5 New Stores To Check Out At Jewel Changi Airport

It has been 3 ½ months since Jewel Changi Airport opened to much fanfare. Since then, the entertainment and retail complex has seen a daily average footfall of around 300,000 visitors, said a spokesperson for Jewel.

The spokesperson declined to reveal exact figures for the opening weekend, but added that the airport complex expects the annual footfall to range from 40 to 50 million, of which two-thirds will comprise local residents.

In the meantime, keeping the buzz alive is a second wave of retail additions to the 10-storey complex, which opened on April 17. From May to July, more than 10 new shops have opened at the 90,000 sq m of mall space dedicated to retail. Here are five to check out:

1. ANELLO, #B1-275

Japanese fashion brand Anello has opened its first brick-and-mortar store outside Japan. Previously, it was retailed here only in department stores such as Takashimaya and Tangs via official distributors.

The 625 sq ft store carries an extensive selection of bags, including Anello's iconic Kuchigane bags, characterised by a hidden wire under the top zipper that gives the bag its handy wide opening while maintaining its shape.

You can also pick up Jewel-exclusive collections, such as the Osaka Limited Edition range, so named for its exclusive availability to the Osaka flagship store in Japan. The range comprises water-repellant backpacks and shoulder bags starting from $80.

Since its arrival in Singapore in 2015, the brand has had problems with copycats here. Addressing this at the store's opening on July 23, Mr Takeshi Yoshida, president of the Carrot Company which owns Anello, said: "Unfortunately, there are some counterfeit Anello products in the Singapore market, which we are working with the local government and police to remove."

It was a three-year process looking for the right location to open a physical store in Singapore, he said, adding that anyone who would like to buy genuine Anello products would be best taking their business to the new store.

"Changi Airport is the hub of Asia. We had been looking for a while to open in the Orchard area first, but it was really hard. This was the second option, but the best option," he said.

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2. APPLE, #02-234-236

Located next to the scene-stealing Rain Vortex is Apple's second store in Singapore - and the first in an airport mall.

Opened in mid-July, the duplex carries more than 200 of Apple's latest products that you can try for yourself, as well as a Genius Bar offering hands-on technical support.

Customers can also take part in the complimentary Today at Apple sessions - guided learning programmes that explore topics ranging from video and photography to coding and more.

Exclusive to Jewel is an interactive session called The Magic of Jewel Changi Airport Photo Walk. Learn new photography techniques on the iPhone and iPad in this one-hour session, which takes visitors through the mall to explore and capture Jewel's architectural highlights.

The new store also prioritises inclusivity in service, with over 100 employees speaking 11 languages (including sign language) between them, and stationed to offer customers support.

3. FILA, #02-220-222

Italian sportswear brand Fila has opened its largest store here at Jewel. The 2,730 sq ft store carries five collections: Fila White Line, Fila Originale, Fila x 3.1 Phillip Lim, Fila Red Line, as well as Fila Fusion - a sub-brand of streetwear incorporating both retro and on-trend elements.

The store also carries the iconic retro Fila sneakers, affectionately coined "dad shoes", displayed on a wall charting the history of the chunky sneakers and their original design.

You can also find Jewel-exclusive items like T-shirts, polo shirts and jackets from the Fila White Line that feature Singapore's city skyline, and Merlion and Singapore Flyer motifs. They will be available from mid-August.

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4. SKECHERS, #02-201

Another of the mall's many duplex stores, Skechers at Jewel is the brand's biggest store in Singapore and South-east Asia at 5,000 sq ft. Designed just for the store are colourful wall murals by young Singaporean artist collective Diplomat.

It is also the first Skechers brand experience store featuring customisation services. On the second floor, customers can personalise Skechers shoes or apparel bought in-store - for selected models - with a selection of heat-pressed designs. The store also carries pouches and drawstring bags you can purchase for customisation.

Take your pick from the Jewel-exclusive collections - such as the retro-inspired Skechers Energy, Skechers D'Lites, Stamina and Monster series. From the Skechers lifestyle category, these collections are brought into the store in small quantities direct from the United States, and updated every three months.

5. URBAN REVIVO, #02-230/231

Chinese fast-fashion brand Urban Revivo has unveiled its first duplex store - its third outlet in Singapore after stores in Raffles City and Plaza Singapura.

Unique to the 9,600 sq ft space is interior design themed to its location at Jewel. Meant to emulate the canopy-like foliage of a forest, white arches throughout the store serve as an architectural interpretation of Jewel's signature landscaping. Plasma screens on the walls project cerulean visuals in tribute to the mall's 40m waterfall.

The store was designed by Seoul-based artist duo Fabrikr, who are better known for creating the installation concepts at sunglasses brand Gentle Monster's stores.

Commonly likened to its European competitor Zara, the label arrived here in 2017. It refreshes its stock weekly and carries a limited number of pieces per style. Its full Fall/Winter 2019 collection will launch in the store at the end of August.

Since the two weeks of being open, the Jewel store is showing signs of exceeding its foot traffic at Plaza Singapura, which is around 10,000 shoppers a week, said brand general manager Tan Shi Ling.

Singapore was Urban Revivo's first international location outside China, where it has more than 200 stores. It entered London in 2018 and recently opened a triplex store in Bangkok's IconSiam mall in December last year.

"The brand is pretty new to this part of the world, so being in an airport is the perfect location to expose us to regional tourists and an international crowd," Ms Tan added.

This article originally appeared on The Straits Times.

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