Changi Airport traffic and sales soar
Changi’s reputation as a top airport for shopping meant the airport continued to attract tenants even during the height of the pandemic, according to airport communications. This has resulted in new shopping experiences, including new luxury boutiques at Terminal 1’s Central Piazza.
As Terminal 4 (T4) and the southern wing of Terminal 2 (T2) reopened last year, leasing activities ramped up significantly, with over 140 airside concession leases successfully concluded, and 19 brands and concepts new to the airport. Additionally, the airport saw an overwhelming response to a large-scale leasing exercise for 20 F&B outlets in T2.
While Singapore was slower to open when compared to other countries, airport activity has been rising steadily over the past year, helping sales in January 2023 to reach close to 60% compared to those in 2019. Sales recovery is especially strong from Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, and the top three categories have emerged as previously: Perfumes & Cosmetics, Liquor & Tobacco and Luxury.
Revamping and new openings
Among the airport’s new retail on offer are: The largest Bacha Coffee store in the world, a new duplex store at T3; three luxury boutiques — Dior, Louis Vuitton, and Tiffany & Co — at T1; Korean streetwear label ADLV in T4; Lululemon in T3.
The airport has also transformed some spaces, keeping the atmosphere uplifting, beautiful, functional and modern. Last year, Changi completed a revamp of the Central Piazza in T1’s Departure Transit Hall, which was intentionally designed to exude a sense of warmth, peacefulness and serenity. Carefully curated design elements include hanging chandeliers, green columns emerging from ponds, the sound of water amid the lush vegetation, and an artful blown-glass suspension.
Also in T1, the west wing of the Departure Transit Hall has also been reconfigured to elevate the overall shopping and dining experience, with widened entrance, refreshed design, a new F&B cluster and additional seating. The east wing is soon to follow, with new retail spaces, the enhancement of an F&B cluster and an uplift to the ambiance.
Omnichannel experiences and special services
Always renowned for its enthralling activations, Changi is once again establishing itself as a world champion in this area. Changi Airport is working with brands through Changi 1st pop-ups in the transit halls every month, often featuring limited edition product launches that are first in Asia, or the world.
The Changi Shopping Concierge service (pictured below) is a unique an innovative way to help travelers shop. Complimentary and available 24/7, the service offers Shopping Concierge Ambassadors (SCAs), who are well versed on available products and on the retail offer in all terminals and can offer recommendations. These SCAs can meet up with passengers and help them shop, they can help shoppers purchase items beforehand to be delivered to the gate. Most interestingly, SCAs can provide cross-terminal shopping, again arranging to have items at the shopper’s gate. Passengers can either pay online or the SCAs can meet and escort the customer to transact physically at the stores. There is no minimum spend to access this invaluable service.
Digital dimension
The popular iChangi app continues to offer more value to the airport’s passengers, who can now, as examples given by airport communications, exchange foreign currency, rent a Wi-Fi router and buy duty free on iShopChangi beforehand, and have them ready for picking up when they arrive at the airport.
The app also offers redemption of GWPs (gift with purchase) and PWPs (purchase with purchase), it offers promotions such as for parking, and it allows for the booking of various activities and events.
The offer has been expanded on iShopChangi, with more brands and products, and the iChangi app has added a variety of products and services.
More to come
With the return of passengers comes the return of the ‘Be A Changi Millionaire’ campaign, which will make its 11th appearance later this year. The event, which occurs throughout the airport for one year, offers shoppers a chance to win the grand prize of S$1 million in addition to other prizes including air tickets and cash rewards.
Making its second appearance this year is the ‘World of Wines and Spirits’ (WOWS), in partnership with Lotte Duty Free. Last year’s event (from 30 September to 31 December) featured over 200 of the finest products from more than 75 brands. A curated selection was also available online. During the event, industry experts offered six masterclasses, and throughout WOWS, connoisseurs were offered tastings from a selected range of rare and fine items while being entertained by artistic performances.
