June 2020
Lotte will introduce new store designs, an extensive selection of brands, experiential concepts, and annual large-scale events
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On 9 June 2020, South Korean travel retailer Lotte Duty Free (Lotte) officially took over as Changi Airport’s key liquor and tobacco operator. In the lead up, a handover between the DFS Group, the former concessionaire, and Lotte took place over three days, involving all 18 duty-free wines and spirits outlets across Changi Airport’s four terminals, in the midst of Phase 1 following the lift of the Circuit Breaker.
The main activities of the handover comprised the handover of the physical premises and the transfer of stocks within the regulations of the Singapore Customs.
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The Lotte team went through thousands of bottles of wines and spirits during the handover
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To facilitate a seamless handover process, CAG facilitated the transfer of stocks to Lotte without the stocks being moved physically. Besides taking stock of the quantity, the Lotte team also inspected the expiry dates of the products to ensure that they have a reasonable shelf life.
With terminal operations in Terminals 2 and 4 temporarily suspended, stocks from these outlets have been re-allocated to the stores in Terminals 1 and 3, or transported to Lotte’s warehouse.Â
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Expiry dates and the overall condition of the products were also being checked, during the process of the stock transfer
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Lotte will eventually offer over 3,000 wines & spirits as they expand their product offerings progressively
Teams from Concession Operations, Engineering and Facilities Management at CAG were also part of the handover
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As part of the outlet handover, Lotte examined the general state of the physical stores which includes the store front, mechanical and electrical systems and the back of house. Some examples on the checklist are the lights, floor tiles, store rooms and fixtures like shelves and display cases.Â
The roller shutters of a store are also among the items checked during the handover of the premises
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Finally, the handover concludes with both parties formalising the procedure on paper, and the handing over of the keys to the stores. This needs to be done for every single outlet.Â
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It’s official! The final steps in the handover process
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Lotte’s six-year tenancy term with Changi Airport covers more than 8,000 sqm of retail space
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At the end of the handover, Lotte’s products were shrink wrapped in view of their physical stores only opening at a later stage
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Due to restrictions put in place by the Singapore authorities as a result of Covid-19, Lotte will first retail on Changi Airport’s duty-free e-commerce platform, iShopChangi, before their physical stores open at a later stage. A dedicated online retail team will be based at T1 to fulfill all iShopChangi orders.Â
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Travellers and non-travellers will be able to purchase Lotte’s products on iShopChangi at a 7% discount, along with other attractive opening specials
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Renovation works will begin in phases once restrictions are lifted, with the first newly renovated outlets ready to greet passengers a few months thereafter. Changi shoppers can look forward to an omni-channel retail experience where they will be able to seamlessly interact and engage with the products and brands regardless of which platform they choose to use, whether it’s online, on mobile or in-store.
A warm welcome to Lotte as it joins the Changi family!
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