong Kong Customer Experience of the Year - Retail award for its impact retail store Fabrica X. 

In Hong Kong, public awareness and proactive engagement in sustainable living remain comparatively lower than in many European countries. For instance, whilst 93% of Hong Kong residents recognise the importance of sustainability, over half have limited knowledge of ESG factors, and deeper behavioural changes are still emerging. This gap makes Fabrica X’s role especially crucial, and it was conceived to transform the retail experience into a catalyst for positive change. Recognising that traditional shopping environments often promote overconsumption and little transparency on product impact, Fabrica X aims to create a socially connected experience that goes beyond traditional retail by showcasing viable sustainable alternatives and innovations, offering hands-on workshop experience, empowering consumers to rethink their consumption habits whilst driving mainstream adoption of sustainable innovations.

The impact retail concept operates across three locations in Hong Kong that serve as vibrant platforms to showcase sustainable innovations and engage everyday consumers. Between April 2024 and March 2025, Fabrica X attracted a total of 41,611 visitors, offering them a space to engage with 55 techstyle innovators.

Beyond influencing individual consumers, the Fabrica X model has boosted visibility and viability for emerging sustainable brands and innovators. This approach positively impacts Hong Kong’s fashion ecosystem and the wider ASEAN region by driving demand for cleaner, more responsible products and supporting industry-wide transitions toward circularity.

The Mills Fabrica has also curated Denim Futures, a campaign that exemplifies the platform’s approach in showcasing breakthrough denim innovations. The initiative features sustainable brands committed to greener manufacturing and delivers hands-on workshops focused on upcycling and repurposing deadstock materials.

Through Denim Futures, 24 cutting-edge denim innovators have demonstrated technological advancements aimed at reducing water usage, chemical pollution, and waste in denim production.

“As a go-to solutions platform accelerating techstyle innovations for sustainability, we aim to inspire corporates, brands, and industry peers to collaborate and adopt similar approaches in their businesses. This ripple effect helps embed sustainability deeper into business practices and market offerings, accelerating the transition towards a more responsible and circular economy at scale,” said Cintia Nunes, General Manager and Head of Asia, The Mills Fabrica. 

The recognition validates The Mills Fabrica's mission to create a replicable model of impact retail that can catalyse broader industry transformation and mainstream adoption of sustainable innovations. 

The Asian Experience Awards recognises the ingenious initiatives of creative companies in delivering meaningful brand experiences to their stakeholders.

The Asian Experience Awards is presented by Asian Business Review Magazine. To view the full list of winners, click here. If you want to join the 2026 awards programme and be acclaimed for providing meaningful brand experiences to stakeholders, please contact Marni Marco at [email protected].