HONOLULU – Times Supermarkets, Hawai‘i’s third-largest supermarket chain, announced this week the opening of its first Kaua‘i location Wednesday in Lihu‘e at the site of the former Star Market. The new store will bring savings to Kaua‘i residents on a
HONOLULU – Times Supermarkets, Hawai‘i’s third-largest supermarket chain, announced this week the opening of its first Kaua‘i location Wednesday in Lihu‘e at the site of the former Star Market. The new store will bring savings to Kaua‘i residents on a full line of groceries and a wide assortment of new products and services.
“Our merchandising team has spent the last four, or five months tagging more than 5,000 tags reflecting reduced prices,” said Bob Stout, senior director of store operations for Times Hawai‘i, at the store blessing, Wednesday. “There are a few thousand more tags to be hung, and with the approaching holidays, there will be more (pricing specials) to come. We are ready for Christmas!”
Times dedicated the new store, located at 3-2600 Kaumuali‘i Highway, to customers with a traditional Hawaiian blessing officiated by Nathan Kalama who offered oli for all of the people working in the supermarket. Cake and light refreshments for guests followed the ceremony.
“We are very thrilled to be on Kaua‘i and bringing new savings to our new Kaua‘i customers,” said John Quinn, president of Hawai‘i-based QSI Inc., parent company of Times.
Times acquired the site as a part of its July announcement to purchase seven Star Market sites on Maui, Kaua‘i and O‘ahu earlier this year. Since the deal closed, Times has started to take initial steps to refresh the merchandise in both stores and the customer experience to create a faster, friendlier shopping experience.
“We think the new layout of our stores will make the stores easier to navigate, which will save customers time as they shop for everyday necessities at our new lower prices,” Stout said. “By grouping our products that our customers most often purchase, we are making one-stop shopping even easier.”
Times will employ approximately 53 people, including many former Star Market employees. “We have not hired any new people and kept a lot of positions at Times open to preserve as many jobs for the former Star employees as possible,” Stout said.
Chris Borden, an employee with Star Market for 12 years, will also be joining the Times team.
“There have been tons of changes in the 12 years I’ve been with Star Market,” Borden said. “A lot of the changes have been for the better, and the opening of Times on Kaua‘i is just another change to build and improve on.”
Times is planning a larger grand opening event early next year after it completes its redesign of the new locations and completes its introduction of lower prices, Stout said.
Albert and Wallace Teruya, the sons of Okinawan immigrants, established Times Supermarkets on O‘ahu in 1949 to serve Hawai‘i’s plantation communities. Today, Times and its approximately 1,400 employees run 14 full-service supermarket and pharmacy locations on O‘ahu, two on Maui, and one Kaua‘i. The company also operates two wine and specialty foods shops, Fujioka’s Wine Times, along with Shima’s Market in Waimanalo.
John and Pat Quinn acquired the chain in 2002.
