ShopCrazy

Didn’t the song say “Give love on Christmas Day?” Here’s a new store that turns shopping into a philanthropic and environment-friendly activity.

In the quaint new EchoStore, all the shopping you’ll be doing will not only benefit Filipinos who are most in need of your help but also the environment. Yet don’t underestimate the products you’ll find in this so-called “one stop shop for sustainable living”: it in fact offers everything from chic bags and various skincare products to detergent, baby care products, colorful laptop bags and yoga mats, and even yummy treats you won’t find elsewhere.

Curious? Read all about the store and the many products they offer after the jump.

This concept store, whose name stands for Environment and Community Hope Organization (ECHO), is located at the Ground Floor of Serendra Piazza at the Fort, Bonifacio Global City. Sharing space with Kape Isla, tagged “the home of Philippine coffee,” EchoStore offers products that hope to influence consumers to be more caring and nurturing with themselves by purchasing products that are non-toxic, biodegradable and natural. “What makes it special is that finally, in one place, anyone who wants to live sustainably to help others and the planet can be found in this social enterprise shop,” states its owners, Chit Juan, Jeannie Javelosa, and Reena Francisco.

EchoStore is the first concept store of its kind in the country. In a mainstream high-traffic area such as that of Serendra, shoppers like us can get everything we need to get us started on living a sustainable lifestyle as we help livelihood development and poverty alleviation by supporting fair trade—all these as we enjoy the really interesting products this store has to offer. Indulge in a wide variety of products that include home décor, fashion accessories, health and wellness products, beauty and personal care products, food and beverage, and even books and music.

Among the brands available here are Ilog Maria Honeybee Farms, Z.E.N. beauty and wellness products, Holystic Haven natural skincare products, Messy Bessy cleaning solutions, and Indigo Baby, among so many others. The store’s partners also include Rags 2 Riches Foundation (that supply bags designed by Rajo Laurel and made by Payatas women out of rags), Filipinas Fair Trade Ventures (which offer chic bags made out of newspapers and the yellow pages), and Correctional Institute for Women (which also has pretty bags and other crafts made of recycled materials).

“When you buy something for other people here, you’re not just giving a gift; you’re giving a good habit to people,” says writer-artist-curator Jeannie. Imagine being able to help marginalized communities, creative industry practitioners, women groups, and foundations simply by doing what we love best: shopping. And you really get to appreciate just how wonderful Filipino products are through this store.

“This is something we want pirated,” says Chit. “Echo the concept and invite people to join the bandwagon to help more people,” adds Jeannie. You can be sure the gifts you’ll be giving away this Christmas would not only be unique and memorable, they are also helping the people who made them.

EchoStore Sustainable Lifestyle also aims to be a hub and center for meetings, events, and “kapihan,” allowing people to exchange ideas about sustainable living. EchoStore is open daily from 12NN to 10PM at the Ground Floor of Serendra Piazza (facing Market! Market!). For more information, call them at (02)901-3485 or email echolifestyle.store@gmail.com.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 10th, 2008 at 9:00 am and is filed under Beauty and Personal Care, Food and Drink, Kids and Home, Lifestyle Service, Media (Books, CDs, DVDs, Movies), Other Stuff. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.