Luxury travel retailer DFS Group has opened its new flagship spirits, wines and tobacco store in Terminal 3 (T3) at Changi Airport in Singapore. The store covers a total area of 11,400ft2 across two floors and is the biggest outlet in the retailer’s portfolio.
The store is designed by Masamichi Katayama, the award-winning interior designer and founder of design firm Wonderwall, and showcases the luxury retailer’s full assortment of wines, spirits and tobacco in a visually stunning store environment and façade inspired by flowing water and undulating shapes.
Philippe Schaus, CEO and chairman, DFS Group, said, “When we embarked on this unique project, we wanted to offer Singapore, the most renowned travel destination in South East Asia with the most modern airport, a wines and spirits store of a quality and richness unlike anywhere else in the world. That is why we secured the collaboration of Masamichi Katayama to build this one-of-a-kind, two-level experiential store, drawing inspiration from the most stylish bars and restaurants around the world as well as from the traditional and historic cellars of France and Scotland. This project would not have been possible without the close collaboration and shared vision between DFS and the farsighted management team of Changi Airport.”
The new store includes several innovative features such as a Raffles Long Bar – opened in collaboration with Singapore’s Raffles Hotel – ground-floor atrium tasting bars, and a private lounge. The Long Bar will serve its famed cocktail invention, the original Singapore Sling. The common areas will also provide space for guided tastings and a monthly program of exciting and interactive activities, such as classes for cocktail mixology, bartending and hosting at home.
Lee Seow Hiang, CEO of Changi Airport Group, said, “We are delighted to see the first ever wines and spirits duplex store open its doors at Changi Airport. The store – with its stunning façade and double volume grandeur – is not only a design showpiece on its own, but the extensive range of products and unique boutiques truly enhance the overall retail experience. It is in keeping with the DNA of Changi Airport where service is personalized, stress-free and positively surprising.
“This new DFS flagship store is the fruit of an enduring partnership we enjoy with DFS and represents our joint commitment to transforming travel retail at Changi Airport. We are most honored to present such a unique, game-changing concept to our passengers.”