The Marianas Visitors Authority and the Saipan Chamber of Commerce both welcomed E-Land Group’s opening of NC Picks Saipan in Garapan.
The warehouse-type discount store opened at the KASE II Building across T Galleria in Garapan last Dec. 22.
MVA managing director Christopher A. Concepcion said NC Picks will bring additional value to Saipan’s tourism district.
“We're very excited with this new development right in the high-traffic area of the Garapan Core. Anytime new businesses are opening in this area, it bodes well for the economy and it bodes well for the future of the tourism industry. It also adds to the list of companies that are located here and attractions and things for the visitors to see and do.”
The former deputy director of the Office of Planning and Development also said the NC Picks opening is in lockstep with the Garapan Revitalization Project.
“The timing couldn't be better. The project is ongoing. They just paved Paseo de Marianas a few days ago and the project will ultimately reach right in front of DFS (T Galleria) along Beach Road up to the intersection down south.”
Concepcion said NC Picks Saipan being the first NC Picks branch outside of Asia addresses one of the longtime concerns of tourists in the CNMI.
“When we conducted exit surveys a little while ago, pre-COVID-19 and even today, a lot of the feedback that we got from visitors was that there is a lack of shopping opportunities for visitors who come here. So, I see NC Picks opening up right here in the middle of the tourist district as really important in filling that need. We're excited and we congratulate the E-Land Group for their opening of NC Picks, which has 47 branches throughout Korea and China,” he said.
Chamber president Joe C. Guerrero, meanwhile, said NC Picks is definitely a great addition to the Garapan Core.
“Having this shop, in addition to OHAS Boulangerie & Café that has just opened recently, is great for our community and great for tourism as well. This is about our future here and that things will get better. It means we’re deeply rooted here and the opening of a place like this isn’t a short-term commitment. This is a long-term commitment. We'd like to see E-Land do more long-term commitments and investments and they did say they are going to so let's see what else is in store from them.”
Guerrero added that NC Picks, along with the OHAS Boulangerie & Café opening last September, in a way, will spearhead the complete reinvention of the Garapan Core.
“If you have a nice store like this with its brands and something that works in Korea over here, I think what it does is it elevates everybody. All the other stores that are here would want to renovate and better their services and products. It's healthy competition. So, I challenge other storeowners out here to relook, rebrand, and level up as best they can. I know it's difficult during these trying times, but it's all about investing in the future,” he said.
E-Land CEO Brian Shin led a ribbon-cutting of NC Picks last Dec. 23 during the store’s grand opening that was attended by VIPs.
“As a member of our community, you know, we've made a commitment to make Garapan more successful and give the tourists something they actually enjoy. So, this is another product that we're introducing to the market today. Our mother company, E-Land, started off in Korea as a clothing company, a very small clothing shop, and now we own multiple shopping centers in Korea. This is not something that we’re trying new today. This is something we do well and we hope we're creating some advantage to our destination. So again, thanks for your support. We couldn't have done this without everyone’s support and things will get better from here. That's our hope.”
E-Land Marianas vice president Gloria Cavanagh said before the announcement of NC Picks opening, many asked her why the flurry of businesses openings by E-Land.
“They said, ‘Do you see something that we don't see?’ What we see is we see hope. With the support of the private and public sectors and our leaders in the community, we firmly believe there is still hope for us and we want to make sure we’re part of that revitalization, especially in the Garapan Core. This is why we're doing what we're doing and hopefully things can get better. I want to leave you basically with why we're opening this and that's an admission of healing. Our mission is with a reasonable price and best quality, we’re creating the world that everyone can enjoy. We're just happy to try to bring a little bit of that to Saipan,” she said.
NC Picks—NC stands for New Core—is part of E-Land Retail, which has 44 stores in Korea and three stores in China. It generates a total revenue of over $1.5 billion, making it a large-scale retail specialized company.
NC Picks Saipan primarily focuses on sports and casual clothing, handling over 30 brands raging from bags, shoes, to suitcases. Just some of the items available at great discounts at NC Picks Saipan are sports brands including Nike, Under Armour, Adidas, Crocs, casual brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Polo Ralph Lauren, Lacoste, Champion, and Brooks Brothers, and European brands such as Maison Kitsune, Comme des Garcons, and Ami.
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