My Turn
MANY years ago, I decided that I wanted to live in Kailua for the rest of my life. Patronize stores whose
owners are neighborsI wasn't born there but it feels like home. I love the people, the ocean, the beaches and mountains, the fresh breezes and the gorgeous sunrises and moonrises. I love my church and my son's school. I love the activity in the parks and on the jogging paths.
And -- this is not so romantic -- I love the local stores and restaurants. They are part of the town; they and their owners are part of the magic.
That's why I shop at Hardware Hawaii. The Lundquist family has owned the store for decades and have literally and figuratively helped build this town. The family contributes to the local fund-raisers, and their floats are perennial prize-winners in Kailua's July 4th parade. They treat their workers well and the workers treat their customers like royalty.
The arrival of the Big Box retailers on Oahu brought lots of benefits to consumers: lower prices, more products to choose and better service; those outsiders also forced local stores to improve or shut down.
I'm glad the Star-Bulletin ran price comparisons on Wednesday of Oahu's main hardware stores so consumers are informed. It showed prices are often a little lower at Eagle or Home Depot than at City Mill and Hardware Hawaii. And since I drive over the Pali every day to go to work, it wouldn't be any trouble for me to shop at those big box stores.
But I'll still take my business to Hardware Hawaii, my local store. And if, heaven forbid, the big-box hardware stores drive Hardware Hawaii out of business, an important part of my adopted hometown will die.
That's one big reason why I also buy most of my groceries at locally owned Times Super Market, instead of Safeway or Costco. That's why I shop at Agnes Portuguese Bake Shop, Spikes bagels, Kalapawai Market and lots of other local shops.
They all provide quality products at good prices, and they are also part of my hometown. I know the owners or the staff, and they recognize me as a regular customer. That's important to me because it makes me feel at home.
There are other parts of Oahu that have the same neighborhood feel as Kailua, such as Manoa, Kalihi and Kaimuki. But some other neighborhoods seem disconnected from their business districts, which are dominated by chain stores owned by mainlanders.
Some of those stores' executives try hard to be good corporate citizens, and I appreciate that. But they aren't your neighbors, and Oahu is just one or two tiny lines on their accounts ledger. In hard times, good corporate citizenship is usually the first expense to get cut.
These big stores often try to compensate for their remoteness. At Safeway and some other chain stores, it's policy to be helpful and to address every customer by name. So the clerks study my credit card and then either stumble through "Petranik" or politely ask for the pronunciation. That's nice and it makes shopping more pleasant. But there are so many clerks at these stores that none of them really gets to know me.
But they know me at my local stores. Let me give you a for-instance: I know Damian Paul, owner of The Source Natural Foods, and when I drop by we may chat about our mutual interest in Civil War history or lament the Chicago Cubs (he used to live near Wrigley Field).
DAMIAN knows the names of my kids and knows what strawberry jam I like. When my mother-in-law passed away this year, he and his wife sent a letter of condolences. He's not just a store owner, he's a neighbor.
I work for a newspaper that's not locally owned. If you've been reading this paper, you know our owner wants to take his money and run. Sure, for six years he's given us enough freedom to put out a pretty good newspaper. But, in the end, he doesn't care if Oahu is left with one paper or two; he just wants to make lots of money.
It's the same way with these corporate chain stores. So if you have a choice between a good local store and a good mainland store, go local and spend a few extra pennies if you have to. Consider it an investment in your own neighborhood.
Steven Petranik is an editor on the Star-Bulletin's news desk.