SINGAPORE. Changi Airport Group (CAG) has shared a vibrant update on new retail innovations at Singapore Changi Airport, the diversification of its ecommerce business iShopChangi and a refresh for the airport’s longstanding loyalty programme, Changi Rewards.
Automated retail developments
CAG highlighted a raft of innovative automated concepts which have recently debuted in the passenger areas of the airport, bringing convenience to passengers and increasing manpower productivity across Changi’s retail arena.
Both Lotte Duty Free’s flagship stores in Terminals 2 and 3 now feature a host of ‘man-less retailtainment’. At the T2 outlet, visitors are greeted by Toni, the state-of-the-art robotic bartender, which “will whip up any tipple ordered with flair and pizzaz”.
Upstairs in the T2 store, travellers can find the luxurious ‘Forest of Li Bai Lounge’. There, they can sample 18 different whiskies from the automated dispenser or take a photo alongside digital K-pop idols in digital selfie mirrors.
The T3 Lotte Duty Free store not only features a robotic bartender similar to T2’s, but is also home to an interactive digital sommelier which helps visitors select the wine most suited to their palates.
The new man-less concepts also include ELLA, a fully automated robotic barista (pictured below) deployed close to seating areas in T2 and T3. Travellers simply input their order via the touchscreen, pay, and then “watch the magic happen” as ELLA brews, mixes and serves up the requested drink. To introduce passengers to the local flavours of Singapore, Changi’s ELLA menus also feature an airport-exclusive Pandan Tea Latte.
The Hydrate unmanned store in T3 harnesses the power of AI, allowing passengers at boarding gates further away from the main F&B area to grab some quick bites and souvenirs while waiting to board their flight.
Customers enter the store by tapping their credit card, pick up the items they wish to purchase and payment will be automatically charged to their card when they exit.
CAG also noted that the overall retail mix at Changi Airport has continued to grow swiftly in the past 12 months with more than 150 new leases awarded, including over 40 new-to-Changi brands.
iShopChangi diversifies
Changi Airport’s ecommerce solution iShopChangi has doubled the number of brands on the platform to over 2,000 since the beginning of 2023, including more than 100 off-airport merchants across categories such as beauty, electronics, wellness and more.
Recent iShopChangi campaigns include the inaugural ‘Tax AbsorbMania’, where participants could exchange the goods and service tax in their receipts for iShopChangi credits, as well as participating in promotions with local brands.
This propelled iShopChangi into the top three of YouGov’s ‘October 2023 Biggest Brand Movers’ for the first time and contributed more than 20% of iShopChangi’s new customer base.
To further widen its customer list, iShopChangi sales channels were expanded to serve passengers travelling through Seletar Airport (the civilian international airport serving the north-east region of Singapore).
A special partnership with ZIPAIR made iShopChangi the airline’s in-flight tax and duty-free sales retailer, allowing passengers to shop online in the air and collect their purchases within six hours upon arrival.
The iShopChangi Collection Centres at T2 Arrival and Departure as well as T3 Arrival have been expanded and relocated, and received a facelift, respectively, to make the collection of orders more accessible. Following the relocation, the range of products available for purchase has also increased and now includes selected off-airport brands too.
New non-traveller services such as on-demand, same-day delivery and gift-wrapping were launched to cater to last-minute and special occasion needs. This has strengthened iShopChangi’s position as a premium destination for online shopping, offering convenience, personalisation and reliability to its customers.
Through iShopChangi, non-travel retail merchants have also been able to curate a selection of over 1,000 products to be sold to travellers, allowing them the opportunity to successfully traverse both segments while providing more variety to travelling shoppers.
Changi Rewards refreshes membership perks
Changi Airport’s loyalty programme, Changi Rewards, has refreshed its programme with new membership perks.
Earned points for each programme year previously expired every 30 June. However, from 1 April 2024, points are now valid for 12 months from the point of earning them, giving members more time and flexibility to maximise their points.
Members can redeem a myriad of rewards from the catalogue, including parking vouchers, e-vouchers for use at Changi Airport and Jewel, Krisflyer Miles and more.
Changi Rewards members now also enjoy parking benefits. Prior to 1 May 2023, Gold members were required to spend a minimum of S$35 (US$26) to redeem one hour of free parking at Changi’s terminals. Since that date, Gold members are now entitled to one hour of free parking daily, with no minimum spend. Member, Gold and Platinum tiers now enjoy two hours of free parking with a minimum accumulated same-day spend of S$60 (US$44) at Terminals 1 to 4 or S$80 (US$59) at Jewel Changi Airport (excluding the eve of and public holidays).
This means Platinum members can enjoy a maximum of four hours of free parking, building on the two hours of free parking they are entitled to without spend. ✈
