‘We want to be the most trusted retail network in Malta’ – The Convenience Shop Group CEO

At the helm of one of Malta’s largest retail networks, David Tabone has spent his first year as CEO orchestrating a major digital transformation for the company while deepening its community roots. As The Convenience Shop Holding p.l.c. blurs the lines between physical retail and digital service, the CEO discusses the power of hyper-localisation, the importance of speed and why human connection remains the ultimate currency in a tech-driven world.

2025 was a year that redefined the trajectory of The Convenience Shop Group. Since taking the helm as CEO in January 2025, David Tabone has wasted little time in championing a strategy that balances aggressive expansion with intimate, community-focused service.

“We’ve had quite a year,” David begins, reflecting on the group’s evolution under the MyConvenience and MySupermarket brands. “We’ve seen steady revenue growth, which came about by expanding our network of outlets – we now have over 100 outlets across Malta and Gozo.”

However, growth goes beyond the number of doors opened, David says, pointing to the frequency of engagement as a significant factor. A key driver of this was the rollout of the MyRewards loyalty programme and the mobile delivery app. While acknowledging the universal obstacles of 2025 – inflationary pressures and a fiercely competitive labour market – he characterises the last 12 months as a vital period of consolidation towards the goal of becoming ‘Malta’s leading retail network’.

The recent launch of the loyalty and online shopping app marked a pivotal moment in the company’s digital transformation, with the CEO describing the vision as an absolute necessity rather than a luxury. “We were operating 100 stores that were deeply embedded in every single community in Malta, yet we did not really have a digital presence,” he admits. “What we wanted to do was bridge these physical stores with seamless digital convenience that consumers deserve in 2026 and beyond.”

The strategy goes beyond simple transaction processing. Focused on rewarding loyalty in a manner that feels relevant to Maltese families, it allows customers to earn and redeem points across the entire network. “We are very much a part of people’s daily lives; we are not a ‘one shop a month’ type outlet,” David emphasises. “Our aim is to have fast deliveries, click-and-collect options and exclusive deals.”

Crucially, this digital push enables hyper-personalisation. The group can now send offers tailored to individual shopping habits – a feature David believes will deepen trust. “Looking ahead, we hope these developments will strengthen consumer trust and reward our loyal customers in a world that is becoming increasingly digital.”

Despite the digital focus, the physical expansion remains aggressive, with a target of 150 outlets by 2028. Yet, David is adamant that this is not a cookie-cutter operation. The selection of new locations is a rigorous process involving foot traffic analysis, demographic shifts and competitor monitoring. But the philosophy is what sets them apart.

“We try to prioritise locations where we can truly add value to an area, rather than cannibalise existing stores,” he says. “Our focus is entirely hyper-local, with a fully personalised approach.”

This extends to a novel branding initiative where each locality features a unique mascot. “We are still at the start of the process of explaining each mascot, which has a life of its own and is directly related to each and every locality,” David shares with visible excitement. It is a move designed to ensure that while the brand is national, the feeling is distinctly local. “Each new opening will reflect the village or town’s character, be it with the product assortment or the mascot.”

Looking back on his first year as CEO, David describes 2025 as transformative. After spending six years in Cyprus, stepping back into a “beloved institution” in Malta required a swift adjustment. His leadership philosophy is centred on empowerment, but with a distinct tempo.

“Instilling a sense of urgency in everything we do,” he says, when asked about his most critical decision over the last year. “I’m not used to slow-paced environments, so once we have a strategy, I like to implement it as swiftly as possible.”

He argues that this speed can only be achieved by empowering management and operations teams to take decisions at store level. It represents a shift from prioritising size to prioritising quality. “I’ve had to focus not just on growing as a company, but on ensuring we raise the bar at every touchpoint with consumers,” he notes.

In an industry plagued by high turnover and a talent crunch, David is clear that “talent is one of the biggest challenges in Malta.” His response? Investing heavily in making The Convenience Shop an employer of choice.

A significant initiative has been the creation of a proprietary app for staff, providing on-demand training videos and instant support. “It is also engaging – rather than simply listening to instructions, staff actively interact with the content,” he explains. The system allows management to monitor staff engagement and comprehension from the backend, ensuring consistency across the network.

“My guiding philosophy has been that our people come first,” David asserts. “They are our greatest asset and without them, there is no way that we can succeed.” The goal is to drive retention and faster onboarding, ensuring that service standards remain consistent regardless of which outlet a customer visits.

Looking at the broader role of the company in society, David highlights a shift in how they approach corporate social responsibility (CSR). While the group has always been active, efforts were previously unstructured. This changed with the establishment of the Sandra Calleja Foundation, honouring the late wife of Founder, Ivan Calleja.

“We’re going to be channelling all our CSR efforts towards this foundation,” David explains. “Its purpose is to make real impact, but in a structured manner, going beyond the ad hoc donations that have been the practice over the last 16 years.”

For David, a business cannot exist in isolation. “We must create shared value,” he says. “We are present in every community and we will give back to each and every community.”

And as he looks towards the next chapter, the CEO anticipates a continued blurring of lines between the physical and digital realms. He believes the company is perfectly positioned to leverage its network to offer lower delivery costs and superior convenience.

Financial growth remains a priority, driven by the tech investments made in 2025, but the ultimate metric is brand sentiment. “We want to be the most loved brand on the island,” he states. “We’re strengthening our core operations with efficiencies gained by the investments we made in technology.”

When asked what excites him most about the future, David’s answer blends ambition with community. “We want to be the most trusted retail network in Malta. Not just in terms of financial growth and profitability, but also combining convenience with genuine community impact.”

His message to the wider business community for 2026 is one of collaboration and adaptation. “I think it would be beneficial if we all embraced change as a community,” he concludes. “In a small economy like ours, we need to create win-wins through local partnerships, innovation and a focus on the community.”

This article is part of the serialisation of 50 interviews featured in MaltaCEOs 2026 – the sister brand to MaltaCEOs.mt and an annual high-end publication bringing together some of the country’s most influential business leaders.