Indonesian buys tee at Changi and becomes newest millionaire

It was a million-dollar dream come true for Jakarta-based traveller Ade Iskandar Roni as he was declared the Grand Draw winner of the 2016 “Be a Changi Millionaire” shopping promotion on Jan 15 at Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 3, walking away with S$1 million in cash.

All it took to land the million-dollar windfall was an Adidas T-shirt that cost Ade S$50 — the lowest-priced purchase among the finalists, and the minimum spending required to participate in the draw. Ade had bought the tee as a gift for a friend on his first trip through Singapore Changi Airport in October 2016, when he was visiting Singapore for the first time with his best friend.

The eight finalists from Australia, China, India, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia, including Ade, had to outplay one another in three game rounds that simulated a passenger’s journey through Changi Airport.

After emerging the winner, Ade shed tears of joy as he gushed, “I’m still shocked, nervous and in disbelief but incredibly happy. I can’t imagine how much money a million Singapore dollars will look like, how big a stack it will be!”

“I’m going to visit Changi Airport every year from here on, and check in early to shop!” he added.

Campaign Successfully Increses Sales

“Be a Changi Millionaire”, Changi Airport’s annual flagship campaign and Singapore’s grandest retail promotion, played a pivotal role in driving concession sales in 2016. Sales at Changi Airport rose 5% to over S$2.3 billion, an all-time high for the airport. Travellers from China, Singapore and Indonesia were the top spenders at Changi Airport, with Chinese nationals accounting for 30% of total sales in 2016.

Perfumes and cosmetics, and liquor and tobacco continue to be the most popular product categories at Changi Airport, followed by luxury goods, electronics and gadgets, and chocolates and candies.

Lim Peck Hoon, Executive Vice-President of Commercial, Changi Airport Group, said, “We congratulate Ade Iskandar, our seventh Changi Millionaire, and thank our passengers for journeying and shopping with us the past year. We are pleased to achieve yet another all-time high for concession sales at Changi Airport.”

Ongoing developments of key digital platforms such as iShopChangi and the Changi Rewards loyalty programme also help to keep customers returning for more rewards.

Look Out for the Next “Be a Changi Millionaire”

The “Be a Changi Millionaire” retail promotion was first launched in 2010. The campaign went on to become Changi Airport Group’s annual anchor shopping promotion.

To participate in the draw, passengers and airport visitors simply needed to shop or dine at Changi Airport, with a minimum spending of S$50 in a single receipt. The number of winning chances increases exponentially with the amount spent.

The other finalists in the 2016 edition each won S$5,000 in cash. They also enjoyed a three-night hotel stay in Singapore, with return airfare provided for non-Singapore residents.

The eighth run of the ‘Be a Changi Millionaire’ will kick off