Isle shoppers
jam the malls
Day-after-Christmas discounts
By Helen Altonn
of up to 70% lure customers
Star-Bulletin
Squeezing through other shoppers with a big bag filled with Christmas wrapping paper, Samantha Silva, 22, had one word for after-Christmas bargain-buying: "Nuts!" The Christmas shop at Liberty House, Ala Moana Center, was her first stop shortly after 8 a.m. when the store opened, she said.
Even though she bought enough wrapping paper for several Christmases, Silva, of Hawaii Kai, said, "I'll probably come back anyway (next year)."
Iva Lehmann of Kaneohe and her daughters, Moana Lehmann, 23, and Malia Starmer, 25, also were traditional day-after Christmas shoppers at Ala Moana Center.
Lehmann said they've been doing it "ever since they (her daughters) were big enough to shop." They arrived early, had breakfast, then waited for the rush when the doors opened.
With stores still filled with holiday merchandise, Hawaii's retailers joined merchants throughout the nation set today to make up for ho-hum holiday sales by offering deep discounts.
Prices were cut 30 to 70 percent in local malls to entice shoppers.
Free coffee also was offered at three locations at Ala Moana Center by Hawaiian Isles Kona Coffee Co. It was so popular, the company plans to do it again next year, said Sharon Zambo-Fan, account executive.
Ron Yoda, Kahala Mall Shopping Center general manager, said it was "fairly busy" there after stores opened at 8 a.m., two hours earlier than usual. It was about the same as in past years, he said.
He said he expected more activity later in the day because of good discounts, particularly on Christmas-related items. The mall also has additional parking this year, he said.
Yoda said interim reports from merchants this season "indicate they are tracking pretty closely to last year or a little bit better."
At Ala Moana Center, about 100 people were standing outside The Disney Store at 7 a.m. waiting for an 8 a.m. opening. "It's the best sale," said Michelle Winters. "Everybody loves a Disney Store."
She said she missed out last year because she didn't get there until 8, and the store opened 10 minutes early so people wouldn't get trampled.
She got up at 6:15 today to get to the store by 7 from Ewa Beach "and I was shocked to see all these people," she said.
About 200 people were waiting outside The Disney Store at Pearlridge Center early today and it didn't open until 10 a.m., said Heidi DiEugenio, the center's marketing director.
Overall, she said, sales were "unbelievable."
Many stores opened at 8:30 a.m. or 9 instead of the usual 10 a.m., she said. "Nature Company was well onto beating last year's day (sales) by noon.
"There are a lot of happy people," both shoppers and retailers, she added. "It's a win-win situation."
Sears opened at 7 a.m. at Ala Moana Center and manager Kevin Martin noted people going into the store didn't have packages, indicating they were shopping rather than returning things.
The store no longer has booths to handle returns because "people buy too smart now," he said. "Big lines don't happen. People will shop. This will be a busy sales day."
The season in general has been "OK," he said. "About where we were last year. It is not a banner year."
Despite a booming U.S. mainland economy and high consumer confidence, the holidays failed to meet the expectations of many retailers, according to national reports.
Many consumers watched their spending; others gave nontraditional gifts like vacations and trips to spas.
Sears manager Martin noted two trends: People shop all year instead of just before Christmas. And they're buying more gift certificates.
He said his store and the mall had a big increase in gift certificates this year, which should mean "a positive January."
At Kahala, Yoda said he felt people were shopping later. "People are looking for bargains or waiting for stuff to go on sale -- pushing sales closer to Christmas Day itself. People also are realizing they can get twice as much after Christmas with a gift certificate."
The Associated Press contributed to this report
