LIHU‘E — Nothing represents the spirit of aloha quite like an authentic homemade lei draped around a loved one’s neck, emitting the sweet unforgettable fragrance of Hawai‘i’s flowers. As the days of penny-pinching endure, individuals seem to seek this ancient
LIHU‘E — Nothing represents the spirit of aloha quite like an authentic homemade lei draped around a loved one’s neck, emitting the sweet unforgettable fragrance of Hawai‘i’s flowers.
As the days of penny-pinching endure, individuals seem to seek this ancient symbol of love and affection — first brought to the islands by Polynesian voyagers — at outlets other than local flower shops, which could be one reason why sales are slipping for small business owners.
In fact, graduation sales for floriculture items took approximately a 20 percent dive compared to last year, Flowers Forever owner Alan Tada said Wednesday.
What is likely happening is customers are shopping at larger stores where discounted products are offered, said Tada, who opened his first storefront at Coco Palms 27 years ago.
“With Costco and Wal-Mart in the picture now, all the small businesses are affected,” he said.
Pua Lei owner Avery Kano, whose business opened last October in Kapa‘a, agreed.
“Although they are at a less expensive price, you don’t get the quality you would get at a local flower shop.”
It is also possible that more family and friends opted to create their own lei for grads this year by plucking flowers from neighbor’s yards or stringing together pieces of colorful ribbon, Kano added.
Floriculture and nursery sales, both “major contributors to Hawai‘i’s agriculture,” decreased from $108.7 million in 2007 to $98.6 million in 2008, according to Pacific Business News.
Flower cuts, lei flowers, potted flowering plants and orchids were among the products that reportedly saw sales decline. Several factors have contributed to the drop, according to The National Agricultural Statistics Service, including a sluggish economy and the high cost of farming.
Tada emphasized Wednesday in a phone interview that local businesses are vital to Kaua‘i’s economic heartbeat.
Calvin Wada, owner of JC’s Flowers in Wailua, said he has also felt the economy’s downturn with sales about 25 percent lower than last year.
As visitor arrivals decline, Wada has continued to make an extra effort to reach out to local clientele, offering incentives such as buy seven leis, get one free.
“I have a lot of regular customers, so I can’t complain,” he said.
Tada said he has seen his fair share of regular clients during the 34 years he has been in the floriculture business, but said owning an enterprise has become no easy feat.
“With a business in Hawai‘i, out of every dollar you make, 40 percent is for freight,” he said. “But, that’s the cost of paradise.”
Tada recently had to cut his work force by roughly 20 to 25 percent to compensate for the economic crunch, with 14 or 15 employees now on-call.
Kano, meanwhile, has only one employee — his uncle — and said he is lucky to have family help.
“I don’t regret it,” he said, after being asked how he feels about owning a new business. “I know that times are tough, but things will get better and I have a good support system.”
While business has been steadily on the rise, Kano said he doesn’t have much to compare to yet, though admits that his company is “holding its own.”
“It’s really rough, but we do enough to survive,” he said.
While the future of local shops is unknown, the tradition of presenting lei will not fade anytime soon.
“I personally want to see the aloha spirit spread more because that’s all we have in Hawai‘i apart from any other place in the world,” Tada said.
