Located at the Kauswagan Road and Marcos bridge intersection, the newest branch of Savemore is a welcome addition for the residents of Carmen, Kauswagan, Bonbon, Bayabas, Bulua, Iponan and other parts of Western Cagayan de Oro and the neighboring municipalities. The place opened last May 20, 2011.

Making Shoppers Happy

Savemore Market in Kauswagan is a part of the chain of neighborhood grocery stores under the SM Food Retail Group. Like other Savemore branches, it is expected to have the same look and feel as the typical SM supermarkets, which make your grocery shopping an easy one.

Most people who regularly shop at SM Cagayan would definitely be happy with this new branch addition, so that they do not have to go up to the mall at Pueblo to do their groceries. Having a place to shop near the area means less time spent on traveling and less money spent on transportation – making each and every trip a convenient one.

What Savemore Offers For Shoppers

Savemore offers most of the things that you would usually find at the SM mall supermarket, such as dry goods, meats, toiletries, liquor and even instant food choices, which are sold at competitive prices.

Savemore Vs. Wet Market

So, what does Savemore offer that the wet market cannot? Basically, Savemore offers all that you can find in the wet market – meat, fruits, vegetables, grains, canned goods and the like. However, what makes it a better destination is that you can be assured of the exact weight and freshness of the supplied goods.

Aside from food items, you can also find a wide variety of bath and beauty products, like soaps, shampoos, detergents, powders, lotions and more. Aside from these, they also have household items and appliances, including electric fans, air conditioners, televisions and the like.

Paying Bills and More

Savemore Kauswagan is a one-stop shop, where you can pay different bills; be it utility, phone bills, credit card, cable, Internet or real estate bills among others.

So, the next time you plan to shop and do the groceries, you know you don’t have to go far since Savemore Market in Kauswagan has everything that you need.

-Justine Raagas-

The newest addition to the growing Savemore chain will open its doors to the public at 3:00 pm on May 20, 2011. Savemore Kauswagan is located in the area where Makro used to be. The Kauswagan branch is, for now, the biggest among all three Savemore stores in Cagayan de Oro.

Observers note that the addition of the new Savemore branch has added color to the Kauswagan community, even when it is yet to open. This is evident in the bright colors that’s typical of all Savemore stores.

If the fabulous grand opening of Savemore in Capistrano (with handsome Rafael Rosel) is any indication of what to expect tomorrow, then the Savemore Kauswagan grand opening will be just as exciting and fantastic.

See you at Savemore Kauswagan!

-Maia Fortich-Poblete-

You might have already heard about the Savemore branch in Agora, which opened in the last quarter of 2010. Well, it seems that the entire Savemore project isn’t quite over yet as they are about to open another branch, this time along the Capistrano area.

For the past few months, probably right after the Agora Savemore branch was nearing its completion, a bunch of workers were found busy renovating the facade of the old Kairo Building, which was also the former location of the Golden Bell shopping center. All this buzz was generated in line with the preparation of the opening of the second Savemore branch here in the city. Generally, the entire renovation project started from within the complex’s interior. This is probably the main reason why the changes in the entire building seem so fast to us passersby, as we only get to see them working on the building’s facade, which is technically the final stage of the renovation project.

After only a few months of construction, the place is finally in its final stage of construction. If everything goes according to plan, the new Savemore branch will start opening its doors to customers on March 3 around 3 pm, that’s Thursday next week.

Once opened, this all new one-stop market shop will feature a structure similar to the building’s former occupant (Golden Bell), where the customers get to enter the shop through the JR Borja entrance.

Aside from this, no further details regarding the structure’s entire interior design and concept were revealed. However, we can take a hint from the recently opened branch in Agora, which according to a previous article posted here, features an impressive set of mall worthy facilities.

The opening of the Savemore Capistrano branch is sure to be a hit given that it stands in close proximity to various residential neighborhoods and other business establishments. Its addition to the block will surely provide more convenience and ease to a lot of Kagay-anon shoppers.

-Mara Jayne Tismo-

Kagay-anons went into frenzy when Starbucks and Marks and Spencer opened at almost the same time last year. Now we have another international-standard clothing outlet here in CDO. Catching up to the 2010 openings is French clothing brand Lacoste, which opened late in December last year.

You might have wondered what the wide expanse of space along the left side of the M&S was for during Christmas. This is where Lacoste has taken residence. The outlet covers a very wide floor area, roughly the equivalent of four to six small boutiques on the ground floor. All that space is utilized by racks and shelves of various Lacoste products that will sure make shoppers’ mouths water.

Products on the Shelves

Lacoste is one of the most famous clothing, shoes and merchandise brands in the world. They sell complete casual and formal clothes for adults and children, shoes, watches, scents, towels and other merchandise. The clothes here feature some of the latest styles, as well as the classic designs that have made Lacoste a favorite for smart attires. Of course, shoppers can also purchase their world famous tennis t-shirts.

Although there were already several stores and boutiques in the city selling Lacoste products, like Spruce, this is the very first solo outlet here in the city. Kagay-anons no longer have to wait for business or pleasure trips to Cebu, Manila or even to far away Hong Kong and Singapore before they can purchase Lacoste originals.

Why Buy Lacoste?

As a foreign designer brand that used to grace only the wealthiest cities of the country, you can expect the price tags here to be higher than your average ranges in department stores. Still, it’s a worthy price for getting products not only of excellent quality, but also of a prestige recognized by everyone. Anyone who doesn’t recognize their famous crocodile logo must have been living under a rock for half a century.

On The East Coast

Is this merely a coincidence or did Limketkai officials intentionally plan to transform the second floor of the East Concourse into our version of the US East Coast? Already, Marks and Spencer has settled on their wide domain, and now, Lacoste is there as well. Who knows what other prestige brands will open there soon?

For the meantime though, Kagay-anons can enjoy shopping for their favorite merchandise at Lacoste. Truly, no one can deny the gradual elevation of the Kagay-anon standard of living.

-Jay Daphne Bual-

Trends evolve. That’s a fact, one that style conscious consumers have to live with. Luckily, these trend changes are not as fickle as economic changes. The evolution of yearly fashion trends tends to follow a certain cycle. Thus, keeping up with the latest trends for one whole year need not be stressful. After all, dressing up is a subtle form of art and should not be taken too seriously nor too frivolously; otherwise, it gets boring and pointless.

As a general rule of thumb, it’s easier to catch up with the latest trends when you’ve already got the basics covered. Once you’ve established your wardrobe with the basic staples, you can easily go about updating your closet with the trendiest pieces year after year. Just make sure you go for what trend suits you instead of grabbing everything that catches your eye; unless you want to end up looking like an incoherent blob of fashion donts. In other words, a fashion victim.

Starting off, the easiest way to jumpstart your wardrobe for 2011 is to update it with pieces in this year’s color palette. Kick off the year with the following rich and vibrant colors that’s sure to earn you head turns everywhere.

Honeysuckle Pink

This bright shade of pink, which comes off with a little reddish hue, was chosen by Pantone as 2011’s color of the year (fashionwise). Being so, the color was highly dominant in the Spring collections of DKNY, Jil Sander, Valentino and others.

Yellow

This year’s yellow ranges from buttery, pale, and warm tones, to a slight hint of chartreuse as evident in the runways of Proenza Schouler and Jason Wu.

Orange

This is best for anyone who wants to go a few shades darker than mustard. A handful of Spring 2011 collections have gone for a specific shade of orange, persimmon.

White

Although I personally think White never goes out of style and should be therefore the main color of choice (aside from black) when picking out basics, the growing minimalist trend allows this color (although this is technically not a color) to go more than just being a canvas or a backdrop to an overall look and instead become the statement itself. (White is also perfect for Cagayan de Oro weather)

Apart from color, you’d also want to pay attention to the main themes and eras that inspires this year’s trends. Here are some of the biggest looks most designers aim for in 2011.

Biker Chic

The year 2010 was all about military inspired pieces, judging by the wildly austere, trendy yet carefully structured pieces that graced the runways of designer labels such as Balmain and Burberry. The trend takes on a subtle shift to a similar look, albeit coming from a totally different theme and not to mention from a post war era. This year still clings to the same blend of austerity and style, however forgoing the military motif and leaning towards motorcycle jackets, biker inspired pants and tough leather boots.

However, donning all of the three key items in this tropical heat might not be a good idea. Nonetheless, it should not be a hindrance to enjoying the trend. To mimic the look without having to suffer from the heat, you can try incorporating just the right amount of details such as zipped sleeves, a subtle hint of leather, quilting and if the weather permits it, some low cut boots.

The biker chick look is also a good choice for night outs with friends and family.

70s Glam

If you’re not so into the austerity and “badassness” of the biker chic look, 2011 also provides you the option to go on the more daintier and glamorous side of dressing up. You can liven up the feminine charm of the 70s by scoring some sophisticated high waisted wide legged trousers, and neat bow blouses (which you can tuck into your pants to amp the cuteness factor). You can also try accessorizing your way towards attaining that 70s sophistication by lugging around a smart leather satchel, cinching your waist with statement belts or you can also pile on some bangles and long strings of beads and long pendant necklaces for that more laid back 70s boho look.

But then, if you’re not really planning to go all out and follow a certain type of motif, then you can just invest in some good ol’ quality pieces that incorporate this year’s key materials and cuts.

You can update your style by picking out a few hot items and accessories such as:

A lace dress or a lace skirt

The look you’re aiming for here is sensual, but nothing overtly suggestive; feminine, but not too frilly or girly. To achieve that balance, you can mix them with more casual basics or play them up by wearing tiered layers of lace (Just make sure you wear them in the appropriate occasions).

Clogs

One subtle and comfortable way to relive the 70s era is to don clogs. Although this shoe trend is truly reminiscent of the 70s, nothing screams 2011 more when they are paired with skirts and socks, pants, patterned tights and floral prints.

Tassels

Tassels give off that luxurious feeling and contrary to the very thing it suggests, tassels are the easiest to incorporate in your wardrobe. You can easily pick out bags, jackets, shoes and any other accessories bearing tassel details.

These are just some guidelines that will help you adjust (in terms of fashion) to the upcoming year. You can either take it seriously (and splurge if you have the means, but I highly recommend you don’t), or take it for what it is (a guideline or a fashion forecast). These trends are all hot this year; but then again, nothing is hotter than developing your own sense of style.

-Mara Jayne Tismo-