LIHU‘E — When economic times are tough, people find the need to reach further into their pockets to make purchases. Many will tend to gravitate toward larger retail outlets that can potentially provide more bang for their buck, according to
LIHU‘E — When economic times are tough, people find the need to reach further into their pockets to make purchases. Many will tend to gravitate toward larger retail outlets that can potentially provide more bang for their buck, according to Beth Tokioka.
With unemployment on the rise, paycheck cuts and furlough days, “you can’t blame people for looking for the best price,” she said, even though smaller, local enterprises might lose business in the meantime. Tokioka, the mayor’s executive assistant, is a founder of the Kaua‘i Made program.
“I wish we could support more local-based operations,” Kaua‘i Small Business Development Center Director John Latkiewicz said Sunday. “But, people need to do what they need to do to get by.”
Entrepreneurs across the island have been soliciting his advice lately as business is down, he said.
“People are a little more desperate,” he said. “Profitability is not what it was and hours are being reduced, leading them to explore other opportunities.”
Visitors are also bargain hunting and finding ways to stretch their dollars, according to Kaua‘i Visitor Bureau Executive Director Sue Kanoho.
On the other hand, she said she has seen people making “the extra effort to find something authentic.”
“We will always have people looking for the cheapest things, but others who want to take something home that really means something,” she said.
Even big-box stores have been offering locally made products and are jumping on the Kaua‘i Made bandwagon.
“Visitors are looking for locally made products and the Kaua‘i Made seal helps them pick it out,” Kanoho said, citing Wal-Mart as an example, an outlet largely known for offering discounted prices on imported goods.
For those who live on the island, where they shop really boils down to convenience and location, she said.
Not everyone will want to drive to Lihu‘e to save money on a gallon of milk at Costco, she said. “Local folks work around their schedule and budget.”
Location was certainly what helped boost sales for one Kaua‘i Made business owner.
Though “tourism is way down,” Country Moon Rising’s new storefront location in Kapa‘a has increased its exposure, strengthening patronage, owner Michael Rickett said Sunday.
The bakery, which also sells freshly made juices and smoothies, uses more than 95 percent organic ingredients in its breads, a quality that is difficult to find in larger retailers, he said.
Their loaves of bread are a healthier option and “much better for you,” Rickett said.
And while you can’t force someone to buy local, Kaua‘i entrepreneurs do offer the homemade touch. “We have great food and take pride in making it,” he said.
“It’s really the locals that need to put their attention on the community and keep money here instead of putting it into others’ hands,” he added.
When shopping at places like his, the capital stays on island instead of traveling to a corporation elsewhere. “If you watched your money once it leaves the island, it’s out of our pockets, it’s done,” Rickett said.
Another thing Rickett said he would like to see more of is an emphasis on “growing our own food.”
Latkiewicz said agriculture has taken a “back seat” so far as many would-be business owners consult him about enterprises which would appeal to visitors, such as food or retail.
Though the options for island products may be limited, “I believe people really do want to shop at locally owned places,” Tokioka said.
“You can’t blame people in a tight economy looking to stretch their dollar; there’s nothing you can do about that,” Kanoho said.
• Coco Zickos, business and environmental writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 251) or czickos@kauaipubco.com.
