Bagless Target stores open in Kailua, Kahului

Target Corp. opened stores in Kailua and Kahului on Wednesday, bringing the total in the state to six for the Minneapolis-based retailer.

The Kailua opening followed more than a two-year delay. Target renovated a 130,000-square-foot store at 345 Hahani St. previously occupied by Don Quijote.

The Kailua store, originally scheduled to open in July 2012, met with opposition from a vocal group of residents who fear the big-box retailer will change Kailua’s small-town charm, bring more people into the quiet neighborhood and cause further traffic woes.

The company also was forced to revise plans for the project after an archaeological study discovered unidentified iwi kupuna, or Native Hawaiian skeletal remains.

Target has hired roughly 500 workers combined for the Kailua and Kahului stores. The Kahului store is Target’s first on Maui.

Target has decided not to offer paper or plastic bags at its Kailua and Kahului stores. Reusable bags are available for 99 cents to $1.50. Target said its four other stores statewide — two on Oahu and two on Hawaii island — will go bagless this summer.

Starting July 1, Oahu businesses will be prohibited from providing plastic checkout bags and nonrecyclable paper bags to customers.