Singapore. Oneworld Duty Free today announced the soft launch of its flagship store Singapore Flyer.
Located in the heart of downtown Singapore, it piggybacks on the country’s fourth most visited tourist attraction, with Marina Sand & Exhibition Center just around the corner. The Moody David Report visited the store on Saturday (See “Moody View” below.).
One World Duty Free (ODF), which bills itself as Singapore’s first homegrown downtown duty free store, will eventually offer a wide variety of liquor, eyewear and beauty brands in addition to local favorites at the dual store. He said he plans to do so.
The newly opened second-floor space spans 3,735 square feet and boasts what ODF calls “a pure retail concept that departs from traditional travel retail design.” The first floor is scheduled to open in the second quarter.
In the near future, customers can expect an ODF store powered by immersive and integrated technology, promising a world-class duty-free hub, the company said.
“Innovation is at the heart of everything we do,” said Keira Chan, Founder and CEO of One World Duty Free.
“When I first founded this company, I realized that competing in a male-dominated industry meant ODF had to be different. We approached it with the goal of doing something, which means the whole concept is based on deviating from what other companies are doing.
“The opening of the Singapore Flyer is absolute proof of that. We will soon be integrating an optimized shopping experience through technology and automation, and this is a testament to ODF’s unparalleled level of service in the retail sector. It speaks volumes about raising standards and makes us proud to be uniquely Singaporean.”
ODF has secured world-renowned brands such as Hennessy, Guizhou Moutai, Martell, Moët & Chandon, Glenmorangie, Saint Laurent, Prada and Bottega Veneta to its Singapore Flyer store.
The company is adamant not to forget its roots, which is why we offer high-quality local products, backed by an already diverse offer such as TWG Tea, Tiger Balm, Aroma Truffle, Risis, Kim’s Duet and The 1872 Clipper Tea Co. It says it puts equal emphasis on brand.
The soft opening is ideally timed for the upcoming Lunar New Year festive season celebrating the Year of the Dragon.
The news that Singapore and China had signed a mutual visa exemption agreement (announced at the 19th Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation in Beijing on December 7) quickly became a trending topic on Weibo, with over 120 million It sparked more than 20,000 views and more than 26,000 discussion threads, ODF said. It pointed out.
From January to October 2023, Singapore welcomed 1.13 million Chinese tourists, and the number will definitely increase with the implementation of visa waivers, the company said.
ODF Managing Director Beibei Tang said this resurgence of tourism is an opportunity not to be missed.
“Due to the pandemic in 2020, the number of visitors and visitors decreased significantly,” she commented. “Consumer demands have evolved dramatically since then, and we needed to change our roadmap to target this new type and generation of consumers.
“Our Level 1 concept, scheduled to open in the second quarter, has a creative concept specifically targeting this goal, but we cannot reveal much at this time.
“Although we are new to the industry, the opening of our Singapore Flyer sends a clear message that ODF is a force to be reckoned with and will ensure that ODF is top of mind among international visitors. I believe it is strategically aligned.”
Ringo Leong, general manager of Singapore Flyer, said: “We are pleased to warmly welcome ODF’s flagship store as an anchor tenant, enhancing Singapore Flyer’s tourism offering for visitors and furthering our vision of showcasing the Singapore brand globally.”
“We look forward to ODF’s contribution to making Singapore Flyer a more vibrant tourist hub for entertainment, dining and shopping.” ✈
Moody view: There’s a new travel retailer in town. This is not just a Singapore story. Martin Moody writes.
as reportSingapore-based omnichannel retailer One World Duty Free (ODF) has also signed an agreement with Port City Colombo to operate Sri Lanka’s first downtown duty-free store (which also operates China Duty Free Group).
There, ODF will develop and operate a 1,250 square meter duty free store offering a blend of international brands spanning beauty, wellness, spirits and wine, and fashion. Located within the 7,000 square meter Port City Duty Free Mall shopping complex, it is close to international luxury hotels and casinos and targets a diverse and affluent clientele of tourists, expatriates and local residents.
When the project was revealed, ODF founder and CEO Keira Chan highlighted the company’s “innovative” approach to travel retail. She echoed that sentiment in her announcement today, and she reiterated it last week when I had dinner with her and her senior leadership at ODF. Scotts 35Ais a prestigious private members’ club that she runs from a grand colonial mansion in downtown Singapore.
35A’s unique atmosphere and offers, and the status of affiliated companies FY group – A multi-channel company serving over 300 on-trade and off-trade accounts and over 80 tax-exempt partners worldwide – Initial impressions about ODF are confirmed. This is a company with serious long-term ambitions and an absolute commitment to quality.
Keira Zhang has assembled a high-quality leadership team. Managing Director Bei Bei Chan is an expert in marketing, especially in the travel sector, with DFS Group where he has worked for more than 12 years, while Marketing Director Gary Leung has been working in recent years on Beauty and Extraordinary Travel for his technology brand Foreo. propelled his retail rise. Her head of retail department, Ms. Zhang Teng Yu, is also a seasoned retail professional who has worked at DFS for over 4 years.
As mentioned earlier, the Singapore Flyer is a huge attraction and ODF is determined to curate the right assortment to precisely match the visitor profile. “Less is more,” as the saying goes, and customers have plenty of room to browse quality alcoholic beverages, destination products, and more.
Interestingly, the Chinese word “FY” is 方圆, which comes from the old expression “天方地圆” (Tian Fang Di Yuan), pronounced “fan yuan”. The “Circle of Heaven and Earth” is a classic expression of ancient Chinese philosophy and one of the important symbols in traditional Chinese culture, representing the completeness and unity of all things in the universe.
In that context, the circular Singapore Flyer is highly symbolic and seems an appropriate place to start an ODF business.
That Chinese wisdom led to Keira Chan’s decision to call her new company One World Duty Free. Remember the concept? And the name. ✈