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Local Bestsellers Taking a dig at a recent Forbes magazine article about Hawaii, book store operator Brian Melzack joked that he is "playing suicide" by opening yet another business in Hawaii's economy.
picks its niche
The isle book store is adding
a new location emphasizing musicBy Russ Lynch
rlynch@starbulletin.comMelzack opens his fifth Bestsellers store today, his second at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort & Spa.
"We are so thrilled being here in this part of the world. Certainly, we understand that our sector on the mainland has been hard hit by 'big box' stores, the Internet, people not doing enough reading," he said. "But the Hawaii people do read. They are educated. They are current. Plus we have the powerful, revolving, tourist market, people who have time on their hands," he said.
Melzack is one of a number of island entrepreneurs who believe that it's sometimes necessary to put the big picture aside and find a niche that really works.
Cheryl Schaeffer, a retail executive who helped redevelop Hilo Hattie, now does niche marketing to tourists with Hawaii-themed products. The key product of her business, named Sunny Hawaii, is "moderately priced, tropically influenced handbags," she said.
"There is a very strong tourist market here but it is changing," Schaeffer said. "As long as you have a unique product that's priced right, that says something about this destination, you will sell," she said.
The tourist mix has fewer visitors from Asia than in the past, she said, and those who do come spend less than those who came to Hawaii in earlier years. And from the mainland "we have perhaps a little less affluent customer westbound than we used to have," said Schaeffer.
Target marketing designed to recognize all that will work, she said, supporting Welzack's approach.
Welzack's new Bestsellers, in the Rainbow Bazaar of the Hilton, is mainly a music store but it is Hawaii-oriented.
The 600-square-foot shop has a wide selection of Hawaiian music and a full range of other entertainment products, such as videos and DVDs. The books it does have are specialized works about Hawaiian music, Melzack said.
He expects movies on DVD to sell well to hotel customers. "Carry your (laptop) computer and a couple of DVDs and your flight is over in no time," he said.
The new store is just yards away from a Bestsellers book store Melzack opened in October 1999.
His first store, which opened in 1998 at Hotel and Bishop streets, is still doing well, Melzack said. Bestsellers also has two stores at Honolulu Airport, which have not been hurt by all the new traveler-security procedures that went into effect after the Sept. 11 hijackings.
"I hate to say it, but it actually helped us," Melzack said. People are arriving at the airport hours before their flights but security checks often are quicker than they expect and many people wind up inside the secured area of the airport with time on their hands before their flights go. That means time to shop and they do, Melzack said.
They buy books to read at the airport and during the flight. There have been fewer people in the airport, he said, but they are spending more time and money in the stores.
Melzack said the new store in the Hilton will be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., 365 days a year.