E-Land’s NC Picks leads new business activity on Saipan
BY MARK RABAGO Saipan Correspondent
GARAPAN, Saipan — E-Land Group’s NC Picks, which opened in Garapan is one of the latest new businesses to begin in Saipan.
Part of the $1.5-billion large-scale retail specialized company E-Land Retail, which has 44 stores in Korea and three stores in China, NC Picks opened in the KASE II Building on Beach Road across T Galleria on Dec. 22.
E-Land Retail opened the first NC Picks outside of Asia in Garapan. Photos by Mark Rabago.
NC Picks Saipan primarily focuses on sports and casual clothing, handling more than 30 brands ranging from bags to shoes to suitcases.
Some of the brands NC Picks carries are Nike, Under Armour, Adidas, Crocs, Tommy Hilfiger, Polo Ralph Lauren, Lacoste, Champion, and Brooks Brothers, Maison Kitsune, Comme des Garcons, and Ami. The store is open daily from 11 a.m. to 8.30 p.m.
WE Tropic Threads
Will & Ebs’ Tropic Threads, is a sustainable boutique specializing in reselling gently used and overstocked clothing, as well as locally handmade art.
Tropic Threads held its grand opening on Dec. 9. Owners Jessica Williams and Jessica Eberhardt began their business by first selling in 2021at the Sabulu Market and many pop-up events. Tropic Threads sells an eclectic collection of pre-loved as well as new clothes, one-of-a-kind handmade items like Christmas ornaments coasters, crochet bags with local flowers, sea glass art with local sea glass, pottery pieces sourced from beaches around the island, jewelry holders, and other things to help display stuff at home.
Tropic Threads, on the first floor of the building where San Vicente post office is located, is open Wednesday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The store can be reached on social media via Facebook or Instagram @wetropicthreads. Shoes Outlet
Saipan Shoes Outlet opened in September along Beach Road in Garapan.
Shoes Outlet opened to fill the void left by Payless ShoeSource.
Owner Henry Liang said he opened Shoes Outlet after seeing first-hand how the island community struggled to find affordable and good quality footwear when Payless ShoeSource closed in 2018. Shoes Outlet carries various types of shoes for men, women, and children ranging from working shoes, safety shoes, sports shoes, dress shoes, boots, etc. Shoes Outlet brands include Caterpillar, Wolverine, Coleman, Lugz, Safetoe, INC International Concepts, Karen Scott, Fila, New Balance and Adidas.
Shoes Outlet is located in the same building as Gree Air Conditioning and Artman Corp. on Beach Road in Garapan, and is open from 10:30 am. to 8 p.m., Monday to Sunday. For more information, call or WhatsApp (670) 287-2199 or email liangqihao88@gmail.com. Latte Built 24-Hour Fitness
Latte Built 24-Hour Fitness opened a new 10,000-square-foot facility Dec. 9.
Owner Derek Cutting said the new two-story Latte Built at the old Meena’s building in Chalan Kanoa replaces the Latte Built Oleai and Kagman facilities that closed. Latte Built 24-Hour Fitness in Chalan Kanoa boasts of a 1,000-sqaure-foot spin/yoga class studio, a cardio room, a recovery spa that has a four-person infrared sauna, and a cold plunge tub.
It also has a functional fitness area with custom Latte Built turf, an Olympic power lifting area with five squat rig stations, plus five Olympic platforms, and men's and women's locker rooms with multiple commodes and showers. The new location also has a brand-new fleet of spin bikes for a spin class, more treadmills, strength equipment, mirrors, a heavy bag section along with a full-blown MMA fight octagon.
For more information on Latte Built 24-Hour Fitness, call (670) 235-2265, email lattebuilt@gmail.com, or click on the website www.lattebuilt.com. New sign-ups can come in to see staff between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Monday-Friday, and between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturdays. Monika’s Furniture
Monika’s Furniture has opened as Monika's Treasures in Garapan just across DFS Galleria.
Owner Monika Nugent said the new location opened to better cater to the tourist market.
Monika’s Furniture has opened Monika’s Treasures in Garapan.
Monika's Treasures is home to hand-crafted products that Nugent hand-picked personally that help accentuate indoor/outdoor living spaces. It also has unique items ranging from nautical wood carvings to weave baskets and purses, tropical paintings, island décor, to an assortment of trinkets for tourists.
Monika's Treasures is open daily from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. and for more information, call (670) 233-4403 and for Monika's Furniture, call (670) 233-4402. You can also email monikasfurniture670@gmail.com, visit the website at monikasfurniture.com, or look them up on Facebook or Instagram at monikasfurnituresaipan.
The Hybrid Shop
The Hybrid Shop has introduced what owner James Aguirre Rabauliman calls “print, cut, and sew” uniforms specially geared for sports teams and individuals.
The Hybrid Shop uses T-shirt sublimation technology to produce innovative jersey designs using client specifications. “We use dye-sublimation, heat press vinyl, and direct-to-film printing. We first make a digital image and then insert it into a shirt pattern. Then we print it into a sublimation paper, press it into a dry-fit fabric, cut the pattern properly, and then sew all the patterns together to make the shirts,” Rabauliman said.
Aside from dye-sublimation T-shirts and sports jerseys, The Hybrid Shop also sells custom-made varsity jackets, island graphic shirts, custom tumblers, mini and full-size flags of all Micronesian islands, and high-definition metal prints for just about every image you want to display — Rabauliman’s latest offering.
The Hybrid Shop is located along Beach Road, across the UFO and McDonald’s pavilions in Garapan.
It is open Monday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, call (670)788-57-22 email: 670hybridshop@gmail.com Instagram: @hybridspn Facebook: @highbreedshop and website: www.shopthehybrid.com. mbj
