Duty Free store in the airport offers 7% discounts until the end of June on alcoholic beverages in addition to already attractive prices.
Singapore's Changi Airport, one of the largest air hubs in Asia, is now significantly depressed due to the pandemic. But since the launch of the new Duty Free shops, the lack of shoppers in physical stores has not been a hindrance.
South Korea's Lotte Duty Free retailer gained the right to sell alcohol and tobacco products at Changi airport for six years back in October 2019. It was decided to start operations now, in early June, rather than wait for the airport to fully resume operations. The company then decided to start with online trading.
Wines and spirits of high quality will be available at the airport's official online trading platform. It plans to gradually expand the range of products and by the end of the year to bring it to 3,000 positions in the alcohol segment. Lotte Duty Free offers substantial discounts until the end of June in addition to the already reduced prices of Duty Free.
During the quarantine period, the airport website became one of the main means to maintain the flow of revenues from retail trade. The airport has even taken the step of allowing orders for everyone, while traditionally only those who travel by air have made purchases in Duty Free . Residents of Singapore now have the opportunity to order products from the store via home delivery. It is expected that in the future, this approach will help to expand the shopping experience for passengers at the airport, making it multi-channel.
The plan of the airport, which is traditionally a transit hub for many Chinese passengers, even before the beginning of the pandemic, was to offer customers a selection of unique alcoholic products. These include limited edition whiskeys and cognacs, exclusive alcohol brands, and specialized collections of Asian spirits with an emphasis on brands from Singapore and South Korea.
Once the pandemic is over and the flow of passengers resumes, Changi Airport authorities intend to implement these plans, most likely in the second half of 2020. And Lotte Duty Free, which owns 18 alcohol and tobacco shops at the airport, will be the main means of implementing the ambitious airport strategy.
13 JUNE 2020, Singapore