TheBuzz
TheBuzz
'Tis the season of the seasonal hire in the retail industry. This, as other companies downsize because of the difficult economy. Holiday jobs, mommy and
money stuffsHundreds of jobs are available at Macy's, according to Hawaii Senior Vice President and Director of Stores Deena Nichols. The temporary positions range from sales to loss prevention.
As the company alters the former Liberty House stores to reflect the Macy's identity, other, smaller companies are getting work they might not otherwise have -- such as those which fabricate fixtures for store displays and local contractors hired for remodeling.
Macyizing and localizing
While Nichols oversees the "Macyizing" of Liberty House there are signs that she's more than taken the uniqueness of Hawaii to heart, and to desk.While leading an impromptu tour of the Ala Moana store this week, Nichols was asked if she had yet fallen in love with Hawaiian koa wood. "How could you not!" came the emphatic response, to which she added that one of the first things she did was pick up a koa pen.
Nontraditional retail
On the opposite end of the retail spectrum from Macy's is Makana Mother & Baby.Not your mother's maternity clothing store, it doesn't even have a permanent storefront. "You can do retail without a store," said president, mom and part-time public relations executive Deborah Sharkey.
Her "maternity showroom" will be in the Maui room of the Blaisdell Center this weekend and Dec. 8 and 9 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays.
Traveling Tobacco Road
Which might also be called easy street.A $1.6 million portion of the state's master settlement agreement with tobacco companies will be funding a Starr Seigle Communications campaign for the state Department of Health.
The two-year contract the ad agency just won for the "Healthy Hawaii Initiative" will have the agency create materials which encourage us to "pursue and maintain a lifestyle of regular exercise, a balanced healthy diet and a message of prevention or discontinued use of tobacco products," according to a statement.
The state is said to be one of only six to earmark a significant portion of the tobacco settlement funds for public health efforts. The legislature has mandated that the department spend 60 percent of the state's portion of the settlement for promotion of healthy habits, such as fitness, good nutrition and tobacco control.
Starr Seigle was selected over at least two other large contenders in the local ad industry.
Erika Engle is a reporter with the Star-Bulletin.
Call 529-4302, fax 529-4750 or write to Erika Engle,
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210,
Honolulu, HI 96813. She can also be reached
at: eengle@starbulletin.com