GEM changed the face of Hawaii's retail scene

By Bob Sigall

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Nov 02, 2012

~~<p>Retail guru Glenn Kaya brought GEM to Hawaii in 1958. A lot of people think it was local, but it started in Denver in 1957, Kaya said. GEM stood for Government Employees Mutual, and you had to be a member to come into the store.</p>
<p>"The idea was that membership caused a sense of belonging," Kaya recalls. "With membership we knew who our customers were and where they lived. Our marketing was direct mailing to our members."</p>
~~

Retail guru Glenn Kaya brought GEM to Hawaii in 1958. A lot of people think it was local, but it started in Denver in 1957, Kaya said. GEM stood for Government Employees Mutual, and you had to be a member to come into the store.

"The idea was that membership caused a sense of belonging," Kaya recalls. "With membership we knew who our customers were and where they lived. Our marketing was direct mailing to our members." Login for more...