Swee Lee Wins “Best Store Design” at the 2026 NAMM Retail Awards

SINGAPORE, 23 JANUARY 2026 — Swee Lee (sweelee.com), South East Asia’s leading omni-channel musical instrument and lifestyle retailer and distributor, has been awarded Best Store Design at the 15th annual NAMM Retail Awards. Selected from the world’s Top 100 music retailers, the award recognizes Swee Lee’s Clarke Quay flagship as a global benchmark for experiential music retail and immersive brand-led spaces.

More than a retail outlet, the 506-square-meter Swee Lee Clarke Quay flagship serves as a communal home where music lives and breathes. Since opening in April 2024, it has become a vibrant epicentre for musicians and fans alike, hosting over 115 curated events in 2025 alone. Designed in collaboration with Parable Studio, the store occupies a former warehouse bathed in natural skylight, situated in a landmark F&B and entertainment precinct beside the iconic Singapore River. The layout integrates diverse community “zones” that transcend traditional commerce, including vinyl listening stations, cafe & bar, performance venue, guitar cellar and more.

The NAMM award for Best Store Design coincides with Swee Lee’s 80th anniversary, marking another chapter in its evolution from a heritage brand that began supplying brass and woodwind instruments to the military in 1946. Today, Swee Lee has evolved into Southeast Asia’s leading musical instrument retail chain, with over 12 stores in the region and presence across Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines and China. The brand is now executing on strong ambitions to scale this flagship store model globally.

ABOUT SWEE LEE

Established in 1946 and headquartered in Singapore, Swee Lee is South East Asia’s leading omni-channel musical instrument and lifestyle retailer and distributor. Committed to community and creativity, the brand’s mission is to be the region’s trusted house of music and expression. Swee Lee is known for curating immersive experiences at their cafes and Local store concepts, and matching customers with the products and services they need throughout their musical journey. With a legacy rooted in thoughtfulness, resourcefulness, and enthusiasm, Swee Lee embodies a passion for music that resonates across the region. Swee Lee is a part of Vista Musical Instruments and has locations in 5+ countries across South East Asia.

ABOUT VISTA MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

Vista Musical Instruments is an innovative, global collective of music-related brands dedicated to building meaningful products and experiences for the music community. Brands include MONO, Harmony, Teisco, Heritage Guitars, Dawsons, Swee Lee, and Well Played Gear. Vista Musical Instruments is headquartered in Singapore, with operations in the USA, UK, and APAC, and is a part of Caldecott Music Group.