Lotte’s Changi Airport stores to be its largest Asia-Pacific operation
Lotte Duty Free's new liquor and tobacco stores at Changi Airport will be the company's largest operations in the Asia-Pacific, chief executive Kap Lee said yesterday.
The South Korean company, which has taken over the concession from DFS, will expand its product line-up and eventually offer more than 3,000 wines and spirits, it noted in a statement with Changi Airport Group (CAG).
Lotte won the tender for the airport's liquor and tobacco concession to become its first new operator following DFS Group's move to pull out of the business after 38 years.
It will first sell on Changi Airport's duty-free e-commerce platform, iShopChangi.com, before its physical shops open.
Singapore residents can buy selected Lotte's products on iShopChangi without flying.
"Apart from a complete revamp of store designs, passengers can also look forward to an omni-channel experience as we integrate a seamless brick-and-mortar shopping experience with e-commerce," said Ms Lim Peck Hoon, CAG's executive vice-president (commercial).
Renovation work on Lotte's stores will begin in phases, starting in Terminals 1 and 3.
The physical stores will integrate "elements of nature" inspired by the airport's gardens and will include a high-tech tasting bar. There will be immersive experience zones dedicated to whisky, gin and wine, as well as a specialised cognac brand boutique.
The range of brands and products will include limited-edition whiskies and cognacs, labels available only at Changi Airport, a collection of Asian spirits highlighting brands from Singapore and South Korea, as well as alcohol-free options.
Lotte will hold the concession until June 2026.
The tenancy contract covers all 18 liquor and tobacco stores across Changi's four terminals, spanning more than 8,000 sq m of retail space. - THE STRAITS TIMES
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