Singapore’s Changi Airport Transforms Space for Events and Retail Purposes

The second World of Wines and Spirits will be held in Singapore's Changi Airport

Singapore’s Changi Airport will be venue for the ‘World of Wines and Spirits’ (WOWS) this year. A partnership with Lotte Duty Free, the inaugural event last year (from 30 September to 31 December 2022) featured over 200 of the finest products from more than 75 brands. The prestigious event was an experiential feast for the senses, with six masterclasses hosted by industry experts, artistic performances, and tastings from a selected range of rare and fine items. With the lifting of all Covid-19 restrictions this year, alcohol connoisseurs can look forward to an even more exciting event this year.

Changi Airport’s space is innovatively optimised to support events and retail activities. It is working with brands to capture the imagination of travellers through Changi 1st pop-ups in the transit halls every month. These activations often feature limited edition product launches that are first in Asia, or the world. The Guerlain Parfumerie d’Art Pop-up in T3’s Departure Transit, which started from 5 April to 14 May 2023, celebrated the launch of Jasmin Bonheur, the new olfactory creation of the L’Art & La Matière fragrance collection. Customers can look forward to bespoke fragrance consultations as well as engraving and personalisation services, including the option of adorning one’s bottle in a variety of arrangements.
 
In tandem with Changi Airport’s strong recovery in its passenger and air traffic due to resumption of MICE and business tourism, travel retail at the airport is flourishing with rising sales and new shopping experiences. MICE and business travellers on a tight schedule seeking last minute shopping for their loved ones can surely benefit from recent developments in Changi Airport.  

​Transforming retail spaces to be both beautiful and functional allows Changi Airport to create experiences that go beyond shopping. The latest example is the revamp of the Central Piazza in T1’s Departure Transit Hall, which was completed last year.
 
The space was intentionally designed to exude a sense of warmth and serenity, similar to a hotel lobby and atypical of the cold functionality of airports. An oasis of peace is created via carefully curated design elements including hanging chandeliers, green columns emerging from ponds, the sound of water amid the lush vegetation, as well as the earthy tones and an artful blown-glass suspension.

The revamped central piazza in T1’s departure transit hall exudes a serenity that is akin to a hotel lobby

Collaborating with brands to keep travel retail fresh and exciting for travellers

Changi continued to attract tenants even during the height of the pandemic, reflecting the strong confidence that brands have in the recovery of travel in Changi Airport. The leasing activities for Changi Airport’s airside concessions saw a significant ramp up last year when Terminal 4 (T4) and the southern wing of Terminal 2 (T2) reopened. Over 140 airside concession leases were successfully concluded, and 19 new-to-Changi brands and concepts secured. In particular, a large-scale leasing exercise for 20 F&B outlets in T2 saw overwhelming response from the market.

Bacha Coffee recently opened its largest store in the world in Terminal 3

Some of the notable store openings at Changi Airport’s terminals in the last few months include:

• The largest Bacha Coffee store in the world, a new duplex store at Terminal 3 (T3)
• Three luxury boutiques namely Dior, Louis Vuitton, and Tiffany & Co at Terminal 1 (T1)
• New-to-Changi brands such as Korean streetwear label ADLV in T4
• Popular athleisure brand Lululemon in T3.
• Transforming retail spaces to uplift Changi’s shopping and dining experience

Innovative omnichannel experiences to engage customers

The Shopping Concierge Ambassadors can send photos or videos of the products to the passengers

The Changi Shopping Concierge service is a way in which Changi Airport is innovating to add a new dimension to airport shopping. This 24/7 complimentary service caters to passengers who value a personalised shopping experience. Patrons are served by Shopping Concierge Ambassadors (SCAs) who are equipped with product knowledge and trained to provide passengers with first-hand knowledge on the exciting plethora of retail offerings across the airport, including Changi exclusives.
 
SCAs can meet up with the passengers earlier in the airport to bring them around to shop ahead of their boarding time. They can also help to buy the items beforehand and have them packaged and delivered to the passenger at the boarding gate. If the passenger does not have a specific item in mind, the SCAs can help to make product recommendations based on the passenger’s preferences and budget and help enquire with the outlets on product availability.
 
The service is available for cross terminal shopping as well. For example, passengers departing from Terminal 4 who are keen to shop at Terminals 1, 2 and 3 can engage the SCAs to help purchase and deliver the items to them directly at their boarding gates at T4. Passengers can either pay online or the SCAs can make arrangements to meet and escort the customer to transact physically at the stores.  There is no minimum spend required to engage the Shopping Concierge service.
 
On the digital front, besides adding more brands and products to our e-commerce platform iShopChangi, the iChangi app has also been crucial in augmenting our digital offer, making a variety of products and services easily available at the touch of a button.

​The Changi Airport retail experience is definitely a value add to MICE and business travellers when they attend events in Singapore.