Organic groceries are becoming more accessible all over Kaua‘i. But does accessibility translate into affordability? While many of the standard box store markets boast an organic section, prices often reflect the celebrity status of the product. At its purest level,
Organic groceries are becoming more accessible all over Kaua‘i. But does accessibility translate into affordability?
While many of the standard box store markets boast an organic section, prices often reflect the celebrity status of the product. At its purest level, supporting organics should stem from a virtuous effort to care for the planet and for our bodies. On the Mainland that may have been the rule for many a transplant, but the reality of living by virtue alone fades with a dwindling bank account.
But then again, there are a handful of newcomers to the game. Take for instance Cost-U-Less, with its ever-growing organic and planet friendly products. Two beefed-up rows of everyday-items abound — in limited variety, albeit. But if you’re the kind of shopper who gets over-stimulated by the dozen or more choices of toilet paper or cereal, this is a very good thing.
Then just two months ago, another organic option entered the market. Hoku Whole Foods in Kapa‘a introduced an entirely different way of shopping — whether organic or not. Yes, their warehouse is in Kapa‘a, but to shop there you don’t have to leave the swivel chair at your desk.
Brett and Rilyn Arries have upgraded your wagon to a mouse with their online shopping experience at
hokuwholefoods.com. Online grocery shopping offers an entirely new way to fill your pantry.
The couple set up their Web site when they tired of hearing complaints from friends regarding the price to be paid for organic groceries on Kaua‘i.
“We thought, ‘How can we open a store and have a low overhead?’” said Rilyn Arries.
By having shoppers pre-order food, the Arries only have to cover storage and refrigeration for a short period, which in the long run saves money for their customers.
There are a few tricks to navigating hokuwholefoods.com, though. One canon of online shopping is that you order in multiples of three or more. Ordering in bulk is nothing new to many of the organic product fan base or for the community at large if you take into account Costco shopping.
Costco aside, for decades there have been “food clubs” where groups consolidated their groceries by ordering in large quantities from wholesale food vendors. United Foods, formerly Mountain People, was a popular wholesale vendor utilized among the Kaua‘i community. These food clubs are “illegal” now.
One of the disadvantages to food club shopping was the issue of storage. When the order arrived, everyone in the club had to rush to pick up perishables.
Papaya’s Natural Foods still offers shoppers a similar experience ordering from a catalogue. There is a minimum order amount, plus shipping costs.
Ordering online through the Arries also eliminates the frustration of deciphering the tomb of a wholesale catalogue. Rilyn Arries said that was a concern for her when initiating the Web site: “How can I make a catalogue more user-friendly.”
Indeed, there is that overwhelming experience when searching for something on the Internet. The Hoku Web site has over 24,000 products. It’s up to the consumer to learn how best to use the search tool on the site.
The trick is knowing the key words to type. Sound obvious? Well, it’s actually a little trickier. “Shorter is better,” said Rilyn Arries.
Sadly though, the way a manufacturer describes their product may not be the product’s name. Case in point, Weleda Iris Moisturizer gave no results, but when “moisturizer” was changed to “moist” it was listed.
The Arries recommend you first peruse their “How to order” section for a few tips. There you’ll find a heading for how to use the search tool to ensure the most accurate results.
Here’s how it works: First you register as a user, click “shop now,” then shop and pay with a credit card. There is always an ordering date cut-off so you know when the store will place your order with the vendor. Wait two weeks for the pick-up call. You have three days to pick up your groceries at the Hoku warehouse in Kapa‘a. The Arries do keep a few staples on hand at the Hoku Whole Foods warehouse at 951 Kipuni Way in Kapa‘a. Warehouse hours are Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Monday from noon to 7 p.m.
If there are certain staples you always keep in your pantry like diced tomatoes, brown rice or a favorite cereal, then it’s easy to find those items by being specific with a manufacturer name. However, if you are a browser, you may need to develop some search skills before diving into that black hole called the Internet.
One convenient feature the Arries have available is a grocery list. “One of our customers has over 540 items on her grocery list. The list is always there so you don’t have to go search,” said Rilyn Arries.
Best deals to be had at Hoku are on dry goods at a markup of just 37 percent. “The average markup is 50 percent and often higher on Kaua‘i,” said Brett Arries.
Then there’s the painfully high cost of shipping chilled goods. Rilyn Arries explained why: “We have to pay 50 cents per pound of chilled groceries.”
If you’ve ever been curious about how retail pricing works, the Arries go to great lengths to explain it on the site. There are two basic pricing strategies in retail grocery: Everyday Low Pricing “EDLP” and the “HiLo” approach.
EDLP means that a retailer offers the same consistently low prices on every item they carry. HiLo means a retailer offers sale items (the “Lo”) to attract customers and marks up the rest of their items (the “Hi”) to make up the difference.
Everyday low pricing is what Hoku Whole Foods offers. That isn’t to say you won’t find some sale items cheaper elsewhere. “What we shoot for is consistently low prices to save consumers money overall,” said Brett Arries.
“We do have sale items,” Rilyn Arries added.
Everything the distributor marks down is passed on to Hoku shoppers. There’s an average of 4,000 items in the monthly specials category.
The Arries moved to Kaua‘i to work on an organic farm. “When that didn’t work,” said Rilyn Arries, “ we reassessed how best to contribute to Kaua‘i.”
“We got accustomed to getting healthy food easily,” said Rilyn Arries. “Leaving the farm led us to a way to provide healthy food for our community and our family.”
Ordering wholesale is one option for the frugal shopper. But Rilyn Arries said, “If you shop every sale on the island you may save more, but you’re still doing the driving.”
What the Arries hope to be is that store where you save overall, not just on a few items.
• Pam Woolway, lifestyle writer, can be reached at 245-3681, ext. 257 or pwoolway@kauaipubco.com.
