Will Costco open Hilo side soon (house, law, transport)

[whtviper1]

You can't go with population on Hilo side vs. Kona side. The overwhelming vast majority of tourists who stay overnight on the BI stay on the Kona side. Hilo/Volcano gets plenty of tourists but they don't stay the night typically. Costco wanted that tourist overnight population

[terracore]

75% of Costco's profits are by selling memberships. I don't think a lot of tourists are signing up for costco memberships in Kona. I think they already have them. They probably built Costco on the west side for the same reason the resorts built on the west side: available land and lack of opposition.

[whtviper1]

Originally Posted by terracore

They probably built Costco on the west side for the same reason the resorts built on the west side: available land and lack of opposition.

I hate to break the news - the resorts are on the Kona side for the weather. Let's not kid ourselves, you don't go to resorts to get rained on all the time.

Lack of opposition? I thought Hilo folks wanted Costco? Didn't stop Walmart and Target.

Lack of available land? We most go to a different Hilo. From my perspective land o'plenty.

75% profit from memberships? Jeez, why build 2 on Oahu. Why not stick with one. The drive from the west side to East Oahu is certainly less than Hilo to Kona.

[steiconi]

East side's got the people, west side's got the money.

[terracore]

"you don't go to resorts to get rained on all the time."

The East side has the volcano, the waterfalls, and the jungles. Not everybody comes to Hawaii to sit around a pool in the middle of a volcanic wasteland artificially landscaped and irrigated to look like Hawaii. And many of the ones who do, get bused to the East side to get rained on.

"Lack of opposition? I thought Hilo folks wanted Costco? Didn't stop Walmart and Target."

The opposition comes from the political machine connected to the local families that own the businesses that would be impacted by costco. It's not impossible to overcome but corporations are going to take the routes of least resistance.

"Lack of available land? We most go to a different Hilo. From my perspective land o'plenty. "

There isn't a lot of land that would meet the permitting requirements of traffic access, commercial zoning, parking lot plus warehouse size, rain runoff mitigation options, and municipal water requirements a Costco would require. And the land that is available comes at a price. I don't remember the specifics but somebody had looked at a big warehouse store in the Shipman industrial park and the issue was insufficient municipal water, but maybe they have increased capacity since then.

[whtviper1]

Originally Posted by terracore

"you don't go to resorts to get rained on all the time."

The East side has the volcano, the waterfalls, and the jungles. Not everybody comes to Hawaii to sit around a pool in the middle of a volcanic wasteland artificially landscaped and irrigated to look like Hawaii. And many of the ones who do, get bused to the East side to get rained on.

Yep, the east side has those things - and by far and away, Hilo - and there isn't a close second, has the most day trips from Honolulu. But, people don't stay - there isn't a single decent resort - it does rain, a lot, lets not sugarcoat it (Kona 18 inches per year, Hilo 125 inches) - and the frogs despite some local people liking them are a turnoff to people who aren't used to them and trying to sleep.

[mr.magoo]

I love listening to the sound of Coqui Frogs as I relax in my Hilo Hattie Muumuu..But that's just me. -)

[hotzcatz]

Coqui frogs are evil incarnate! Ick! I liked it better when it was quiet enough at night to hear the magma moving through the lava tubes.

I still don't know why Costco would want to open a Hilo location when the Hilo folks are wiling to drive to the Kona side. Maybe they need more warehouse space? I'd heard something about how some of the stuff was stockpiled here to be sent to Oahu later since cost of warehousing here is less expensive than there. Dunno as if it's true, though.

I'm sure it all has to do with demographics and sometimes even after they build a Costco they move it so somewhere else. So maybe demographics change or maybe they don't get it right the first time? Does Costco own the properties they put their buildings on? Someone told me once that McD's isn't into fast food but into property ownership, dunno as if it would be the same for Costco or not.

[mr.magoo]

Originally Posted by hotzcatz

Coqui frogs are evil incarnate! Ick! I liked it better when it was quiet enough at night to hear the magma moving through the lava tubes.

.

They came to the Islands via Puerto Rico, no?
They are just as loud and bothersome in PR, but they are Puerto Ricos mascot.
https://www.city-data.com/forum/membe...oqui-frog.html

[leilaniguy]

And Puerto Rico can keep them!