5 Places Where You Can Shop Like a Local in Batangas All Year Round Other than SM and Robinsons malls, Batangas locals also frequent other shopping places. In these places, the words sartorial and ambiance are displaced by practical and sensible. These places may not be as big as the malls but they have choices that are as diverse as those at the malls but at lower price points. Below are five places in Batangas that shoppers can head to all year round.
1. Fiesta 888 Hypermart
The revamped Fiesta World Mall continues to bring in BatangueĂąo shoppers. (Image: Fiesta World Mall) Back in the days when there were still no Robinsons and SM in Lipa City, Fiesta World Mall was the place to be. Its popularity somehow dwindled when the two big malls were opened. But the Fiesta World Mall owners reinvented the shopping mall. Vacant spaces were turned into a big furniture store, while a large portion was a converted into a bargain shopping space called Fiesta 888 Hypermart. As the name suggests, Fiesta 888 Hypermart offers an array of
choices—clothes, shoes, bags, accessories, cosmetics, decors, gift ideas, fixtures, dinnerware, kitchenware, and more. These items are sold at prices comparable to Divisoria. Read: A Shopper’s Guide to a Fun-filled Greenhills Shopping Experience Shoppers looking for affordable trinkets are likely to find what they are looking for in Fiesta 888. A plain mug can be bought for as low as PhP20, while headbands start at PhP10. Dresses range from PhP250 to P400. Busy shoppers who have no time to go to Divisioria in Manila or Greenhills in San Juan can opt to go Fiesta 168. Fiesta 168 Hypermart caters people from all walks of life, from practical shoppers to spendthrift ones. Address: Fiesta World Mall, Marawoy, Lipa City Store hours: 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM, Monday to Thursday; 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM, Friday to Sunday
2. Fashion Boutique and Lifestyle Store
The wide array of clothes and accessories at Fashion Boutique and Lifestyle Store (Image: Fashion Avenue Lipa)
Trendy, hip, young, novel, cool: these words describe Fashion Boutique and Lifestyle Store, a shop which houses online brands in a brick-and-mortar store. The boutique is a good source of what’s in and what’s hot when it comes to clothes, shoes, and accessories. The store is not exactly new to the market, it is in fact an old-timer when it comes to selling clothes, shoes, bags, accessories, and other items online. So while others are going online to establish their presence in the market, a group of online sellers joined forces and decided to make their presence known through a physical store. For this, they chose the busy street of CM Recto Ave. in downtown Lipa. Since its recent opening, online shoppers have done their share of walking to visit the store. The store caters to mostly millennials and but millennials-at-heart are definitely most welcome. Address: Rizal St., C.M. Recto Ave., Lipa City Store hours: 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM, Monday to Friday; 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM, Saturday and Sunday
3. Cedera
Ladies’ clothes and trinkets displayed in a cedera (Image: Click N’ Shop) Cedera in Batangas means a place where there is a bazaar. Cedera comes from the Spanish word cede, which means to transfer. It is called cedera because of the nomadic nature of the
business. The presence of a cedera always coincides with an upcoming fiesta. But in Tanauan City, a cederalasts not just for one week, but up to two months. Come November, the inner lanes of the Mabini St. (the opposite side of Mabini Strip) going to the church are closed for the bazaar. The bazaar is not sorted. But there is order in chaos because the shopping crowd can still manage to find what they are looking for in the sea of more than 50 stalls—from hairpins to chopping boards, curtains to kettles, shoes to mugs, and blouses to headphones. Here, shoppers can expect to find items starting at PhP10. Address: Mabini St., Tanauan City Store hours: 10:00 AM to 11:00 PM
4. J&C Lucky 99 Store
One of the many branches of J&C Lucky 99 Store (Image: Visayan Biz Post) The logo of J&C Lucky 99 Store in yellow and blue is pleasing to the eyes, and so are the prices of items sold here. As the store name suggests, items sold here start at PhP99. This popular store sells mostly clothes for men, women and kids, as well as accessories. They also sell housewares, kitchenware and appliances. Affordable and quality stocks is the store promise to its customers. It seems to be true based on the more 50 than branches (and still expanding) nationwide. J&C Lucky 99 Store has two
branches in Lipa located on the same street. J&C Lucky 99 Store precedes Lucky China Town and 999 malls in Divisoria. Its name is not a fusion of two mall names. Besides its two branches in Lipa, it has several branches in Batangas. Address: C.M. Recto Ave., Poblacion Brgy. 11, Lipa City Store hours: 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM
5. Mabini Strip
While the place is called Mabini Strip, this is not its formal name. It just so happens that this is the street where shoes and clothing stores, along with accessories and gadget stores mushroomed. It is a strip where shoppers’ bargaining power can be tested and exercised. Discounts can be made available to good hagglers. The stores have diverse choices when it comes to value-for-money stocks. Read: A Night of Music and Drinking: Top Hangouts for Millennials This 2017 Practical moms and trendy teenagers looking for outfits can buy a blouse at PhP100. A pair of jeans is sold for as low as PhP180. Most of the clothes sold on Mabini Street are from Pasig, Taytay, Thailand, and China. Do note that the sales staff at Mabini Strip can be persistent. They follow shoppers around and say things like “Suki, anong hanap? (Frequent shopper, what are you looking for?), and “Suki, pili na” (Frequent shopper, feel free to choose what you want). Among the stores on Mabini, 668 Shopping Center is the one that stands out. It is bigger than the other stores and sells more items. Address: A. Mabini St., Tanauan City Shopping hours: 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM Whatever the season or occasion, locals and tourists can rely on homegrown shops in Batangas to find something unique but easy on the wallet. Prices may change without prior notice.