Hawaii Vacation Gifts by Double Brush-Hawaiian Gifts & Blog

Target Takes Aim at Hawaii

A little more than a year from now, Target Corporation will have its first stores in Hawaii open for business. A couple days ago (January 24, 2008), Target Corp. broke ground at the new Kapolei Commons Mall, and yesterday broke ground in Salt Lake for a second Target store on Oahu. Both stores are expected to open in March 2009. A third store in Kona on the Big Island will open a few months later in July.

The Kapolei Commons Mall is expected to draw visitors as well as residential traffic. The Ko Olina Resort is nearby, in addition to a planned Hawaii Disney hotel. Read more about the planned Target stores in Hawaii here.

Target Corporation's main retailing subsidiary, Target Stores, is a United States discount retail chain consisting of 1,591 stores (as of October 10, 2007). It has units in all states except for Alaska, Hawaii, and Vermont, operating under the mastheads of Target, Target Greatland, and SuperTarget.

Target Corp. is the 5th largest retailer by sales revenue in the United States behind Wal-Mart, The Home Depot, Kroger, and Costco. Target is a rival and competitor of Walmart. You can read everything good and bad about Target Stores at Wikipedia.

Own Hawaii Real Estate For Only A Few Dollars

What would you do if you could own the city of Honolulu, Hawaii for $19.00, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park for $7.00, or on the high end, the JW Marriot Ihilani Resort and Spa on Oahu for $300.00?

So what is the catch? The catch is you will only own it in the virtual world, not the physical one, where all of the above places are worth millions of real dollars.

This virtual world in not at Second Life, but exists at Weblo.com This Canadian company claims that they have sold over 25,000 pieces of real estate, including about 10,000 "cities" around the world. It is like the game of Monopoly with a social networking aspect.

At Weblo you can also buy your way into politics. The Mayor of Honolulu bought his position for $19.00 and the Governor of Hawaii paid $1,301 for the honor.

Weblo.com Inc. was established in September 2006 by Rocky Mirza, an Internet entrepreneur who obtained backing from former MySpace chairman Richard Rosenblatt and $5.6 million in venture capital financing.

The company claims 72,000 members and initially sold cities for as little as $5, though the minimum price today is $25. Real estate smaller than a city or town — anything with a street address qualifies — can be bought for $2 from the company. Other property on Weblo includes copies of Internet domain names and celebrity fan sites.

For each asset, owners are given a stock Web page on Weblo to develop with everything from photos and descriptions of the property to personal blogs and video. In some ways, the Web pages are similar to those on MySpace and Facebook, allowing members to form social networking groups.

The Honolulu Advertiser

What area, landmark, or building would you like to own in Hawaii, and please tell us why.

Hawaii Welcomes Back Primo Beer

Pretty much everyone in Hawaii has heard of the brand Primo Beer. Primo beer was founded in 1898 and used Hawaii's high quality water for brewing its beer. The Primo brewery was closed during the Prohibition era, but later reopened for production. By the 1950's and 1960's, the popularity of Primo made it the top selling beer in Hawaii. Primo closed down ten years ago (1997) due to slowing sales, but the nostalgic affection for the beer and strong brand recognition still exists till today.

Pabst Brewing Co. from Chicago, Illinois, confirmed that it has partnered with Keoki Brewing Co. on Kauai, Hawaii, to produce a higher end version of Primo beer to compete with premium lagers such as Heineken.

"Primo Beer is returning to Hawai'i very soon, and it will be a high-quality lager," said Kyle Wortham, senior brand manager at Primo Brewing & Malting Co.

Read more details about Primo Beer in Hawaii is Back.

P.S. You can still find all sorts of Primo branded logo items such as T shirts, aloha shirts, mugs, hats, etc. on Ebay and at antique shops. Personally, I still have a metal belt buckle with the Primo name and map of the Hawaiian Islands logo from the early 70's! I have been meaning to get around to selling it on Ebay, but make me an offer if you want it!

Steve and Barry Store Opening In Hawaii

I had just read about Steve & Barry's discount chain store last night in a magazine, and then found out today that the Long Island based retailer will be opening a store in Hawaii by the end of the year!

Most local people in Hawaii are not familiar with Steve & Barry's, the famous company that created the celebrity-branded $15.00 athletic shoe, and also sells clothes for under $20.00

Steve and Barry's create "premium apparel at impossibly low prices"--even undercutting retailing discount giants like Wal-Mart and Target. The new retailer to Hawaii's market is expected to really shake things up in the islands; which will be a good thing for consumers, but is expected to be hard on the other retail stores already competing with each other.

Steve and Barry's do not have a large advertising budget, but depend on word of mouth referrals and now have also lined up celebrities such as Sarah Jessica Parker and Venus Williams to design apparel for their company. Many people welcome inexpensive clothing with celebrity appeal.

Steve & Barry's plan to open a 24,00 square feet super store at Waikele Center on Oahu. This is part of their plan for an aggressive initiative in store growth and new product development for the company, which is opening about 70 stores this year.

Steve and Barry's currently has about 200 stores in 33 states, largely concentrates on collegiate-branded products, and licensed brands not big in the apparel industry such as Ford, General Mills, Hershey's, Hasbro, World Wrestling Entertainment and Marvel Comics.

Read more details about Steve & Barry's coming to Hawaii.

Have you ever been to a Steve and Barry's store? What do you like and or not like about them?

Vacation with Mickey Mouse in Hawaii Disney Style

More controversy for Hawaii. Do you dream of vacationing in Hawaii with Mickey Mouse and the gang, or does the idea of it make you nauseous?

Today Walt Disney Parks and Resorts announced that they will build a resort at Ko Olina on the island of Oahu in the Hawaiian Islands by 2011. The resort will feature hotel rooms and villas for the Disney Vacation Club, a time-share division of Disney resorts. Hawaii has the distinction of being the only Disney resort that will not be attached to one of its theme parks.

"This resort hotel will give our guests another way to visit an exciting part of the world with a brand they trust," Walt Disney Parks and Resort Chairman Jay Rasulo said in a written statement. "We are looking forward to building a special family resort that honors the cultural diversity of Hawaii and reflects the spirit of aloha that makes this location so unique."

Read more details Disney Confirms KITV Report On Resort Plans.

Extreme Home Makeover Builds Home For Hawaii Couple Earning Over $225,000 Annually

If you plan on watching the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition's fifth-season premiere in Hawaii along with 17 million other television viewers, you may see the show in a different light after reading about the controversy surrounding this event. (The premiere of the Extreme Home Makeover show in Hawaii airs on Sunday, September 30 on ABC.)

I had blogged earlier about Momi Akana and her non-profit organization Keiki O Ka Aina which she founded a decade ago to help single mothers raise their children, while being a single mother herself. Momi Akana has since assisted thousands of people in Hawaii with building stronger families through family education and activities. There is no doubt that she is a deserving person who has worked selfless long hours for years, but now that she is doing extremely well financially and could afford to build her own house, is it right for her to accept a free house when there are many other families who do lots of good for the community but cannot afford to build a home for themselves?

“Extreme Makeover” home built on land purchased with state grant to a nonprofit agency

Akana founded Keiki O Ka 'Aina Family Preschool Inc. in 1996 and serves as its executive director, having received $97,018 in salary and an additional $5,931 in benefit and expenses during the fiscal year ending in September 2005, according to the organization's most recent tax filing, The Honolulu Advertiser reported Monday. In addition, Akana -- whose husband Ben Akana is also believed to earn an additional low six-figure salary due to his senior vice president position a local bank -- also reportedly received $22,000 in annual rent from Keiki O Ka 'Aina for the use of the top floor of her old home.
Ian Lind

I would encourage you to read Mr. Lind's very insightful and informative post and the comments it received.

However despite the fact that the family appears to have an annual household income of over $200,000, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition presented the local public with a very different picture when it arrived in Hawaii to build a new 3,500 square-foot home for the Akanas and their four children as well as a 4,500 square-foot community center for Keiki O Ka 'Aina.

"Momi and her three children attempted to make their own improvements to their home, they never had the money or the expertise to complete anything properly, so the house is a series of unfinished construction projects," the show stated in a June 6 news release intended to publicize the show's activities, according to The Advertiser. "As a nonprofit, there is no money to fix the damage done to Momi's home or to fix the structures that now house Keiki O Ka 'Aina."

But although a justification of the family's "neediness" certainly seemed to one of the news release's primary goals, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition's production company, the non-profit organization, and the local home builder that oversaw the project disagree the idea that need determined the the Akanas' selection.

"This show is based on the decade of service that Momi has done for our community," Keiki O Ka 'Aina spokeswoman Kanoe Naone told The Advertiser about the project. "I'm positive that this show is not based on need."
RealityTVWorld.com

Last Sunday (September 23, 2007) the Honolulu Advertiser published an article titled: Hawaii 'Makeover' home under legal cloud.

Earlier this summer, the attorney general's tax division began asking questions about the lease arrangement between Akana and the nonprofit Keiki O Ka 'Aina Preschool Inc., which owns the land beneath Akana's new home. Keiki O Ka 'Aina spokeswoman Kanoe Naone said the organization provided the information sought by the state and that Akana, who is Keiki O Ka 'Aina's executive director, met with the attorney general's office to answer any questions. "We provided them with the (materials) ... they were seeking to their satisfaction," Naone said. Sources familiar with the situation, however, say the attorney general's inquiries are still pending.

You can read the complete article from the Honolulu Advertiser now for free, after 1-2 months? the link will go to an error page. If you want to read it later, you will have to request it and pay for it. (That is why I was not able to link the previous Honolulu Advertiser articles mentioned in the above quotes.) Hawaii 'Makeover' home under legal cloud.

On the popular site Topix under the entertainment category there are over 100 comments re: the Honolulu Advertiser's Hawaii 'Makeover' home under legal cloud article. There are many strong opinions from people who agree and disagree on the choice of Momi Akana being selected to receive a new house from the Extreme Home Makeover Show.

Please share your thoughts on the situation via a comment.

The Largest Outdoor Mall in the World is in Hawaii

If you are local or have visited the island of Oahu in Hawaii, you can probably guess the name of the largest outdoor mall in the world. If you said Ala Moana Shopping Center in Honolulu, you guessed correctly. The largest outdoor mall in the world is soon to be even larger with a new wing expansion opening next spring.

Ala Moana Shopping Center's tenants new to Hawaii for the first time will be the Nordstrom Department Store, J. Crew, Chico's, Home Furnishing Store, Design Within Reach, and Bare Escentuals. Two dozen other stores--as yet to be named--will also fill the new wing.

When Ala Moana's expansion is finished, the mall will boast of 290 stores, 70 restaurants, and 10,000 parking stalls!

For more details read Ala Moana Stores Announced for New Wing.

Whole Foods Market Giant Trying to Take Over Hawaii

Whole Foods is the largest retail chain store of "natural and organic foods" in the United States. They have demonstrated aggresive tactics in going after as much market share as possible in an increasingly competitive industry.

In the last fiscal year ended September 2006, publicly traded Whole Foods reported sales of $5.6 billion. The company is seeking to become dramatically larger by acquiring No. 1 rival Wild Oats for $565 million, though the Federal Trade Commission is attempting to block the proposed acquisition in court, arguing that the combined company would control too much of the natural foods market.

In the next few years, Whole Foods is opening 4 new stores in Hawaii -- on Oahu and Maui. Besides being a giant retailer of natural foods, they are also a giant when it comes to the square footage of their stores.

WHOLE FOODS MARKETS VS. NATURAL FOODS STORES IN HAWAI'I

Here's their size in square feet compared with the nearest existing natural foods market.

Kahala

26,000

(opening '08)

'Umeke Market

4,500

Ward Centers

67,000

(opening '08)

Down to Earth MO'ili'ili

6,000

Kahului, Maui

26,300

('08 or '09)

Mana foods PA'ia, Maui

6,500

Kailua

40,000

(opening '10)

The source

1,400

The local Hawaii health food stores and supermarkets will be affected by Whole Foods, and some may even close. The ones that survive however, will do so by adjusting and becoming better businesses.

Do you have a Whole Foods Market in your area and do you shop there? What do you like and don't like about them?

Read more information about Whole Foods Markets Opening in Hawaii.

Costco Hawaii Store -- Highest Sales in the Nation

It may sound unbelievable but it is true, the Hawaii Costco store at Iwilei on Oahu has the highest sales volume out of all of the 512 Costco warehouse stores in the nation. Costco Hawaii has been at the #1 spot for almost 2 years now with $300 million dollars in sales last year -- more than double the $129 million annual average sales volume of a Costco store.

The first Hawaii Costco store opened in Salt Lake in 1988, and in 2002 moved to their current Iwilei location. There are also Costco stores in Hawaii Kai and Waipio on Oahu, Kona on the Big Island, Kahului on Maui, and Lihue on Kauai. A fourth Oahu store is scheduled to open in Kapolei next year.

Read more details about Costco's Iwilei Store Top Outlet in Chain.

We live in Hilo and it is a 3 hour drive to the Kona Costco store on the other side of the island, so we do not shop there. I figured the cost in gas, time (all day trip), and carbon emissions would outweigh any dollar savings.

Is there a Costco store near your home and do you shop there?

L and L Hawaiian Plate Lunch Spreading Nationwide

If you like local Hawaiian plate lunches and thought you could only get them in Hawaii, that is not true anymore. What started out in 1976 as L and L Drive-Inn on Oahu, has turned into a nationwide franchise called L and L Hawaiian Barbeque. There are now over 200 locations in the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Utah, Texas, and Washington.

What is a Hawaiian plate lunch? It is pretty much starch and meat. The typical plate lunch features two scoops of white rice, a scoop of macaroni or potato salad, and a generous serving of meat such as: barbeque beef, barbeque chicken, short ribs, fried shrimp, mahi mahi fish, or chicken katsu (Japanese style breaded and deep fried chicken cut into strips). If you choose more than one meat choice, it is called a mix plate, combination plate, or combo plate.

L and L company officials credit a new awareness of Asian and American fusion cuisine for the company's success in new markets. L and L is known for their generous portions, low prices and tasty food.

L and L menu options vary by location but they also serve a Hawaiian lau lau and kalua pig plate (no poi though which is not surprising -- there has been a poi shortage here in the islands for decades!), saimin (noodles in broth), a variety of musubi (meat on a block of rice with a strip of nori seaweed), beef curry stew, and Loco Moco (hamburger patty over rice smothered in brown gravy and topped with an egg, usually sunny side up).

Some locations offer healthier (less fattening) plates which includes brown rice and tossed salad, and a choice of ahi, mahi, salmon patty, or garlic shrimp as the main entree.

To find a location near you, visit their site L and L Hawaiian Barbeque.