Changi Airport retail has received a boost, with some 20 new retail brands making their debut at the new Terminal 4 (T4) which opened yesterday.
The retail mix at the terminal, which was five years in the making, spans 81 shops, 62 of them retail and service outlets and 19 food and beverage operators. About a quarter of them are making their Changi Airport retail debut.
Centrestage are integrated cosmetics and perfumes and liquor and tobacco stores operated by The Shilla Duty Free and DFS respectively. In a first for the airport, shoppers are able to pay for all their purchases from the two stores in a single transaction.
In the departure transit area, there are several “double volume retail outlets” with frontages spanning up to 11 metres high.
One of the main retail attractions at T4 is the Heritage Zone, with its facades of old Singapore shop houses, as well as the row of F&B outlets exuding nostalgia through their local delights and old-school furnishings. They serve up traditional Singaporean breakfast and snack items such as kaya toast, mee siam and kopi. At Live Prata Station, Indian roti is prepared right in front of customers.
“We have received very encouraging feedback from passengers that the offerings curated for T4 are refreshing and bring a new dimension to shopping and dining at Changi Airport,” said Teo Chew Hoon, CAG’s group senior VP for airside concessions.
“Our commercial team has paid attention to bringing in innovative concepts and new experiences for passengers spanning a range of categories, from the live cooking stations for prata and BBQ pork, to the sampling of cocktail mixes and the test-flying of drones. We will continue to work with our tenant partners to create a fun, vibrant and positively surprising experience for passengers and visitors at T4,” she said.
On its first day of operations yesterday, following extensive testing, the terminal handled 19 arrivals and departures, carrying about 4200 passengers. Cathay Pacific and Korean Air are the first two of nine airlines scheduled to use the new facility.
Tan Lye Teck, Changi Airport Group’s executive VP for airport management said the new terminal will increase Changi Airport’s capacity by 16 million passenger movements per annum, taking the total capacity to 82 million.
Japanese theme
Meanwhile, Changi Airport retail welcomed a Japanese Farmers Market to Terminal 3 last month, along with other retailers.
Located in the Departure Hall, the market sells an extensive range of produce including Wagyu beef cuts, fruits, and bento boxes imported from Japan.
Across from the Farmers Market, Kalms’ automated retail machines offer a range of gifts such as flower bouquets, soft toys and jewellery.
And in the public area of T3, local beverage store LiHo opened its first airport outlet last month.
In Terminal 1’s transit area, Michael Kors opened its second Changi Airport store.
