Hawaii retailers ring in holidays with solid sales

Shoppers nationwide and in Hawaii flocked to stores and websites this Thanksgiving and Black Friday holiday weekend, setting retail sales records and creating enough momentum to last well beyond Cyber Monday.

"It was the best Black Friday that we’ve had in 10 years," said Michael Tam, chief executive officer of Martin & MacArthur.

The company, which operates 10 specialty stores, featuring its own koa furniture, fashion and home accessories, throughout the isles, didn’t do any discounting and still saw year-over-year store gains of 30 to 80 percent over Black Friday and the weekend, Tam said.

"Website traffic also was up on Cyber Monday," he said of the first big online shopping day. "Activity, especially from the U.S. mainland, Japan, Europe and Australia, surpassed expectations."

Other Hawaii stores, including large retailers like Ala Moana Center, Pearlridge Center, Royal Hawaiian Center, Waikele Premium Outlets, Ward Centers and Waikiki Beach Walk, shared similar accounts that coincided with the results of nationwide surveys released by the National Retail Federation.

One nationwide survey, conduced by BIGresearch for the NRF, indicated that traffic and spending over Thanksgiving, Black Friday and the following weekend reached historic highs both online and in stores. A record 226 million shoppers visited stores and websites during this time period as compared with 212 million shoppers last year, according to the survey. Total retail spending over the four days reached about $52.4 billion nationwide, with the average holiday shopper spending $398.62, including $150.53 in online purchases, the survey said.

The NRF also called attention to a Cyber Monday nationwide survey conducted for Shop.org by BIGresearch. That survey estimated that 122.9 million Americans would shop on Cyber Monday this year as compared with 106.9 million in 2010.

"More consumers than ever turned out for retailers’ Black Friday promotions, a promising sign for the economic recovery," said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay in a press release.

Hawaii retailers are similarly optimistic, said Fred Paine, general manager of Pearlridge Center, a 1.2 million-square-foot regional shopping center in Aiea anchored by Macy’s, Sears and Ross Dress for Less, Toys R Us and Bed Bath & Beyond.

"We are doing very well in Hawaii. It was difficult to move around at Pearlridge — it was like the pre-recession holiday season. It was the best start to the holiday shopping season that we’ve seen since 2007," Paine said.

Lines snaked around the Toys R Us, which opened at 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving, and Macy’s, which opened at midnight, he said. By 10:30 a.m. on Black Friday, parking was full, Paine said.

"Even holiday train rides were ahead of this time last year," he said, adding that some 25,000 kids rode the train in 2010.

Waikele Premium Outlets, also on Oahu’s west side, reported strong results, too.

"With many stores choosing to open by 9 p.m. on Thursday to accommodate the most ardent bargain hunters, we saw an overall increase in traffic on Black Friday," said Cesar Topacio, general manager of Waikele Premium Outlets.

Ala Moana Center opened 22 stores — including Macy’s — at midnight, and that helped increase overall traffic, said Scott Creel, group marketing manager for General Growth Properties, which owns the center.

"Those who took advantage of early store openings tended to leave the center earlier, making room for more shoppers," Creel said. "It is likely there was a higher volume of traffic this year at the center due to extended shopping hours available at many stores."

Royal Hawaiian Center merchants and restaurants also reported strong business on Thanksgiving Day, as well as steady business over the weekend, said Sam Shenkus, marketing director for The Festival Cos., which manages the 310,000-square-foot retail center, which spans three blocks in Waikiki.

"Our new Tory Burch store has had lines of customers waiting to shop the entire weekend and again today," Shenkus said. "Our parking structure was also very busy with a 25 percent increase in vehicles over the holiday period. Several merchants reported double-digit increases over last year, and customer traffic at the center today has been great."

Nearby Waikiki Beach Walk also saw steady Thanksgiving Day foot traffic and sales with merchants reporting that Black Friday was one of the best sales days ever, said Conchita Malaqui, Waikiki Beach Walk general manager.

"Overall, we’re pleased with the great foot traffic, and early sales reports are up for the season," Malaqui said.

Likewise, merchants in Ward Centers, a 550,000-square-foot retail complex covering four blocks in Kakaako, also reported better results than last year, said Diane Bruce, Ward Centers’ marketing manager.

"We’re optimistic about the rest of the holiday season," Bruce said. "Since summer we’ve opened 18 new stores, and we have a number of holiday promotions coming up that should draw additional customers."