SINGAPORE. One World Duty Free today announced the soft launch of its flagship Singapore Flyer store.
Nestled in the heart of downtown Singapore, the store piggybacks on the fourth most-visited tourist attraction in the country, with Marina Sand & Exhibition Centre very close by. The Moodie Davitt Report visited the store on Saturday (see The Moodie View below).
One World Duty Free (ODF), which describes itself as Singapore’s first homegrown downtown duty free retailer, said the duplex store will ultimately offer a diverse range of liquor, eyewear, and beauty brands, alongside selections of local favourites.
The just-opened second floor space spans 3,735sq ft, boasting what ODF called “a pure retail concept, steering away from the traditional designs of travel retail stores”. The first floor will open in Q2.
In the near future, customers can look forward to ODF stores being powered by immersive and integrated technology, promising a world-class duty free hub, the retailer said.
“Innovation is at the heart of everything that we do,” commented One World Duty Free Founder & Chief Executive Officer Keira Zhang.
“When I first founded this company, I realised competing in a male-dominated industry meant that ODF had to be different. We went in with the goal to disrupt – and that means the entire concept is based on deviating from what others are doing.
“The opening of the Singapore Flyer store is an absolute testament to that. We will soon integrate an optimised shopping experience through technology and automation, which speaks volumes for ODF raising the bar in the retail segment for an unparalleled level of service, making us proud to be uniquely Singaporean.”
ODF has secured globally recognised brands such as Hennessy, Kweichow Moutai, Martell, Moët & Chandon, Glenmorangie, Saint Laurent, Prada, and Bottega Veneta at the Singapore Flyer store.
The company says it is adamant about not forgetting its roots and is therefore placing an equivalent emphasis on quality local brands underpinned by a diverse offer already including TWG Tea, Tiger Balm, Aroma Truffle, Risis, Kim’s Duet, and The 1872 Clipper Tea Co.
The soft opening is ideally timed for the upcoming Lunar New Year festive season celebrating the Year of the Dragon.
News that Singapore and China have put in place a mutual visa exemption agreement (announced on 7 December at the 19th Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation in Beijing), quickly became a trending topic on Weibo, prompting over 120 million views and 26,000 discussion threads, ODF pointed out.
From January to October 2023, Singapore welcomed 1.13 million Chinese visitors, a number that is undoubtedly set to grow as the visa exemption is executed, the company said
ODF Managing Director Beibei Tang said this resurgent visitor base is an opportunity not to be missed.
“Due to the pandemic in 2020, there was a significant drop in footfall and pax numbers,” she commented. “Since then, the consumer demands have evolved drastically, and we have had to alter our roadmap to target this new breed and generation of consumers.
“Our level one concept, which is set to open its doors in Q2, has a creative concept that targets this goal specifically, but I can’t reveal too much for now.
“Although we are a newcomer in the industry, we believe that our Singapore Flyer opening sends a clear message that ODF is a force to be reckoned with, and was strategically orchestrated to ensure that ODF becomes top of mind among inbound pax.”
Singapore Flyer General Manager Ringo Leung said: “We are delighted to extend a warm welcome to ODF’s flagship store as our anchor tenant, furthering our vision to enhance tourism offerings for visitors at the Singapore Flyer and showcase the Singapore brand globally.
“We look forward to seeing ODF’s contribution to making the Singapore Flyer a more vibrant tourist hub for entertainment, dining and shopping.” ✈
The Moodie View: There’s a new travel retail player in town and we’re not just talking Singapore, writes Martin Moodie.
As reported, Singapore-based omnichannel retailer One World Duty Free (ODF) has also concluded an agreement with Port City Colombo to run the first downtown duty free store in Sri Lanka (where China Duty Free Group will also operate).
There ODF will develop and operate a 1,250sq m duty free store, offering a blend of international brands spanning beauty, wellness, spirits & wines and fashion. It will be located within the 7,000sq m Port City Duty Free Mall shopping complex, close to international prestige hotels and casinos and targeting a diverse and affluent customer base of tourists, expatriates and locals.
When that project was revealed, ODF Founder & CEO Keira Zhang noted the company’s “game-changing” approach to travel retail. She echoed that sentiment in today’s announcement and repeatedly last week when I dined with her and senior ODF management at Scotts 35A, the prestigious private member’s club she runs in a magnificent colonial house in downtown Singapore.
The rarefied ambience and offer at 35A and the stature of fellow associate company FY Group – a multi-channel enterprise servicing more than 300 on-trade and off-trade accounts and more than 80 duty free partners around the world – confirm the first favourable impressions of ODF. Here’s a company with serious long-term ambitions and an absolute commitment to quality.
Keira Zhang has put together a high-quality leadership team. Managing Director Beibei Zhang spent over 12 years with DFS Group and is a particular expert in travel sector marketing while Marketing Director Gary Leong drove beauty-tech brand Foreo’s extraordinary travel retail emergence over recent years. Retail Head Zhang Teng Yu is another accomplished retail professional having spent over four years with DFS.
As mentioned, Singapore Flyer is a mega-attraction and ODF is determined to curate the right assortment precisely tuned to the visitor profile. Less is more is the adage, leaving customers plenty of room to browse, including high-quality liquor and destination merchandise ranges.
Interestingly, FY in Chinese is 方圆, pronounced as ‘Fang Yuan’, from the old expression 天方地圆 (Tian Fang Di Yuan). ‘The circle of heaven and earth’ is a classic expression of ancient Chinese philosophy and one of the important symbols in Chinese traditional culture, representing the integrity and unity of all things in the universe.
In that context, the circular Singapore Flyer seems a highly symbolic and appropriate place to begin the ODF business.
That Chinese wisdom led to Keira Zhang’s decision to call her new company One World Duty Free. Remember the concept. And the name. ✈
