Changi Airport’s annual flagship campaign, Be a Changi Millionaire – also Singapore’s biggest retail promotion – played a pivotal role in driving concession sales at the airport last year, says the Changi Airport Group (CAG).

Sales at Changi rose 5 per cent to more than S$2.3 billion (US$1.6 billion), an all-time high for the airport. Travellers from China, Singapore and Indonesia were the top spenders, with Chinese nationals accounting for 30 per cent of total sales for the year.

Perfumes and cosmetics, and liquor and tobacco continue to be the two most popular product categories at the airport, followed by luxury goods, electronics and gadgets, and chocolates and candies.

As well as anchor promotions such as Be a Changi Millionaire, CAG says it continues to constantly enhance the retail mix and passenger experience. Collectible Changi gift cards were introduced for the festive season, in which CAG matched 5 per cent of the total sale proceeds as a donation to its main beneficiary, NorthLight School. There were also pop-up activations, such as the Male Grooming Club offering complimentary pre-flight pampering. There are also ongoing developments of key digital platforms such as iShopChangi and the Changi Rewards loyalty program.
A Jakarta tourist, Ade Iskandar Roni, beat seven other finalists to win last year’s Be a Changi Millionaire shopping promotion, walking away with S$1 million in cash. He qualified for entry with his purchase of a S$50 t-shirt as a present for a friend.

“At Changi, the spirit of continual innovation underpins our retail strategy and drives many of our new ideas and developments,” says CAG executive VP of commercial Lim Peck Hoon, citing as an example the opening of the second DFS Wines & Spirits Duplex at Terminal 2.

The Be a Changi Millionaire retail promotion launched in 2010 and has become CAG’s annual anchor shopping promotion. Its latest edition attracted nearly 1.2 million entries from 225 nationalities, mainly Singapore, China and Indonesia.