Suburban malls
buck sales decline

Star-Bulletin staff

Retail sales were down statewide in July but not for Oahu's larger suburban shopping centers.

Back-to-school sales, and free gifts for shoppers, helped three suburban shopping centers boost business in July, compared with a year ago.

Tourist-oriented centers continued to suffer from drops in visitors to Oahu.

Meanwhile, the state Department of Taxation reported that retail revenues statewide for July equaled $1.21 billion, down 17 percent from $1.46 billion in July 1996.

Here's a look at the major malls' results for July, the most recent month available, provided to the Star-Bulletin by the malls.

Pearlridge Center: Sales rose 10.2 percent, said Heidi DiEugenio, marketing manager.

"A lot of it was the impact of the year-round schools (which started Aug. 6) and the early rush of back-to-school shopping," DiEugenio said. "We also have several new stores which have opened."

Windward Mall: Sales rose by 7 percent in July, the mall's best sales month this year, said spokeswoman Charlian Wright.

"The gift-with-purchase program was a success," Wright said. About 780 people received 1,400 free gifts during a 19-day period, according to the mall's marketing department.

Because the program was so successful, Windward Mall will do it again during the first 10 days of October, Wright said.

Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center: Sales fell 11 percent, said Wright, marketing director for the center. (Both Windward Mall and Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center are owned by Bishop Estate.)

"July hotel occupancies showed decreases islandwide and in Waikiki, and then yen rates continued to be a problem," Wright said.

However, there were sales increases in certain store categories including furniture, up 66 percent; jewelry, up 25 percent; and apparel, up 12 percent.

The center has added a new merchant, Blush, which sells makeup products, Wright said.

Ala Moana Center: Sales dropped 6.8 percent, said Dwight Yoshimura, general manager.

"The economy is slow and we're comparing to 1996 which was a banner year," Yoshimura said.

He also said part of the drop is due to stores like Hartsfield that closed during the construction of the Neiman Marcus department store at Ala Moana.

Yoshimura said that jewelry sales increased 6 percent, but food and general merchandise categories, which includes the big department stores, were flat.

Kahala Mall: Business was up 3.7 percent, said Elizabeth Platt, marketing director.

"We had a sidewalk sale which was wonderful and the Liberty House Zooper sale also helped," she said.

It was the mall's 23rd consecutive month of gains in sales, she said.