Back in 2020, Lotte Duty Free swooped in and bagged the deal for Changi Airport's spirits concession. The South Korean conglomerate has gone on to open their biggest store in Asia, right in Singapore's award winning airport. However, talk about timing – this was right when travel nearly came to a standstill thanks to the pandemic.

Last week, we attended the grand reopening ceremony of their Terminal 3 Departure Central Duplex Store. Let us tell you, it's not just a shop, it's something of a grown-up's playground!

Finding the Lotte Duty Free Store isn't a challenge. It towers over all of the other airport boutiques, a massive all-glass feature in the Terminal with an expansive see-through façade, with a whole range of the latest wines and spirit releases at duty-free prices.

On the upper deck is a noteworthy Lifestyle Lounge that offers a relaxing space for travelers and features a robotic bartender Toni designed by Makr Shakr, who serves from a large menu of cocktails – all complimentary for outbound travellers!

For myself, I selected off the touchscreen menu the Lotte's Singapore Sling riff - the "Lotte Singa Sling" made with pineapple juice, Tanqueray London Dry and Cointreau and watch the robotic arms swivel into action and begin to funnel gin from the array of bottles on the ceiling. The possibilities are pretty much endless.

Japanese spirits lovers would make a beeline for the Suntory section. The store boasts the world's first The House of Suntory Shop-in-Shop boutique. The get up is a nod to Suntory’s blend of Japanese art and culture. Here, you can find a wide selection of Suntory's spirits, including Roku Gin, Yamazaki and Hakushu single malts as well as sought-after centennial releases of the Hibiki 21 Years, and also feature the first launch of Suntory's Toki Whisky in the region.

There's also a Pernod Ricard Shop-in-Shop offering an array of Scotch whiskies, both blended and single malt. If you're into Cognac, the Hennessy Shop-in-Shop is impossible to miss, with a design installation in the middle of a mini-pavilion structure inspired by traditional oak cask staves shaped by their craftsmen. 

Wine fans haven't been forgotten either. You may be keen to play around with the Interactive Wine Sommelier, a state-of-the-art retail touch screen feature that provides immersive and personalised wine recommendations to customers. It caters to individual food and dietary preferences, ensuring an ideal food and wine pairing for every palate. 

Over at the Penfolds Wine section, it's quite a bit techy too with a digital sommelier helping you pick out Penfold expressions, also via an interactive interface.

“With Lotte Duty Free's Terminal 3 Central Duplex store now a new landmark at Changi Airport, we are proud to continue setting global benchmarks in travel retail.

This new store serves as a testament to our unwavering commitment to curate a world-class shopping environment, meticulously designed to cater to the refined preferences of discerning travellers, setting a new standard for excellence in the industry.”

– Mr. Kim Ju Nam, Global CEO of Lotte Duty Free.

The next time you find yourself early for your flight at Changi's Terminal 3, swing by the Lotte Duty Free boutique for your complimentary cocktail made by a robotic bartender and a little adventure before you even take off!

Kanpai!

88 Bamboo Editorial Team