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I have a job offer in Maui and was looking at where I would be shopping, what stores are available? I did some research - here's what I've come up with. Where else is there to shop?
Folks don't need as much stuff around here since they are outside more than inside and there's nowhere to go if you get dressed up anyway. There isn't enough of a weather change to demand seasonal wardrobes. Add a jacket to what you usually wear and you're ready for winter. There's Ace hardware, that's a place you'll need to go frequently, some garden shops, surf shops and farmer's markets. What more do you need? We don't have that much of a population to support all those different chain stores nor the mentality for them, either.
Your list is fairly complete for Maui. There are also two (fairly touristy) shopping centers: Whaler's Village in Kaanapali and The Shops at Wailea that have clothing and accessory boutiques. And a couple of the towns (Lahaina and Makawao) are lined with little shops, but Maui is no shopping mecca. Honolulu has lots more.
Well I wasn't planning on bringing my furniture, I was just going to buy new when I get there. What furniture stores are available?
They're all local, so listing them isn't much help. (Although my neighbor down the street owns Mind's Eye in Lahaina, so I should give him a plug, I guess.) There's nothing like Ikea or Ethan Allen if those are the kinds of things you're thinking of.
The high costs for shipping keep the mainland stores out. There is plenty of furniture available, new and (really nice) used, because so many people come and go. If you're very particular, you can hire an interior designer and they will completely furnish your place right down to the linens and flatware. It takes some time, though, and it isn't cheap. There's a big market for this kind of turnkey service because of condo and vacation home owners who don't want to be bothered with picking out a lamp here and a rug there, then getting it all delivered. There are several on-island and all of the local furniture stores offer some sort of design services.
While we're at it, there's nothing like a Bed, Bath & Beyond, either, so your options for cookware, appliances, dishes, barware, etc. are similarly limited once you get here. You can pretty much find everything, but you don't have as many choices and you may have to look around a good bit.
Hope this helps.
Last edited by whynot?; 03-27-2009 at 05:00 PM..
Reason: clarification
Well, I use to live on Maui and left there a little over 9 years ago. In Kihei there is Azeka's shopping mall on both sides of the street near the Kihei post office. Long's Drug is there so where you stay Kihei? In Kahului, I always went to K-Mart, what it is not there anymore? Went to Costco, Health food stores, I went to both of them, wonder if they are still there, the one on Hana Highway, I knew of the owners, they were from New York State and had a Radio Health talk show every Sat. In Kahului you have the Shopping Mall, all types of shops to go to there( where Sears is located, they modernized it years ago. At one time, we had a Penny's but it went out of business. There is a used Record/CD shop in Wailuku. There are lots of shops in Lahaina on the " famous FRONT STREET... it's the tourist trap, but worh walking down both sides of the streets. We once had a WOOLWORTH's in Kahului but that went out of business L o n g time ago yearsssss ago. I use to work at the old WAILEA SHOPPING CENTER and that was geared for the rich tourist, I never got to see the NEW SHOPPING CENTER, the old one was torned down, anyone have photos of the place? I got to write to someone that lives on maui, I want to know if ROYAL LAHAINA RESORT ever tore down the older buildings there... and stuff on Maui. KIHEI has a two large swimming pools, they opened January 1999, I use to go there all the time, fact, I be the only one in the two pools there,people would come to swim and I be the only one there... is those pools still working?
Though I live on the big island and visiting before you move e I would make a trip to Maui find a place and then decide if you should leave things behind. Costco is one of our life lines in shopping. For clothes you wear mostly shorts t shirts sandals you hardly wear socks. Life is very casual.
There is no Sam's club in Maui. They only have one in O'ahu. Don't discount Kmart they are Competitive in grocery and in the clothing department if you check their sales and you do not need to buy the quanities that Costco sells. That can be handy if you just need a bottle of something for a guest and not Gallons of it. Costco is the lowest on Gas for the car. You just need to learn how to shop and keep an open mind to the store. Since it is a closed system they all need to compete except for the stores pointed at the tourists.
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It's a Typical Small Island
