First Apple store inside an airport complex to open this Saturday at Jewel Changi Airport

SINGAPORE - Apple's second store in Singapore at Jewel Changi Airport opens on Saturday (July 13) at 10am and shoppers can expect to be greeted by staff who, between them, can speak 11 languages.

The tech giant's new two-storey store on the second level of Jewel employs more than 100 staff and some will even be able to converse with customers in sign language, Apple told media during a sneak preview of the outlet on Thursday.

Besides Jewel, Apple is also planning to set up another store in Marina Bay Sands, The Straits Times reported in March, following the opening of its Orchard outlet in 2017.

The Jewel store will be Apple's first outlet inside an airport complex and will have over 200 products, including Apple iPhones and iMacs as well as third-party accessories, that customers can get their hands on.

During the media preview, Mr Denny Tuza, Apple's senior market director, said the response at Apple's first store in Orchard Road has been tremendous.

"In the little two years we have been open, we have welcomed more than four million customers through our doors," he said.

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"Now, we are excited at opening our doors to even more people in this wonderful city and around the globe as people travel through this bustling airport," said Mr Tuza.

At Apple stores, customers can get technical advice and support about Apple products as well as take part in learning programmes through Today at Apple sessions, which range from photography to coding.

"We also know that people in Singapore love to learn. We saw this with our Today at Apple sessions in Apple Orchard Road," said Mr Tuza.

"We wanted to create something really special here at Changi, something really unique, something different. So we created our own Today at Apple session," he said.

Called The Magic of Jewel Changi Airport Photo Walk, this one-hour session allows visitors to learn new photography techniques using iPhones and iPads as they capture and explore architectural highlights of Jewel - such as its modern architecture, indoor gardens and its 40m waterfall.

Customers can sign up for this and other sessions via the Today at Apple website.

And for the first customers attending the grand opening of the Apple Store at Jewel Changi Airport, they will each receive an exclusive Apple commemorative T-shirt.

Apple did not specify the number of T-shirts to be given out, but The Straits Times understands that the T-shirts should be available during the first two hours of the store's opening on Saturday.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for republication.