If you buy the notion that rain is just Hawaiian snow, then it was a winter wonderland in Lihu‘e Friday morning. The day after Thanksgiving, considered the biggest shopping day of the year, saw enough rain to drown a cow.
If you buy the notion that rain is just Hawaiian snow, then it was a winter wonderland in Lihu‘e Friday morning.
The day after Thanksgiving, considered the biggest shopping day of the year, saw enough rain to drown a cow. But it failed to slow the throngs of shoppers who converged on the Lihu‘e Wal-Mart early Friday morning.
“We’ll do three times the volume of a regular day today,” said Wal-Mart General Manager Janie Whitehead.
The store brought in a full sales staff to handle the thousands of shoppers walking in the door Friday. Indeed, at least 50 shoppers queued up as early as 4 a.m. awaiting Wal-Mart’s 6 a.m. opening.
Electronics and children’s toys were the best sellers. Flat-screen televisions seemed to be a popular item. People hoisted box after box into waiting cars at the entrance as employees held umbrellas for shoppers and security guards with umbrellas walked shoppers to their cars.
Many stores at Kukui Grove Shopping Center were also open by 6 a.m., including the venerable Macy’s. It just doesn’t seem like the holidays without Macy’s, but the crowds there were at least half of what could be found at big box retailers Wal-Mart and Big Kmart.
Still, Macy’s prepared for the best – or worst – as the case may be. They passed out shopping “survival kits,” complete with energy bars, water, notepads, pens and even bandages.
“It’s been two hours and we’ve gone through 500 kits already,” said Macy’s employee Kenne Mahoney.
Smart shoppers know that, while prices aren’t typically the cheapest early in the shopping season, selection is the best.
Stores around the island had extended hours Friday, and most opened from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.. Many will continue those extended hours throughout the shopping season.
Hawai‘i season could be strong
National retail experts predict holiday sales to grow 3 percent to 5 percent this year, but Hawaii retailers, especially those in Honolulu, are expecting to beat the national numbers.
For example, sales at Ala Moana in Honolulu had topped $1 billion early this week, putting figures ahead of last year by 10 percent. A strong job market thanks to booming tourism and construction sectors account for the heavy spending in Hawaii so far this year. Most retailers are expecting to see that trend continue throughout the Christmas season. That’s a good thing, because the period between Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve can account for 25 percent of a retailer’s business for the year.
While some economists have warned that rising prices could curb consumer spending during the holidays, discount retailers like Wal-Mart and Kmart stand to gain the most.
Twenty-seven-inch flat screen TVs for under $200 and $5 watches had folks giggling with glee Friday at Wal-Mart.
At those prices, customers are sure to stock up. Ohio-based market research firm Retail Forward said a November consumer survey showed 17 percent of respondents expected to spend more on gifts this year, compared with 31 percent who planned to spend less.
According to local commercial real-estate firm Colliers Monroe Friedlander, more than half of 75 retailers surveyed recently reported sales increases of between 10 percent and 20 percent so far this year.
Down side
Hawai‘i will have to beat at least one negative survey that lumps Hawai‘i, Washington, Oregon, California, and Alaska together. The Pacific region is expected to have the lowest holiday spending this year, according to a retail survey done by the Conference Board.
The average household in the Pacific region will spend $400 compared to top holiday spenders from the Middle Atlantic states of New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania who intend to spend $550, according to a report from the Conference Board.
The good news is that U.S. households are expected to spend an average of $476 on gifts during the holiday season, up from last year’s estimate of $455. This could translate into a 4.5 percent lift in retail sales compared with last year.
“Consumers appear to have more holiday cheer heading into Thanksgiving this year than last year,” says Lynn Franco, Director of The Conference Board’s Consumer Research Center. “This upbeat attitude should translate into a more favorable holiday season for retailers.”
This survey of holiday spending intentions covers a nationally representative sample of 5,000 households.
About 33 percent of all households will spend $500 or more on holiday gifts, with 37 percent spending $200 to $500 and the remaining 30 percent planning to spend less than $200.
Online sales going up
About 29 percent of all consumers will buy holiday gifts off the Internet, up from 28 percent a year ago. Books top the list of online holiday buying, with nearly 41 percent saying they will buy books as gifts. Clothing and shoes rank next as online holiday buying choices, followed closely by toys and music CDs.
About 28 percent said they purchased holiday gifts last year on the Internet and 93 percent said they were satisfied with their online buying experience.
Other key findings in The Conference Board survey:
- Households headed by individuals aged 35-44 and 45-54 intend to spend the most this year, with $509 the average expenditure.
- Households headed by those aged 65 and over represent the third largest spending group. For them, average expenditures are expected to reach $469.
- Households whose incomes top $50,000 intend to spend $661 for holiday gifts.
Phil Hayworth, Business Editor, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 251) and mailto:phayworth@pulitzer.net
