New duty-free retailer opens at Changi Airport

New duty-free retailer opens at Changi Airport

Duty-free shoppers at Changi Airport now have a far wider array of cosmetics and perfumes to choose from.

Across the three terminals, there are 182 brands, including about 80 which are available at the airport for the first time and 26 which cannot be found anywhere else in Singapore.

These include Aromatica, Ghost Perfume and Jean Louis Scherrer Perfume, said South Korean firm Shilla Duty Free.

To celebrate the grand opening of its new stores yesterday, Shilla, which moved into Changi Airport more than four months ago, is offering special discounts and free gifts.

The airport retailer which has stores in South Korea, Macau and now Singapore had ousted incumbent Nuance Watson in January last year in a hotly contested fight to run the airport's 19 perfume and cosmetic stores.

Nuance Watson had run the stores for more than a decade before that.

It is a lucrative business with total sales from such items, as well as liquor and tobacco, hitting about $900 million last year - about half the airport's total annual receipts from shopping and dining.

Shoppers have more to look forward to, said Shilla.

By June, a new double-storey outlet at Terminal 3 will offer facials and beauty consultation services as well as accommodate an in- house cafe.

Business analyst Reena Soh, 28, who travels frequently, said: "Every airport you go to, you get the usual international brands, so for a change, it's nice to have a good selection of South Korean items as well."

Changi Airport Group's senior vice-president (airside concessions) Ivy Wong, said that with Shilla, Changi has strengthened its retail value proposition for both Singaporean shoppers as well as international travellers.

"The suite of newly revamped beauty stores by The Shilla Duty Free positions Changi as the best location in Singapore and the region to shop for beauty products," she said.

Mr Jason Cha, a senior executive vice-president at Shilla Duty Free, said the launch of the stores at Changi is a "significant and valuable" milestone for the firm.

"As an international hub for travellers, Singapore is the perfect location to create a beauty epicentre for the region, and we are confident that our expansive offering will be warmly welcomed," he said.

To celebrate the grand launch, Shilla flew in its ambassadors, South Korean pop stars TVXQ and Chinese actress and model, Angelababy, who created quite a stir among fans.

karam@sph.com.sg


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