SINGAPORE. The House of Suntory this week (11 March) celebrated the inauguration of its first travel retail shop-in-shop, located within Lotte Duty Free’s refurbished central duplex store at Changi Airport Terminal 3 Departure Central.
The Moodie Davitt Report was on location for the auspicious occasion, which follows soon after the premium spirits company’s 100th anniversary celebrations in 2023 — a momentous landmark not only for Suntory’s legacy but also for Japanese spirits culture.
The opening was graced by Beam Suntory President & CEO Greg Hughes; Changi Airport Group Executive Vice President Lim Peck Hoon; Lotte Duty Free Singapore Managing Director Soongyu (Jeff) Jeong; House of Suntory Fifth Generation Chief Blender Shinji Fukuyo; Beam Suntory Managing Director Global Travel Retail Ashish Gandham; and Beam Suntory President APAC and Global Commercial Excellence Masato Hayashi.
The boutique’s ambience and design is inspired by nature and elevated by Japanese craftmanship. The 13.5sq m space crafted under the guiding principles of House of Suntory founder Shinjiro Torii’s bold spirit of Yatte Minahare (ambition that dares to dream big and embrace new challenges), invites consumers to be immersed in a unique journey.
Inspired by the elegant round windows of traditional Japanese architecture, a circular digital display screen offers a glimpse into the world of Suntory. Known as Marumado or Yoshinomado, these windows are usually created to provide a beautiful view, typically of a garden or outside space. Here, the interactive digital screen allows visitors to learn more about selected Suntory expressions. When it is not in use, the screen displays the seasons and images of Japan’s beautiful landscape.
Rooted in three pillars, the space embodies harmony with Japanese nature, elevated by meticulous craftsmanship (Monozukuri), and is designed to offer an authentic cultural experience (Omotenashi).
Kigumi – the traditional Japanese craft of jointing wood – is a key design feature of the space. A floor-to-ceiling Kigumi wooden lattice structure showcases the House of Suntory’s full portfolio, including rare, aged luxury whisky expressions from Yamazaki, Hakushu and Hibiki.
The term ‘Kogei’ embodies the essence of traditional Japanese craftsmanship, and this collection, featuring whiskies from the Yamazaki and Hakushu distilleries, pays homage to Japan’s rich heritage through carefully curated artisan partnerships.
Designed to evoke a Japanese Zen Garden, the central table serves as a display, sampling and gifting area. The shop-in-shop features exclusive tasting sessions for guests to sample Suntory’s extensive portfolio of both regular and new expressions.
Later in the year, the boutique will provide an exclusive ‘The Art of Japanese Gifting’ experience. Specialist Brand Ambassadors will offer a range of extensive personalisation options for in-store purchases, including detachable charms, hand-written gift cards and bespoke gift bags.
Beam Suntory Global Travel Retail Managing Director Ashish Gandham said: “This trailblazing shop-in-shop boutique spotlights our exceptional Japanese whisky and premium white spirits portfolio, within a truly unique retail space that embodies The Nature and Spirit of Japan.
“This boutique opening is a fitting way to begin the next chapter of the House of Suntory success story, and further demonstrates our commitment to delivering unique and elevated shopping experiences for our retail partners and our travelling consumers.” {Main story continues after the sidebar below}
| Travel retail-exclusives unveiled The opening ceremony of the new Changi T3 shop-in-shop included a special preview of The House of Suntory’s new global travel retail-exclusive Yamazaki and Hakushu Kogei collection. The 2024 Kogei Collection comprises two whiskies: the Yamazaki Peated Malt Spanish Oak and the Hakushu Peated Malt Spanish Oak. Both will be launched officially into selected airport doors worldwide from 1 April, with an RRSP of US$205 for 700ml. More details will be released in coming weeks. An introduction to the range and guided tasting session were led by House of Suntory Fifth Generation Chief Blender Shinji Fukuyo and House of Suntory Global Travel Retail Brand Manager Byrant Lim.  The word ‘Kogei’ can be translated as ‘traditional Japanese craftmanship’. Accordingly, this collection – featuring whisky from the Yamazaki and Hakushu distilleries – explores the traditional crafts of Japan through selected artisan partnerships. The debut 2024 Japanese Kimono Edition was created in collaboration with Kyoto’s most renowned Kyo-Yuzen Kimono House, Chiso, which has been crafting fine Japanese kimonos since 1555. The house is known for its timeless patterns, which take shape through new colours and motifs, to become a composition of both old tradition and new techniques.   In line with Suntory’s Kogei vision, Chiso’s pattern-makers used the traditional method of Bokashi-zome (gradation dyeing) to embody the distinctive story of the Yamazaki and Hakushu whisky, on both the washi bottle labels and the outer packaging gift box, fusing elegant colours with delicate gold accents. |
Beam Suntory Brand Marketing Director Global Travel Retail Manuel Gonzalez said: “This new boutique – a world first – is yet another milestone for the House of Suntory in travel retail.
“We are thrilled to collaborate with Lotte Duty Free on this exciting new accomplishment, which immerses travelers in the heritage and whisky-making legacy of Suntory, while inviting them to learn more about the different elements that make it so very special.”
“This landmark design for global travel retail is a testament to our commitment to marrying tradition and innovation,” commented The House of Suntory Managing Director Jon Potter. “Every element, from the Kigumi lattice to the Marumado-inspired display, reflects the dedication to exquisite craftmanship that defines The House of Suntory.
“The shop-in-shop will showcase The House of Suntory’s renowned portfolio of whiskies in an immersive environment, inviting travellers to experience the true essence of our brand. We’re thrilled to see the inception of this boutique-style concept be a part of our evolution in global travel retail, and we look forward to seeing more innovative design concepts emerge in the coming years.”
Lotte Duty Free Singapore Managing Director Jeong Soongyu (Jeff) told The Moodie Davitt Report: “It is our privilege to align with a brand that stands for excellence in craftsmanship and tradition in the Japanese whisky and spirits domain.
“The House of Suntory boutique offers travellers not just an opportunity to explore Suntory’s esteemed portfolio, but also an immersive experience into the rich heritage and mastery behind Japanese whisky and spirits.
“We’re excited for our customers to explore and enjoy the unique cultural journey that this boutique brings to the heart of Changi Airport, further enhancing their travel retail experience at Lotte Duty Free.” ✈
Maintaining the legacy of Shinjiro ToriiJust over 100 years ago, House of Suntory Founder Shinjiro Torii’s legacy began with a dream to create an original Japanese whisky blessed with the riches of Japanese nature and mastered by Monozukuri – Japanese craftsmanship, writes Lara Netherlands. From the first whiskies he created at the original malt whisky distillery in Yamazaki through the subsequent creations of Suntory’s Master Blenders across generations, The House of Suntory has remained committed to heritage and innovation.   Alongside its globally acclaimed whisky portfolio, Suntory is also renowned today for its Roku Japanese Craft Gin and Haku Japanese Craft Vodka, all reflecting Torii’s passion and principles During an exclusive interview with The Moodie Davitt Report (look out for the full version coming soon), Beam Suntory President & CEO Greg Hughes underlined the premium focus that the company’s Japanese portfolio has always upheld. “It starts with quality and the Japanese concept of Monozukuri, which is this relentless commitment to quality all the way from seed to sip,” Hughes said. “For us, it starts with the grain, it goes all the way through the production process and all the way to the glassware, the ice and making sure we’re delivering that quality at the point of consumption.” That quality obsession is mirrored in the fact that House of Suntory Fifth Generation Chief Blender Shinji Fukuyo has been following the same daily diet for more than 30 years so that his taste will not be affected during the crafting and sampling process of his whiskies. Such an adherence to quality principles is born out in the whole House of Suntory shop-in-shop offer, design and experience.
During his address at the inauguration, Beam Suntory Global Travel Retail Managing Director Ashish Gandham underlined the importance of enhancing the shopper experiences. “(This approach) will continue to evolve and thrive, to create more unique experiences so that we can get more people into the store,” he observed. “And that’s what this is about: It’s about the partnership, the Trinity of the airport group, the travel retail operator and brands, who can create those unique and memorable experiences.” |
