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Kokua Line

By June Watanabe


Extenuating
circumstances
sideline sale


Question: I went to Star Market in Kaneohe with a newspaper ad listing all their sale prices. There was a small notice outside the store saying they are not honoring sale prices from Oct. 9 to 15 because of the shipping lockout. They got the goods before the ships stopped coming, so why aren't they honoring their prices? I can see if they set a limit on the number of things you can purchase, but they're not doing that. Shouldn't they honor the sale prices in the paper?

Answer: A shortage of goods has forced Star Markets to inform customers that it can't offer sale prices advertised for Oct. 9-15 that had been planned weeks before the West Coast shipping lockout disrupted the flow of merchandise to Hawaii, said John T. Fujieki, president and chief executive officer of the 10-store chain.

"We can't honor (the prices in the ads) because we don't have the products," he said yesterday.

The ads were planned "way in advance," about four weeks ago, he said.

However, in place of the sale prices for specific items, Star began offering yesterday an across-the-board 15 percent discount in its stores, with the exception of tobacco, travel and pharmacy items. This discount offer was to run until Oct. 15 at all its stores on Oahu, Maui and Kauai.

"We tried to take care of the majority of people," Fujieki said. "Instead of running out of products for everybody, we're trying to help everybody."

In addition to ads in the major daily newspapers, discount coupons also would be available in the stores, he said.

He said Star would be advertising new sale prices on Wednesday, and those will be honored. He noted that new loads of goods would be coming in today and tomorrow, and "hopefully, that will be enough."

But, he said, it's going to be "tough for a while, even when things settle down." That's because "everybody is running out of products."

"We're flying things in, but we're able to get only 60 percent of the things in. ... So we're really scrambling to get all the products in. Even though things have opened up, it's going to be a total mess for a while."

Fujieki said most of his customers have been understanding.

"Most people don't understand (what the situation is)," he said. "Once you explain it to them, they pretty much understand."

He thanked Star's customers for their support.

"We are trying very hard to support the people of Hawaii and trying to make sure everybody has something," he said.

Meanwhile, if you feel you were misled or deceived, you should call the state Office of Consumer Protection, said Stephen Levins, its acting executive director. Call 587-3222 for information.

Levins said he couldn't say offhand whether Star should have honored the advertised sale prices. There are state rules that regulate the advertising of sale products, he said, but there may be extenuating circumstances, such as the availability of goods.

"That's why it's important to look at all the factors," he said.


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