“Apple Computer is hiring for its second Apple Store on Oahu, which is expected to open at Kahala Mall by the end of this year,” Nina Wu reports for The Star-Bulletin (Hawaii). “It’s expected to occupy about 5,000 square feet in what was formerly the ground-floor Gap space at Kahala Mall.”
“‘I think it will be a really exciting addition,’ General Manager Ron Yoda said. ‘It will revitalize the mall, and I think the demographics of Kahala (are) perfect for the Apple store, which is in a very convenient location.’ Yoda said lease negotiations went on for at least six months, and that it remained up to Apple to make the new store announcement,” Wu reports. “Job listings posted Friday for the Kahala location on Apple’s Web site, jobs.apple.com, included store manager, assistant store manager, Mac genius, Mac specialist, inventory control specialist and retail business consultant. The jobs also are posted on honolulu.craigslist.org.”
Wu reports, “Jenn Neves, a manager at the Ala Moana Apple store, confirmed that the Kahala store would be open by the end of the year, but declined to give more specifics. Apple Computer Inc., based in Cupertino, Calif., has 156 retail stores nationwide, with the newest addition in Miami Beach, Fla.”
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “MutantMango” for the heads up.]
MacDailyNews Take: If Yoda said it, you know it’s true.
2 stores for 1.2 million+ people? I would have thought an international location would have priority.
an announcement certain to be followed by choruses of people whing how apple is personally disrespecting them for not placing a store a half mile from where they live.
“Revitalize the mall it will”, General Manager Ron Yoda said.
Apple is expected to move into the former ground-floor Gap space and part of the former Footlocker space at the mall.
…
Gap left the mall after its lease went up last year, while Footlocker decided not to renew its lease following the mall’s flood in March.
Flood??? And Apple wants to move into a space on the ground floor?
Can anyone from the area comment on the flooding? Is this a very rare event or does flooding occur frequently? Thanks.
Peace.
The first Apple Store in Hawaii is in the huge Ala Moana Shopping Center, near the beach and between Waikiki and downtown Honolulu. It’s packed; not only with locals but with many, many tourists from all over– Europe, Asia etc. It’s also a very small store relative to the Apple Stores elsewhere in the US.
Tiny Kahala Mall is only a few miles east of the Ala Moana Apple Store and in a primarily upscale residential neighborhood.
Many locals are surprised that the store plans to open in Kahala Mall instead of the much larger shopping centers at Pearlridge or Waikele, both of which have a larger population and more extensive business base from which to draw customers.
This could be Apple’s first big retail store flop.
BTW – “Hawaiian” is a term usually reserved for the race of people with Hawaiian heritage, rather than a general term to describe something associated with the state. For example, if you’re from Texas, you can be called a Texan. If you’re from Hawaii, you’re not “Hawaiian” unless you have Hawaiian blood.
So, the MDN headline should say, “Apple plans second Hawaii Apple Retail Store in Oahu’s Kahala Mall.”
“That damn MacBook Pro is acting up again dear. I’m going to have to take it to the nearest Genius Bar to get an expert to fix it. See you in about a week.”
Na, she’s blonde but she’s not that stupid. Besides, Seattle is closer. She’d probably fall for a 2 day trip there.
There was 40 days of rain last year on Oahu. The Kahala area was hit hard the day it flooded. Some of the storm drains in that area were saturated and there was a broken water main just up the road. The water collected in a higher area, and then went swamping through the theaters and then out into the rest of the mall. If I remember correctly, over 75% of the mall was hit. It was a phenomena, quite surreal because nothing like that ever happens.
Kahala Mall is a nice smaller sized mall, but very comfortable to go to. It is much more relaxed than Ala Moana Shopping Center, and if I had the choice, I’d go to Kahala. I think it is a better fit in regards to logistics, than Pearlridge, and Waikele is out of the question — that area is full of outlet stores and the like, not the kind of area to fit an Apple Retail Store.
Surfer Joe, come on now. Not everyone is no nitpicky about the usage of the word “Hawaiian”. I was born and raised on the island. I call myself Hawaiian despite not having a drop of Hawaiian blood in my veins. I’m more Hawaiian than a native Hawaiian transplant that was born and raised somewhere in Oregon. Now I do get bothered when people call aloha shirts, “Hawaiian shirts”, though.
Shimanchu, you’re an idiot. If you truly knew anything about Hawaii and the local culture, you would know that what SurferJoe said was accurate. If you’re born in Hawaii and live in Hawaii you can call yourself “local” but not “Hawaiian”.
Walk down through any mall or downtown and ask any local resident if they’re “Hawaiian.” If they have Hawaiian blood they’ll tell you yes, or “part Hawaiian.” If they’re local and of Japanese, Filipino, Korean, or whatever descent, they won’t claim to be “Hawaiian.” Neither should you. You’re claiming a heritage that does not belong to you.
Locals also know that Kahala Mall is the haole mall (most shoppers are caucasian and well to do).
Someone calling themself “Mufi Hanneman’s Toy Boy” is calling me an idiot? Come on now.
Okay, maybe I’m biased since I grew up out in East Honolulu. I like Kahala Mall. That’s my opinion. Ala Moana is the Japanese mall and Pearl Ridge is the Filipino mall, so what?
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I also call myself Hawaiian, but do add the disclaimer to those that might think that perhaps I might have some Hawaiian blood in me. Yes, I do use the term local, all the time. No, I’ll never be able to go to Kamehameha, and would never hoped to have had the chance, because that school is rightfully for the “children of Hawaii”. I went to school near Papakolea from 2nd grade and then graduated from Roosevelt. I don’t think that my friends out there considered me any less Hawaiian because I didn’t have any native bood in me. Whatever. That’s just how I feel.
Perhaps I pulled out the wrong example, but to get all huhu about an Apple store being refered to as “Hawaiian”, now that is just plain silly. In the English language, the word Hawaiian refers to “Of or related to Hawaii, its people, or its language”. It relates to Hawaii because it exists in a mall that is located in Hawaii. Simple.
MDN Word: “room” … There’s room for aloha in all of us.
“Many locals are surprised that the store plans to open in Kahala Mall instead of the much larger shopping centers at Pearlridge or Waikele, both of which have a larger population and more extensive business base from which to draw customers.”
The retail mix at Pearlridge is absolutely horrible now to the point where it doesn’t feel like you are even in a shopping mall. Putting an Apple Store there wouldn’t even help revitalize it either unless maybe firing whomever is managing the center. To be honest, the retail shopping malls in Hawaii suck with the exception of Ala Moana (and that isn’t saying much once you visit places on the mainland or say Tokyo and Osaka). Places like Waikele and Highlands Center are the epitomy of pathetic in terms of inefficiency.
Kahala Mall while smaller is probably a better fit just based on the areas clientele but my question is whether or not two Apple Stores are needed in such a close vicinity to each other? One advantage might be that the Kahala Mall store will be larger but if they don’t also give the store a better advantage and intend to just make the display areas and Genius Bar larger, big deal. Throw a small theater area in there to at least offer something different because without it, customers will just split themselves in between stores and while the initial curiosity to check out Kahala Mall will lead to an initial spike, the fact is for most, Kahala Mall is “out of the way” and doesn’t have much else. Ala Moana is still the better destination for doing a whole lot more shopping (unless you are talking about the Mac geek who just lives in the store for several hours).
I visited both the Ginza and Shibuya stores the other year. Promixity wise, they are also fairly close (opposite sides of the city 7.5 miles apart and only around 14 minutes time using the Chuo Rapid from Tokyo Station to Shinjuku and transferring to the Yamanote to Shibuya Station; no worrying about driving through traffic and finding parking). The differences of course is Tokyo’s larger population and also a dramatic demographic shift; Ginza being upscale while Shibuya being much more hip. Of course the Ginza store is in a huge building and thus has space to be creative in the layout and what they can do (including that large theater and the large free internet “bar”). The Shibuya store while much smaller had a clearly different vibe; lively. Plus they bring in performers every so often lending itself to the youthful atmosphere. Both stores make you want to go there. Can’t even say the same about Ala Moana.
Speaking of which, I was just there on Monday (August 14) and still no Mac Pro’s on display. Plus there were few times I went in the past when the place felt absolutely warm and uncomfortable. I know they like to leave the door open to make it easier but sometimes, common sense on the part of whomever is running that store seems to be missing.
unless it offers something more than besides extra space than the Ala Moana store, all its going to is just split the load of customers between two stores.