SINGAPORE. DFS Group has unveiled its second Wines and Spirits Duplex store at Singapore Changi Airport.
The stunning Terminal 2 store features three DFS in-store concepts – the Wine Reserve, the Cigar Room and The Whiskey House. The two-storey 15,520sq ft duplex is designed to offer an interactive and engaging shopping experience. Customers can sample and explore DFS’ range of more than 900 products from over 240 wines, spirits and tobacco brands. DFS opened its first wines & spirits duplex store at Changi in T3 in May 2015.
“Here at DFS, we continually aspire to deliver the most engaging and exciting experiences for travellers, whether they are at the airport or downtown,” said DFS Group CEO and Chairman Philippe Schaus. “We’re confident that through this unique blend of high-end design, carefully curated assortment, exceptional service and interactive experiences we have created another wines and spirits store of a quality and richness that can only be found at DFS.”
Changi Airport Group CEO Lee Seow Hiang commented: “The opening of the second Wines and Spirits Duplex at Terminal 2 marks the fruition of an ambitious and game changing transformation that Changi Airport had set out to achieve together with DFS.
“The new duplex represents the positively surprising retail experience which we endeavour to deliver to our passengers, one that allows shoppers to discover, interact and enjoy. We hope it is something for them to look forward to every time they are at Changi Airport.”
The Wine Reserve features over 350 wines from Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, Australia, the USA, Italy, New Zealand, Portugal and other wine-making countries. It is located on the first floor and features an enomatic machine offering 12 wines for tasting.
The Cigar Room contains an assortment of cigars from Cuba, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Honduras. A range of limited-edition accessories is offered, including a collection in travel-friendly sizes, as well as cigar humidors and cases.
The duplex features 179 single malts, 68 blended Scotch whiskies, 30 American whiskies, Japanese whiskies Yamazaki, Hibiki and Suntory Chita, and Kavalan from Taiwan. DFS says it is the largest assortment of single malt whiskies offered by any travel retailer in the region.
The upper level of the duplex features the company’s new Whiskey House concept. DFS described it as an intuitive and experiential whiskey shopping experience where guests can enjoy complimentary tastings of over 100 different whiskies from around the globe. Based on flavour profiles, the Whiskey House’s staff can design individual sampling experiences for guests to demystify the selection process.
The same level houses seven individually branded boutiques from Glenfiddich, The Glenlivet, Hennessy, Johnnie Walker, Rémy Martin, The Dalmore and The Macallan. Master distillers, blenders and brand ambassadors will visit the duplex throughout the year to engage with consumers.
The Terminal 2 Wines and Spirits Duplex store was designed by renowned Japanese interior designer Masamichi Katayama, founder of WonderWall. The interior design firm is known for its unconstrained approach in actualising concepts while respecting conventional and traditional design philosophies.
To celebrate its launch, DFS is hosting a whiskey festival from today (27 July) to 10 September featuring a series of Friday and Saturday evening events. Each weekend, a different whiskey brand will host a programme, with guest appearances from their brand ambassadors, as well as master classes and food pairing sessions.
Three complimentary whiskey cocktails representing Scotland, the US and Japan will be available for sampling throughout the festival at the Whiskey House and The Long Bar by Raffles at DFS’ Terminal 3 duplex.
“As Asia Pacific’s largest assortment of single malt whiskies in travel retail, we wanted to bring an interactive experience that reflects our customers’ passion and fascination with whiskey to the Terminal 2 Wines and Spirits Duplex,” said DFS Group Senior Vice President Spirits, Wines and Tobacco Brooke Supernaw. “From the Whiskey House to the Whiskey Festival, we’re excited to unveil for our customers a space where they can build their knowledge, expand their palettes, discover new brands and fall in love again with the classics.”
