Just hours remain before the spirit of Christmas envelops the island, and at the Kukui Grove Shopping Center, quality parking spaces were at a premium yesterday. There were some available spots, but those located close to the store entrances were
Just hours remain before the spirit of Christmas envelops the island, and at the Kukui Grove Shopping Center, quality parking spaces were at a premium yesterday.
There were some available spots, but those located close to the store entrances were coveted items, just as it was at other hot shopping locales like the neighboring Costco and Wal-Mart stores. Despite the sluggish economy, it appears last-minute Christmas shoppers are still coming out in droves.
“Overall, we’re doing great,” said Kukui Grove marketing manager Jonelle Kaohelauli‘i, noting the mall started observing longer holiday hours from the second week in December, and since then, the stores have been enjoying brisk sales.
“We did have a little slowdown after Thanksgiving, but that was very brief,” she said. “All of our anchor stores are doing good, and electronics seem to be the item of choice this year as shoppers look for the latest and greatest of the games and consoles.”
Enjoying that wave are Radio Shack and Game Stop, where shoppers overflowed the store to discuss strategy on purchasing the latest in electronic gaming.
Kaohelauli‘i attributes the final surge of shopping to lower gas prices, allowing shoppers to come to the mall more frequently. It also results in shoppers having a little extra money to spend on holiday gifts, she said.
That offsets the veil of a bad economy as she said the mall’s sales on gift cards has doubled over last year, when gift certificates were being offered.
“It appears that shoppers are looking for that unique gift,” Kaohelauli‘i said. “That brings them to the Kaua‘i Product Store, which relocated just last month. From there, they seem to visit all the stores and if they just cannot find that special gift, they get a gift card.”
Overall, Kaohelauli‘i said all of the shops have been doing well over the past two weeks.
“Long’s Drugs is doing well with its extended hours until 10 p.m., Starbucks and Jamba Juice are fueling the shoppers as they walk the mall, and we’ve had a lot more visits from Santa — both the traditional and Hawaiian Santa — this year,” she said.
Shoppers have until 6 p.m. Christmas Eve — that’s today, in case you haven’t been counting down — to shop at the mall, Kaohelauli‘i said.
“Some stores may be open later, but the mall closes at 6 p.m. The complimentary gift wrapping and valet parking will be available until then,” Kaohelauli‘i said.
Only three stores — L&L foods, Blockbuster and Kmart, are scheduled to be open on Christmas Day.
On Friday morning, Pacific Fireworks will open its doors between the Radio Shack and the Kaua‘i Society of Artists gallery. The pyrotechnics shop will be offering fireworks for the New Year’s celebration.
Following that, Kaohelauli‘i said the mall will be hosting a variation of the sidewalk sale during the Martin Luther King holiday weekend, Jan. 16 to 19.
“It’s going to be called the in-and-out sale because in addition to values on the sidewalks, customers can get winter clearance bargains inside the store as well,” she said.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or via e-mail at dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com
