Urban: Shop Till You Board!

Boring airport terminals, with only 1-2 duty-free outlets, are quickly becoming a thing of the past. Nowadays, airport are allocating more and more space for retail. You don't have to search far to grasp that concept - just look at Changi Airport's Terminal 3. Heck, they're hosting their own flea market!

This weeks Urban focused on the typical Singaporean-year-end-travel-craze. Singaporeans love to travel (well, the city-state IS small) and worse, they can easily afford it! Amongst things they featured were about shopping in airports:

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Narita International Airport
Tokyo, Japan

Must-Buy: Japanese Fashion Labels

• San-Ai Mizugirakuen
  Level 4 Central Building, Terminal 1
  Designer swimwear in pretty candy hues and floral motifs. Prices start from S$30.
  
• Samantha Thavasa
  Level 3 Main Building, Terminal 2
  Japanese designer handbags. Prices range from 3,675Yen for a bag charm to 36,750Yen for a leather handbag.

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Dubai International Airport
Dubai

Must-Buy: Luxury Goods

• Dubai Duty Free, Concourse
  All High-End Labels, such as Givenchy, Paul Smith, Hugo Boss, and Salvatore Ferragamo, including apparel, jewelry, cosmetics and fragrances. Prices are generally 15% cheaper then in Dubai town, and may be up to 70% cheaper than in Singapore.

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Heathrow Airport
London

Must-Buy: British Fashion and Lifestyle Brands

• Kurt Geiger
  Stocks on luxury shoes and accessories from brands such as Jimmy Choo, French Connection and DKNY. Prices are approximately 30% cheaper than in Singapore

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Incheon International Airport
Seoul, Korea

Must-Buy: Korean Beauty Products

• Korean Cosmetics and Beauty Products, such as Laneige, The Face Shop and Etude House
  Prices are about 50% cheaper than in Singapore
  
• Korean Cultural Experience
  Duty Free Arcade, Level 3 Passenger Terminal (Near Gate 31)
  Korean cultural muesum and craft bar that showcases relics that span 5,000 years, including costumes from the Chosun Dynasty, Buddhist artefacts, Korean alphabet exhibits, and the traditional drums and flutes. The museum opens from 7am to 10pm daily. Admisssion is free.

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Hong Kong International Airport
Hong Kong

Must-Buy: Luxury Goods

• Luxury Labels, such as Hermes, Chanel, Agnes b, Jimmy Choo, Marc by Marc Jacobs, and Loewe
  Prices are about 20%-50% less then in Singapore.

 Extracted from Urban, 20th November 2009