SINGAPORE. DFS Group today has announced the launch of a new global luxury rewards programme – Loyal T – as it celebrated the roll-out of its “˜T Galleria by DFS’ concept in Singapore.
As reported, the new “˜T Galleria for DFS’ brand identity represents what DFS described as “the ultimate evolution in [its] downtown luxury retail business dedicated to travellers”.
First unveiled in Hawaii last September, the T Galleria concept has since been introduced in Hong Kong and Macau, and will continue to be rolled out on a phased basis to all existing DFS Galleria stores globally this year. Next up is Okinawa in April, DFS revealed. With 14 downtown outlets in seven countries and 11 cities, the global reach of the T Galleria store network is wider than that of almost any other multi-brand luxury retailer, the company said.
Centrally located on Scotts Road in Singapore’s premium shopping district, T Galleria Singapore – formerly known as DFS Galleria Scottswalk – brings more than 300 of the world’s leading brands under one roof within a Galleria environment. Featuring a striking new façade, the 100,000sq ft Galleria has an entirely redesigned interior with brands across beauty and fragrances, fashion and accessories, watches and jewellery, and wine and spirits, spread over four storeys.
To mark the arrival of T Galleria to Singapore and to provide a better understanding of what it has to offer, DFS organised an exclusive preview day for media from around the region, including a sizeable contingent from China and Indonesia, its biggest customer base here.
On hand were senior DFS management, who also hosted a cocktail for 400 guests, including brand partners and top customers, at the new T Galleria later in the evening.
Speaking at the media reception earlier today, DFS Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Philippe Schaus highlighted the evolution of DFS’s downtown stores: from being simply an extension of its airport stores at the beginning, to becoming full-fledged purveyors of luxury today. This change necessitated a new brand identity, one that pays homage to the company’s core business – serving travellers.
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(L-R) DFS Group President Global Merchandising Harold Brooks; DFS Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Philippe Schaus; DFS Singapore Managing Director Francois Rosset; and DFS Group President, Consumer Marketing and Branding Sibylle Scherer at the unveiling |
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A large contingent of press flew in from China and Indonesia for the unveiling |
“T stands for travel, and our new T Galleria is made for all who travel,” Schaus explained. “Beyond the fact that Singapore is a global travel hub with over 14 million visitors a year, it is also a multicultural city. There is a true sense of journey, in discovering districts that showcase the wide influence of different cultures in its architecture, cuisine and global outlook. T Galleria is a reflection of the Singapore state of mind.”
He continued: “In that sense, T Galleria is more than a shopping destination as we reset the already high bar for shopping experiences. It is a gateway to heightened levels of luxury where our privileged clientele enjoy elevated levels of personal and bespoke services designed with the customer in mind.”
The company likens T Galleria to a lifestyle hub, where customers can enjoy personal and bespoke services such as a dedicated concierge, multilingual sales associates and top-notch customer service that extends and enhances the experience of the destination.
Following three years of renovations, the new T Galleria Singapore (see picture gallery above) now boasts an enhanced layout following shifts in product category trends. The ground floor is now home to an award-winning beauty offering, named “˜Best Retail Concept of the Year’ by the Singapore Retailers Association in 2012.
The 15,000sq ft department, with its 6.5m high ceiling and street-facing window displays and interiors, offers a line-up of top beauty brands including the DFS-exclusive Giorgio Armani Beauty and Helena Rubinstein lines. Travel retail exclusives are also being offered here (and in other categories), giving T Galleria an edge over other retailers on the domestic market.
The offer also includes the complimentary Beauty Concierge service – a one-stop shop for customers’ beauty concerns, said to be the first of its kind in Singapore. It encompasses personalised one-to-one beauty services such as facial treatments, skin consultations and makeovers. Beauty advisors adopt a ‘brand-neutral’ stance, helping customers to determine make-up and skincare regimes that best suit their individual skin types, regardless of brand.
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DFS exclusives, such as this new collection from Coach (top) and two Gucci bags from the T Galleria Red Collection, will feature strongly in T Galleria’s offering |
Building loyalty with the new Loyal T programme
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The launch of the Loyal T luxury rewards programme is being promoted throughout T Galleria |
Underlining its commitment to customer service excellence, DFS has introduced an extensive global luxury rewards programme – fittingly named Loyal T – across its network of airports and T Gallerias.
The Loyal T programme is described as an evolution of DFS’s Platinum Services Club (PSC), which was originally launched in Guam in 2005 and rolled out globally in 2006. Dedicated to offering premium customers unique and luxurious experiences, the PSC programme was expanded with fully serviced lounges in 2008 followed by a pilot Loyal T Beauty programme in Hong Kong in 2013.
Loyal T benefits include concierge services and personal shoppers, the latter being a core feature of the programme. Available at all DFS downtown locations, multilingual personal shoppers ― with expertise across various lifestyle categories ― recommend a curated selection of brands and products based on the lifestyle needs of members.
The Loyal T programme offers four tiers of membership, offering special benefits at each tier and flexibility to move up the tiers any time during the 24-month qualifying period. Members of the highest two tiers of membership – Prestige Diamond and Prestige Ruby – can enjoy access to the Prestige Lounge; receive invitations to exclusive events such as the Masters Collection; have priority preview and pre-order of new or limited brands and products, as well as transportation services to and from hotels and DFS downtown stores.
“Loyal T was inspired by and created for a new generation of luxury travellers who expect shopping experiences that are elevated by authentic, consistent and personalised services that they can trust,” said DFS Group President, Consumer Marketing and Branding Sibylle Scherer.
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The launch of the Loyal T luxury rewards programme is being promoted throughout T Galleria |
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DFS Group Vice President, Client Relationship Management Mark Reis presents a collection of products specially curated for one of DFS’s top customers in the Prestige Lounge – one of the perks of being a prestige Loyal T member |
“We enable the members to enjoy the luxurious privilege at the heart of Singapore and convenience of shopping at our iconic gateway airports. Members can also discover a heightened world of luxury through access to a range of unique and tailored personal services, products and events,” she added.
DFS’s Loyal T programme will cover over 700 brands, in 26 airport and Galleria stores, ten countries and across three continents.
‘T in Art’ installation and Spring/Summer 2014 campaign
Taking inspiration from its “˜T in Art’ artistic showcase in Hong Kong, DFS has teamed up with local contemporary artist and co-founder of Spa Esprit Group Chua Koon Beng to design an installation encompassing elements of the DFS brand and story, Singapore and the spirit of travel.
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DFS’s Philippe Schaus and local contemporary artist and co-founder of Spa Esprit Group Chua Koon Beng, pictured with the latter’s “˜T in Art’ installation |
The art piece, displayed on Level 2 of T Galleria Singapore, represents “the ever-changing face and spirit of Singapore”.
T Galleria’s storefront windows and in-store displays currently feature DFS’s newly launched Spring/Summer 2014 campaign, which taps on the medium of holiday postcards in a six-part video series to be rolled out throughout the season.
Created in partnership with British director and visual artist Mat Maitland, the video campaign features a series of “bright, dreamlike” videos set against iconic DFS destinations around the world, including Bali, Hawaii, Singapore and Hong Kong.
Top models Karen Elson, who fronted DFS’s Fall/Winter 2013 campaign, and Jae Yoo take the audience on a journey from a plane cabin into a surrealistic world before reaching their destination. The videos always end with a postcard, which is said to act as a portal to and from this fantastical world created by T Galleria.
With the postcard as a focal point, this campaign is a continuation of the past season’s campaign, which focused on paper as a medium for bringing the brand message across to the audience.
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The postcard is a focal point of DFS’s Spring Summer 2014 campaign |
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DFS has created photo opportunities for travellers to send a memento back home |
“In a world of electronic communication, the postcard feels fresh. It feels a bit nostalgic and romantic – two qualities we see even in social media, as we see on Instagram with its different filters,” said DFS Group Senior Vice President, Branding and Creative John Gerhardt.
Scherer added: “The postcard always has an emotion attached to it – whether it is a personal memento of your travels or sent to someone special back home. This season, we highlight the DFS heritage in travel and our unique role as a curator of luxurious products and adventurous experiences with a visually stunning campaign that taps into this very emotion of the traveller.”
The campaign will run worldwide in DFS’s network of Galleria and airport stores. The inflight element of the campaign is brought to life with airplane windows featuring blue skies and seas, exotic animals and luxury products. Inside the stores, video projections illustrate postcards being written to share travel stories, while select products are set against giant postcards featuring imagery from the city in which the store is located.
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DFS’s Spring Summer 2014 campaign is fronted by top models Karen Elson (top) and Jae Yoo |
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With the tagline “˜Wish You Were Here’, the Spring Summer 2014 campaign is brought to life both outdoors and in-store by strong visual merchandising |
