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Shopping

 

Island residents' mailboxes - including the one stored on their computer - are crammed with glossy catalogs offering specials and discounts on just about anything imaginable. But even with the ease of on-line shopping, kama'aina still like to get in their cars and drive to one of the Island's five mega malls, including Ala Moana Center, Pearlridge, Kahala Mall, Victoria Ward Center and Windward Mall.

With such vast selections, we can literally shop 'til we drop.

Ala Moana Center

With more than 1.8 million square feet of retail space and 260 different shops, Ala Moana Center proves that size does matter. And if its current size isn't big enough, the mall is in the midst of a two-year retail expansion project that will include the highly anticipated opening of Hawaii's first full-line Nordstrom department store, in addition to approximately 35 new merchants in a two-level retail concourse.

Nordstrom will measure 202,000 square feet on three levels including a full-service restaurant and cafes. The Mall Level retail expansion will feature more than 29,000 square feet of retail space, and the Third Level retail will gain more than 46,000 square feet of retail space, which will connect from Nordstrom to the Center's existing Center Court area.

The project will also include an 800 stall parking structure, and approximately 25,000 square feet of retail along Kapiolani Boulevard adjacent to the new Nordstrom store. The expansion and Nordstrom will open to shoppers on March 7, 2008, and will add approximately 300,000 square feet of additional retail space to Hawaii's already largest shopping center.

Even with this expansion, Macy's, Sears, Shirokiya and Neiman Marcus continue to be anchor tenants. Appealing to the fashion-conscious with a sky's-the-limit budget are such high-end boutiques as Versace, Fendi, Tiffany, Cartier, Christian Dior and Ralph Lauren.

On a more down-to-earth level, Ala Moana also offers a full range of shops specializing in high-tech kitchen gadgets (Williams-Sonoma), surf boards (Town & Country), koa furnishings (Martin MacArthur), Aloha wear (Hilo Hattie), biker gear (Pacific Harley-Davidson), European fountain pens (Montblanc) and cowboy hats and belt buckles (Paniolo Trading Company).

Entertainment is also a big draw here. The Center Stage area is the site of more than 500 live performances annually - ranging from high school bands and hula halau.

Pearlridge Center

Pearlridge in Aiea is the only mega shopping mall on Oahu with a split personality. While Uptown Pearlridge is sophisticated and decked out in rich-looking hues of brown burnished wood and subtle gold accents, Downtown Pearlridge takes on an industrial "look" with an intriguing blend of sheet metal, rivets and cutting-edge sculpture.

The 11-acre complex features more than 170 shops, boutiques, 12-full service restaurants, two food courts, a 16-screen multiplex theater, a trendy furniture showroom, a miniature golf course and two arcades that attract teenagers like magnets.

Travel between Uptown and Downtown Pearlridge is provided by Hawaii's only monorail - at least for now. The ride takes less than four minutes, but provides a birds-eye view of Sumida Farm (the state's largest supplier of watercress), historic Pearl Harbor and the Arizona Memorial. Keiki love the ride and it gives leg-weary adults a chance to sit back and relax, if only briefly.

Pearlridge is the largest enclosed shopping center in Hawaii and even boasts its own emergency hospital clinic and eight-story office complex.

Victoria Ward Centers

For folks who enjoy life in the "fast lane," Victoria Ward Centers is Honolulu's trendiest "hot spot" for shopping, dining and entertainment - particularly on weekends. Within four city blocks, you'll find 120 one-of-a-kind shops and big-value retailers, 23 restaurants, a state-of-the-art megaplex with 16 movie screens and a local-kine farmer's market with seafood so fresh, it's still jumping on the butcher block.

While other malls fall prey to duplicating each other with mainland franchises, Ward Center gets its charm from an eclectic mix of boutiques that can't be found anywhere else.

Native Hawaiian handicrafts, high-tech gadgets, to-die-for fashions and rare finds from every corner of the globe make shopping an adventure. The complex has a well-developed personality - complete with architecture that combines rough-hewn timbers, glazed ceramic floors and tiny waterscapes tucked into the most unexpected places.

Among its leading attractions are outdoor cafe's for people watching, and restaurants specializing in rock-salt prime rib and catch-of-the-day sashimi served up with views of the ocean and Ala Moana Beach Park.

Kahala Mall

Shopping takes on a sophisticated tone at Kahala Mall. Set apart from the hustle and bustle of downtown and located in one of Oahu's most uber luxe neighborhoods, Kahala Mall is home to more than 90 specialty retailers, including 28 eateries and eight movie theaters.

The pace here is generally slower, and that suits the mall's discerning shoppers just fine. Valets will park your Jaguar or Mercedes during the holiday season, but fashions from across the globe are available year-round.

If you lock your keys inside your car, don't fret. Keep shopping. The mall's security staff will summon you via a pager when your car keys are ready to be retrieved - for a slight fee.

One of the mall's newest additions is the Jack Lord Memorial, located on the Diamond Head end of the mall, near the trolley station. It features a larger-that-life bust of the square-jawed actor who played Steve McGarrett on Hawai'i Five-O from 1968-1980, making it the longest-running police drama in television history. Lord lived nearby and was often seen signing autographs or squeezing tomatoes at Star Supermarket, which will soon become the site of Whole Foods.

Windward Mall

Few shopping centers capture the local-kine feel of Hawaii better than Windward Mall in Kaneohe. With the Ko'olaupoku Mountain Range providing the mall with a postcard-perfect backdrop, it's the only regional shopping center serving Windward Oahu.

Surprisingly, Windward Mall's impact goes beyond its lineup of 70 stores, 20 restaurants and nine movie screens. It's also a venue for free family-style activities as diverse as health fairs, country line dancing, yo-yo classes, arm wrestling competitions, school art shows, science fairs, blood drives, hula performances and daily Chinese exercise programs.

The mall's parking lot is the staging area for Kaneohe's annual Christmas parade - the biggest on Oahu - and it plays host to custom car and hot-rod shows throughout the year.

Thinking out of the Box

During the past decade, outlet malls and "big box" retailers have become major players in our local economy by offering discounts on industrial-size boxes of cereal, huge flat screen TVs and cookies by the ton.

Costco, WalMart, Home Depot, Circuit City, Kmart and Comp USA are firmly entrenched in the buying patterns of most kama'aina. Best Buy, too, has started to make an impact on kama'aina's shopping habits for electronics ever since it opened in 2005.

Future big-box retailers to look for include Lowe's, which is expected to open in 2008 in Iwilei; Target in Kapolei is projected to open in the first half of 2009; and Wal-Mart is anticipated to open in 2008. Now if we only had a Trader Joe's.

Waikele Center and Premium Outlets

Looking for designer brand names at discount prices, Waikele Center and Premium Outlets in Central Oahu represents the mother load of shopping bargains.

Together, these two shopping centers have more than 70 stores, including such brand-name designers as Donna Karan, Banana Republic, Saks Fifth Avenue, Guess and Tommy Hilfiger. Parking is plentiful, but wear comfortable shoes so you can shop before you drop.

Waikiki

Although many Oahu residents shudder at the thought of driving into Waikiki, this tourist mecca manages to combine terrific shopping opportunities with some of the best dining and sidewalk entertainment anywhere on the planet.

Sure there's lots of duplication - like the multiple ABC stores in a one-mile stretch - but you'll also discover what attracts more than 3.7-million tourists to Waikiki annually.

Four top must-see attractions that will make you and your kids grin from ear-to-ear:

• The Galleria - take an underwater stroll inside the belly of a two-story aquarium. Then shop in a setting reminiscent of Honolulu Harbor's "Boat Days" circa 1930.
• International Marketplace - meander though an open-air maze of colorful shops and kiosks, and then prepare to bargain for some of the most offbeat items this side of Hong Kong. When your stomach starts to growl, check out the "meat on a stick" and ono plate lunches in the food court.
• King's Village - March to a different drummer during the nightly changing of the King's Guard, a precision exhibition complete with pith helmets, flailing rifles and clicking boot heals that would make the Alibi stand up and salute.
• Royal Hawaii Shopping Center - while exploring this four-story "shopping bunker" take time out to enjoy free Hawaiian quilting, lei making, ukulele playing and coconut frond-weaving demonstrations. For great grinds, join the line forming to the right of the Cheesecake Factory and ask for a seat on the lanai and watch the passing crowd. Or for a touch of nostalgia, stroll over to the Royal Hawaiian or "Pink Lady" tucked behind the Center.

Hidden Treasures

For kamaaina who like to walk on the wild side, Chinatown offers a chance to poke around antique shops, art galleries, mom-and-pop stores and open-air markets with intriguing wares from around the world.

Many of the items are authentic; others are pure kitsch.

In Chinatown, you'll discover a treasure trove of "rare finds" as far ranging as jade bracelets, porcelain pottery and carved "bone" ivory to bobble-head dolls, ben wa balls and Mandarin music. One of the more original shops is INTO, which has been around for the past couple of years. This place is crammed with everything from handbags and jewelry, to soapbowls and bangles, to Turkish rugs and Polish glassware, to Argentine silverware and French soaps. It's a great place to get one-of-a-kind gifts.

Overall, Oahu offers a wealth of shopping options that are too good to pass up. And if you can't find what you're looking for at the Island's major retail areas, you can always turn to the catalogs.

Say 'Hello' to Whole Foods

After considering entering the Hawaii market for several years, in 2006, Whole Foods finally announced that it was coming to Hawaii. Then this past August, the company revealed that it would double its plans for expansion in Hawaii, saying it will open stores in Kailua and Kahului, Maui, in addition to outlets already planned for Kahala and Kaka'ako.

Originally, the Texas-based upscale supermarket chain was secured to be the anchor tenant at the $100 million-plus redevelopment of Ward Village Shops in Kaka'ako.

Specializing in natural and organic foods, the Kakaako building will be two stories tall and measure 67,000 square feet. Although it was initially projected to open next year, repeated construction delays related to discovery of old Hawaiian remains have set back plans.

This isn't the case, though, with the store in East Oahu, which is scheduled to open in early 2008, occupying the former Star Market space at Kahala Mall.

Future locations will include Kailua, and a 26,300-square-foot in Kahului is expected to open in late 2008 or early 2009.

Founded in 1980 in Austin, Texas, Whole Foods has grown to become one of the largest natural and organic foods retailers.

The company reported sales of $4.7 billion in its fiscal year ended in September 2005, and has a goal to reach $12 billion in sales by 2010.

Look to Hawaii residents to contribute to that goal.