Wal-Mart: Chapter 3

[admin]

Wal-Mart store #3478, built at great cost and with much controversy, opens its doors on Oct. 13. Shoppers and critics will finally have the opportunity to see firsthand what the monster retailer will offer, and what effect it will have on the neighborhood surrounding the "Keeaumoku Superblock."

This thread, started to coincide with the store's opening, is a continuation of an older Wal-Mart thread (http://www.hawaiithreads.com/showthread.php?t=2394). Have you ventured inside? How well is traffic being managed? Any clear effects on neighboring businesses?

Please discuss this particular location here. If you'd like to engage in debate over Wal-Mart's corporate policies and practices overall, take it to the Wal-Mart War Room (http://www.hawaiithreads.com/showthread.php?t=2601).

[Miulang]

Here's the official news story on the store's opening in the Pacific Business News:

http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/stories/2004/10/11/daily25.html

The sad thing is that the iwi are still not reburied because the 2 kanaka maoli groups can't agree on what needs to be done with them! They're still in cardboard boxes awaiting an uncertain fate... :(

Here: http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2004/Oct/13/bz/bz02p.html

Miulang

[Miulang]

Interesting story about the ILO brand of electronics that WM at Keeaumoku will be selling. How much business will the other electronics retailers in the area lose to WM?

Here: http://cbs.marketwatch.com/news/story.asp?guid=%7B5D719593%2DB59D%2D4F15%2DA759%2D D0B1FC9EACF2%7D&;siteid=mktw

Miulang

[mel]

WalMart Has Finally Opened. (http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2004/Oct/13/br/br06p.html)

Hundreds lined up to be the first. I was not one of them.

The naysayers are free to stay home and continue with their rants on this board.

Everyone else who likes WalMart will shop.

[Miulang]

WalMart Has Finally Opened. (http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2004/Oct/13/br/br06p.html)

Hundreds lined up to be the first. I was not one of them.

The naysayers are free to stay home and continue with their rants on this board.

Everyone else who likes WalMart will shop.
Hey Mel, I figured you'd at least be the second or third in line for that opening buzzer at 9 a.m. this morning! So, is everything cool and copacetic in there? Did you happen to see a cardboard box full of bones on any of the shelves? ;) Didya notice the last few things I put in this thread were not rantings? :D

Miulang

[Konaguy]

WalMart Has Finally Opened. (http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2004/Oct/13/br/br06p.html)

Hundreds lined up to be the first. I was not one of them.

The naysayers are free to stay home and continue with their rants on this board.

Everyone else who likes WalMart will shop.

Isn't this post a bit O/T ? Didn't you read the first post above ?

"Please discuss this particular location here. If you'd like to engage in debate over Wal-Mart's corporate policies and practices overall, take it to the Wal-Mart War Room."

[admin]

Thanks for the breaking news Advertiser article on the opening, Mel (the traffic flow map (http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/dailypix/2004/Oct/13/bz02map.gif) is pretty helpful), but there's no need to bait the "naysayers." (Try here (http://www.hawaiithreads.com/showthread.php?t=2601) instead.) When you do make it down there, please share your impressions of the location.

[Konaguy]

The traffic flow map the Advertiser created is pretty helpful.

Yes I concur, it was very helpful and interesting. Anyway not being totally
familiar where this location of the WM/SC is, is it behind Ala Moana ?

[Miulang]

I'm glad they have an L&L Drive Inn in the store and not something whitebread generic like McD or PizzaHut!

Miulang

[pzarquon]

Depends on what you mean by "behind." It's a block mauka of Ala Moana, kitty corner from Tower Records.

Though I'll have to go down myself to get a better feel for it, the "main entrance" for the whole complex is actually on Sheridan Street... what some might consider the "back" of the superblock. I imagine traffic will instinctively head toward the Keeaumoku/Kanunu intersection (currently where the bulk of traffic flows), and special traffic measures for the grand opening are apparently adjusting for that... but in the long run, learning to go 'round to Sheridan to get in is probably your best bet.

[Konaguy]

The reason why I was asking is I remember this big empty parcel west of
the building with the revolving restraunt on top. I was curious if that
was the "superblock" parcel ?

[pzarquon]

I think the map (http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/dailypix/2004/Oct/13/bz02map.gif) is your best guide.

West of the Ala Moana Building (formerly home of La Ronde Restaurant, built in 1961) are low-rise businesses and a Ford dealership... I can't remember an empty lot on that side, unless you go as far as Piikoi.

The empty lot that Wal-Mart acquired is one block mauka (or north) of Kapiolani. Imagine driving down the main Keeaumoku Street parking ramp on the mauka side of the shopping center. You cross Kapiolani, passing KFC and Tower Records on your right and an insurance building on your left. That very next street is Makaloa. Wal-Mart is on the left, spanning several shorter blocks on the right (home to small retailers, Ross Dress For Less, and Likelike Drive Inn).

[Konaguy]

Here is a map of the location of the new Wal-Mart http://tinyurl.com/68nbz
Now I know where this place is located :)

[adrian]

So, who went?

I did, during the morning (around 10am) and there was a lot of people, especially tourists (mostly haole and jap).

The Honolulu Store is much like the Royal Kunia/Waipahu store in terms of layout.

There were protesters, holding signs saying that this is a gravesite (or something similar) and a News station (I think KGMB because their station is like, right there) and I thought that they'll cause something, but the didn't. There were some walmart associates with nextels PTTing people notifying them about the protest people.

The store was crowded, and there was a lot of associates helping people out everywhere.

I'll be at the opening of Sam's Club (atleast in the afternoon time, because I have school) and there's some shops along the side of the store, namely Jamba Juice and Starbucks (good for the college).

[craigwatanabe]

compared to the industrial/porno zone it was before, the new WM is definately more appealing to the eyes. Now the HMSA employees have something to do on their lunch breaks now that WM is within walking distance. I think this is the deathnail to Daie and possibly Long's Drugs in Ala Moana center. That LD is so bad.

I guess not all Hawaiians feel the sacredness of WalMart if you read this morning's SB:

The second customer in line was Jadeen Malama, a neighbor living on Makaloa Street next to the store who said she got up early and arrived at 5:15 a.m. because she thought there would be prizes for the first 200 people in the door.

Wal-Mart offered no prizes, special sale items or gimmicks. No matter. Malama was happy to shop for Christmas presents, an air conditioner, laundry items, clothing and food.

"I feel good because it's close to where I stay rather than going to (Wal-Mart stores in) Waipahu or Mililani.

and from another Hawaiian:

Philip Kuala, a Kapahulu resident who caught the bus to Wal-Mart, was the store's second customer. He spent $4 on four Halloween candy baskets. "I wanted to go to the first grand opening," he said. "I'm so happy they made Wal-Mart so convenient for everybody in town."

But there was the balance:

Not all the preparations to open the store were pulled off smoothly. An ice machine that bags its own ice had technical difficulties. Construction wasn't finished on the in-store L&L Drive-Inn, which planned to serve up pupu-style samples just for today, then open in the next few weeks.

Outside, about 25 protesters peacefully displayed signs expressing their frustration over how Wal-Mart handled the discovery of human bones during store construction.

"Bury Iwi" read one sign. "Built on Graves" said another.

The Native Hawaiian Legal Corp. recently complained that the iwi, or bones, should have been reburied before the store opening.

Families recognized as descendants submitted two competing reburial plans and met last weekend to resolve their differences, according to Dan Davidson, deputy director of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, the agency that oversees the state native burials law. However, he said, they were unable to come to terms.

Imagine that the ice machine was broken! Okay sorry!!! let's get those bone reburied respectfully!

[Miulang]

This was the Associated Press report on the WM opening at Keeaumoku as published in the San Jose Mercury. The highlighting is my emphasis. Now I know where the bones are. But why did the spokeswoman for WM say the State had to approve the burial? I thought it was between the state and the Hawaiian groups?

Miulang

Customer Surge at Hawaii Wal-Mart Opening

Associated Press


HONOLULU - Wal-Mart Stores Inc. opened a store in Hawaii on Wednesday with hundreds of eager shoppers rushing past a handful of protesters who accuse the giant retailer of desecrating ancient gravesites.

Customers lined up hours ahead and then poured into the discount store after a traditional Hawaiian blessing and the untying of a lei at the main doors.

Native Hawaiian groups had tried to stop the opening until 44 remains of Hawaiians unearthed during construction could be reburied at the Wal-Mart site.

"Wal-Mart's pitch is that it's slashing prices for you. In this instance, it's slashing graves," said Moses Haia, a Native Hawaiian Legal Corp. lawyer who has filed a suit against the store.

Wal-Mart spokeswoman Cynthia Lin said the retailer is treating the Hawaiian remains with respect, placing them "in an air-conditioned, darkened trailer in a secure location on the site." State approval is needed to rebury them on the site, she said.

Wal-Mart's seventh - and largest - store on the islands employs 800 people, bringing the total to 4,400 in Hawaii. The site also has a Sam's Club members-only outlet scheduled to open next week.

[helen]

I'm glad they have an L&L Drive Inn in the store and not something whitebread generic like McD or PizzaHut!

Well there is a McDonalds just down the road from this Wal-Mart.

[helen]

I went to the new Wal-Mart after work today. Look around for about 20 minutes or so and then got dinner from Golden Coin.

Inside had lot of people but I managed to move around with little problem. Didn't buy anything this time around.

[craigwatanabe]

I can't imagine anything very much different from the WalMarts anywhere, so I wouldn't be impressed by the hoopla at all.

The differences in news reporting from one daily rag to another is the reason why you cannot rely on one newspaper for your information gathering. In my Political Science class at the UH our professor said, "The government that controls the media, controls the people". In our case, our news media biases the facts that we must base our opinions on so it's best to get your information from more than one source.

To some Hawaiians it seems this particular WalMart is a good thing. To others, well we know about that. As for the blessing, I don't think that'll work because I've been to workplace blessings in Kakaako and the hauntings continued. That was at the Gas Company's Kakaako location. I got some ghost stories and have witnessed some of them first hand.

We've had several blessings over the 22 years I worked there and none have worked. We even had one worker die after chopping down a kukui nut tree on the corner without asking permission from the tree! Two kahuna's tried to rid him of the spirits that had made him sick enough to be admitted to Queen's Hospital, both of them ran out of his room in a panic, real spooky stuff. He eventually died with no apparent cause of death.

The stories go on and I've been there to witness them too.

I wonder what stories will come up with this new WalMart store.

[mel]

Contrary to what some people think, I was not at the morning opening of WalMart today. I had to work just like most people.

Fact is I went to the new store at 8:30 tonight for the first time. Spent about 35 minutes looking around, bought 1 item that cost under $20, waited in the checkout line for several minutes (all the checkout lines were extremely busy) and walked out of there around 9:15.

Observations:

1. The store was packed, even at 8:30 pm. Thousands of people there it seemed. But it was not crowded so that you could not comfortably walk around and browse.

2. I did notice ILO brand big screen TVs for sale. Someone made a post about this store brand earlier. Store brand electronics remind me of those second tier gear that had brand names such as Emerson, Lloyds and Superscope (names from the 70s I believe). Still, they represent an alternative for consumers who want stuff at a lower price point.

3. The store looks like any other new WalMart (http://macpro-neighborhood.buzznet.com/user/?id=579879) that you see in your neighborhood. Lots of checkout stands, the usual and expected departments such as clothes, food, housewares, electronics, cameras, etc.

4. If you are a smoker there is only one checkout line where you can purchase cigarettes. That is checkout #11 which I mistakenly got stuck in to buy my item. Trouble is the clerk has to grab the cigarettes for the customers at the same time she is checking out your items. The place seemingly is one of 2 "6 items or less" check out line. Perhaps an adjustment needs to be made here. (BTW, I don't smoke... wastes money).

5. Senior citizens and nearby condo residents won't like the shopping carts at WalMart. They work fine in the store but if you push them out of a designated zone, the cart wheels will lock. (http://macpro-neighborhood.buzznet.com/user/) Residents in the area are used to taking the shopping carts from Daiei home.

6. There seems to be a lot of parking, but I did not go to the parking lot. I live so close by, I can walk there which is what I did.

7. Traffic along Keeaumoku Street was not as bad as I thought it would be.

8. The new traffic light at Keeaumoku and Kanunu is a godsend since it has designated left turn arrows to go into WalMart or Kanunu St. from Keeaumoku.

9. There were no protestors when I arrived. I guess they were overwhelmed by the constant flow of people who ignored them and simply went to shop. More than likely they just went home.

10. I think if any of the major stores in the area that will suffer, it will more than likely be K-Mart (yes they are not in the area, but are somewhat similar to WalMart. The one in Iwilei is just totally icky, but that is a subject for another thread) and Daiei. That store while it may hold its own could be a victim of its own financial problems with the chain itself overall. Longs Ala Moana, I think will survive. I like Longs.

And that's my first day observations of WalMart. I am sure I'll shop there again, mainly for clothes, cheap DVDs and CDs and possibly digital photo printing. Groceries I more than likely will stick with Daiei since it is closer to where I am.

[pzarquon]

I've heard that traffic wasn't that bad, especially given the grand opening. I remember what a disaster K-Mart's arrival in Iwilei was, causing gridlock for blocks. This apparently wasn't the case on Keeaumoku. (KITV noted that jaywalking pedestrians were the most notable traffic problem.) And from what I saw on TV, it wasn't noticably more crowded inside than the Mililani Wal-Mart is on a busy day.

I agree that Longs, and Longs Ala Moana, will do fine. Longs overall, because of the local affection folks have for the store (despite some iffy pricing). Their Ala Moana location specifically because... well, they do great business on tourist traffic alone. Even if that spot lost the locals to Wal-Mart, they sell enough macadamia nuts and toiletries to keep the cash registers ringing. And never underestimate the laziness of the American shopper. Sure, you could save almost 50 percent buying the same toothpaste at Wal-Mart, but if you're at Ala Moana, that's such a long walk! :)

Daiei, I'm hopeful for as well. In addition to the strong Asian inventory, they have a decent grocery, and a nearby residential market to serve.

Sam Sung Electronics across the street, I'm not so sure about.

[mel]

I agree that Longs, and Longs Ala Moana, will do fine. Longs overall, because of the local affection folks have for the store (despite some iffy pricing). Their Ala Moana location specifically because... well, they do great business on tourist traffic alone. Even if that spot lost the locals to Wal-Mart, they sell enough macadamia nuts and toiletries to keep the cash registers ringing. And never underestimate the laziness of the American shopper. Sure, you could save almost 50 percent buying the same toothpaste at Wal-Mart, but if you're at Ala Moana, that's such a long walk! :)

You know, the Longs in Hilo does fine... they have 2 locations despite the WalMart being close by to one of the locations. So yes, I think Longs Ala Moana will hold their own. If I am at Ala Moana I would shop Longs for the small items I need and not take another trip to WalMart.

However tourists will walk from Ala Moana to nearby businesses. I see a lot of them going to Tower Records. Last night there were some tourists at WalMart. I was in the shoe department there and two guys were obviously tourists.


Daiei, I'm hopeful for as well. In addition to the strong Asian inventory, they have a decent grocery, and a nearby residential market to serve.

Sam Sung Electronics across the street, I'm not so sure about.

I'm at Daiei almost every other day it seems, mainly to buy grocery items. I've also bought a TV and DVD player from them over the last 2 years. The fact that Daiei puts up with all of their shopping carts being "stolen" to condos off the store premises remain a plus for many of their senior citizen customers who live in close by condos. Daiei has someone in a truck patrolling the neighborhood to retreive their carts. I know it is expensive for them, but Daiei will never prosecute their senior citizen customers because if they did, they'd lose business in a major way.

As for Daiei's survivability, I am sure WalMart will take away some of their customers but more so if anything, their financial problems overall could be their undoing in all markets.

As for Sam Sung, it has been several years that I last went there. However the last time I was there, the store had shrunk considerably to a point where I think they only sell high end electronics. They had to make adjustments as the big boxes such as Comp USA and Circuit City had already eroded their market. Plus they rent out most of their building to other businesses now.

[Glen Miyashiro]

I agree that Longs, and Longs Ala Moana, will do fine. Longs overall, because of the local affection folks have for the store (despite some iffy pricing). Their Ala Moana location specifically because... well, they do great business on tourist traffic alone. Even if that spot lost the locals to Wal-Mart, they sell enough macadamia nuts and toiletries to keep the cash registers ringing.
I have heard that the Ala Moana Longs leads the entire Longs Drugs chain in sales. It must be all those Japanese tourists buying cosmetics. :D

[Miulang]

This morning's Advertiser says the iwi kupuna uncovered at the WM Keeaumoku site probably can't be buried until the spring. Jeez. I hope the spirits of those ancestors are benevolent and leave shoppers alone. Like Craig said in a previous post, all kinds of "strange" things can happen if the ancestors are displeased. :eek:

Here: http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2004/Oct/14/ln/ln30p.html

Miulang

[craigwatanabe]

Daie actually has a lease program with their shopping carts for senior citizens in the area.

Now if WM had a Senior's day where you get special discounts for being a senior citizen that would be good for them as it is for Daie.

What I meant about Longs Ala Moana is the fact that they've lost the local crowd there. The aisles are tight and selection is mostly for the tourists. Over in Hilo LD does good because the customers are loyal there.

Sam Sung's gonna suck wind period hmmm maybe they should drop the Sung and just call themselves: Sam's Electronics and take advantage of their neighbor.

[Konaguy]

http://pacific.bizjournals.com/pacific/stories/2004/10/11/daily47.html

An entirely separate battle against the store comes from residents of the immediate neighborhood, who think the store will clog their streets with traffic. They have a suit pending which asserts that the zoning for the site does not permit high volume sales to wholesalers, which they say Sam's Club will do.

[helen]

Went in tonight to buy a DVD, pens and a box of envelopes. I can't believe there is only one express checkout stand.

[Konaguy]

They don't have self checkout counters ? the Hilo Wal-Mart has a bunch of them.

[Miulang]

They don't have self checkout counters ? the Hilo Wal-Mart has a bunch of them.
Maybe more will get installed once management figures out their overhead (especially in the salary and wage dept) is waaaay too high to support those low low prices everyone is looking for! ;)

Miulang

[Miulang]

http://pacific.bizjournals.com/pacific/stories/2004/10/11/daily47.html

An entirely separate battle against the store comes from residents of the immediate neighborhood, who think the store will clog their streets with traffic. They have a suit pending which asserts that the zoning for the site does not permit high volume sales to wholesalers, which they say Sam's Club will do.
Actually, all that fluorescent lighting in the parking lot will probably help keep the crime rate way down (crooks don't like working under bright lights). All the bad people will just go move to some other darker area. That's how they got rid of the prostitutes up here...just kept "encouraging" them to move someplace else! :eek:

Miulang

[pzarquon]

I went down today, the first Saturday. Grainy phonecam photos collected here (http://www.flickr.com/photos/hawaii/sets/23375/). I think that was the crowd they were worried about. Folks might have held back from the mid-week bow. Even so, they had a decent handle on things, from traffic control to crowd control. There was a lot of parking, though you might have had a longer walk than you would've liked. The aisles were crowded, but not too many "pile ups" (caused primarily by folks having spontaneous family reunions in mid shop).

And it is a huge store. It felt a lot bigger inside than it looked outside, and it looks big on the outside already!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/904622_1c1519c778_t.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/hawaii/904622/) http://www.flickr.com/photos/904605_b6b87a4ce8_t.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/hawaii/904605/)

As well as things flowed getting into and through the store, the registers were the major bottleneck. It was gridlock along the whole line of checkout stands, to the point where you couldn't find an actual "line." More a random crowd of folks facing generally the same way, trying not to (and sometimes failing) to cut in front of someone else. The store manager made his way through, listening to gripes and giving away free sodas.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/904627_f20d169f53_t.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/hawaii/904627/)

The prices, of course, were great. We went in with one thing on our list, and left with six, most of them costing noticably less than what we would've paid at Longs.

The neatest thing I saw? The shopping cart escalator! It runs along the "up" escalator for humans, but it grabs your cart, holds it level, and drags it up to the top to meet you.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/904348_59a73a7608_t.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/hawaii/904348/)

Traffic wise, there are only two notable problems. One, as Mitchell noted (http://hawaii.metblogs.com/archives/2004/10/the_great_wal_o.phtml), is jaywalkers. People are too lazy to go to the lights to get across Keeaumoku. Two, since they have a long mauka-bound left-turn lane with light at mid-block, they should eliminate left turns at Makaloa and Kanunu streets. There are no lights there, and traffic backs up quite deep whenever someone tries to turn at those intersections.

[mel]

I went down today, the first Saturday.

I saw your photos over at BuzzNet. Looks like you had fun just being there and taking pictures too.


Traffic wise, there are only two notable problems. One, as Mitchell noted (http://hawaii.metblogs.com/archives/2004/10/the_great_wal_o.phtml), is jaywalkers. People are too lazy to go to the lights to get across Keeaumoku. Two, since they have a long mauka-bound left-turn lane with light at mid-block, they should eliminate left turns at Makaloa and Kanunu streets. There are no lights there, and traffic backs up quite deep whenever someone tries to turn at those intersections.

Yes. I was at Subway sandwiches this afternoon across from WalMart and two bozos ran across the street from there back to WalMart without walking to the crosswalk. I think this problem will continue even if they did put in a crosswalk in between the 2 intersections.

As for the left turn lanes from keeaumoku to both Makaloa and Kanunu St., I'd be staunchly against that. The blessing that WalMart gave nearby residents was the controlled left turn signal on Keeaumoku/Kanunu to make it easy to go to Kanunu St. Before that there was no traffic light, and left turns were difficult even when the WalMart store was not there. Now with the slight increase in traffic those left turn signals are necessary.

The city administration has already made this city too car hostile. Don't start doing it here.

Further observations:

1. Friends of mine have told me the best time to shop at WalMart is the early morning hours from 6 to about 9. There are not as many people there, so I would imagine the checkout line will not be very congested.

2. I went to Ala Moana Shopping Center today. The place was packed. They had a sidewalk sale promotion going on there and all the shops along the way that I walked were busy. Longs was busy. So was Sears and several of those boutique shops that populate the center. I don't think the merchants have too much to fear from WalMart.

3. Daiei seems to be a different story. I went there Thursday night and the place was quite sparse despite the parking lot looking full. The lines at the checkout were noticeably shorter. Today I went to Daiei at around 4:PM. It was a little busier but still not very long lines at the checkout stand.

4. I notice a lot of people walking over from Ala Moana Center to and from WalMart. Many are tourists, but lots of locals too. Could it be that some people are parking their cars at Ala Moana and walking to WalMart?

[pzarquon]

As for the left turn lanes from keeaumoku to both Makaloa and Kanunu St., I'd be staunchly against that. The blessing that WalMart gave nearby residents was the controlled left turn signal on Keeaumoku/Kanunu to make it easy to go to Kanunu St. Before that there was no traffic light, and left turns were difficult even when the WalMart store was not there.Actually, I mis-typed. I meant people attempting mauka-bound left turns onto Makaloa and Rycroft streets. Note the "grand opening" traffic flow map (http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/dailypix/2004/Oct/13/bz02map.gif). Left turns at those points are/were banned last week. When I was there yesterday, they were allowed. However, because of the increased makai-bound traffic flow, an entire light cycle at those two intersections could pass without a single mauka-bound person being able to turn left. This was a problem especially at the Rycroft intersection, which plugs up a relatively short block before Kapiolani. Having that short lane blocked up backed traffic up (1.) onto the ramp of the mall and (2.) turning left Diamond Head bound on Kapiolani.

I went to Ala Moana Shopping Center today. The place was packed.That's where we ended up as well. Problems were somewhat compounded by the closure of the top deck of the new parking structure on the northwest corner (near Sears). Folks were circling for spaces everywhere!

[Miulang]

Did anybody go to the Sam's Club at Keeaumoku opening? If you did, how does the merchandise compare to Costco?

Miulang

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2004/Oct/22/bz/bz08p.html

[pzarquon]

I forgot about the Sam's Club launch. I've never been in one, though they were giving away free 'day passes' when Wal-Mart opened. I was curious how parking control would work once it opened, given the way the superblock structure was designed. Sadly, I don't know how popular Sam's Club stores are in general... I come from a CostCo family. :)

[helen]

I went on Thursday night to Sam's Club using those one day passes. I noticed that AA batteries are cheaper at Costco but the Sam's Club sells Everyready batteries at very close price for less batteries than the Kirkland brand.

DVD selections, well Wal-Mart is better.

And they have a food court but you need to be inside Sam's Club to get access to it.

[adrian]

Did anybody go to the Sam's Club at Keeaumoku opening? If you did, how does the merchandise compare to Costco?

Miulang

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2004/Oct/22/bz/bz08p.html
I forgot about it.

Practically the whole class for my 1st period got those free passes, and I was was the few who didn't have mine (I actually forgot it at home).

The school was near there too, so it was a good way to take a break, but alas, I didn't.

I'll go to Wal-Mart sometime next week to get some excercise and to entertain my brain (it gets boring when you surf the internet at school for 3 hours).

[Konaguy]

Curious minds want to know if the new Wal-Mart in Honolulu
is a Wal-Mart SuperCenter with full on groceries department
or just a run of a mill Wal-Mart.

[Kalihiboy]

I'm curious I heard that the Pearl City Sam's Club is supposed to close because the new one opened in town. Now I hear that both will remain open. Anyone know the story?

KalihiBoy

[helen]

Curious minds want to know if the new Wal-Mart in Honolulu is a Wal-Mart SuperCenter with full on groceries department or just a run of a mill Wal-Mart.

The Wal-Mart has a limited selection of groceries mostly for breakfast, lunch or snacks. The Sam's Club however seems to have good portion of space set aside for the groceries.

[adrian]

I'm curious I heard that the Pearl City Sam's Club is supposed to close because the new one opened in town. Now I hear that both will remain open. Anyone know the story?

KalihiBoy
What about the proposed walmart by that sam's club (or was it moved to the honolulu one?) If there will be a wal mart there, then what about the one in Waipahu/Kunia?

[Konaguy]

The Wal-Mart has a limited selection of groceries mostly for breakfast, lunch or snacks. The Sam's Club however seems to have good portion of space set aside for the groceries.

It sounds like that is a run of the mill Wal-Mart. I swear
I read in the past it would be a Wal-Mart SuperCenter...
But what in the neck do I know :).

[helen]

I suppose the Supercenter means it has a Sam's Club there as well. In any event I stopped in tonight to buy some stuff. Noticed that Sam's Club only opens to 8:30 pm on Monday to Saturday and at 6pm on Sunday.

[Miulang]

I suppose the Supercenter means it has a Sam's Club there as well. In any event I stopped in tonight to buy some stuff. Noticed that Sam's Club only opens to 8:30 pm on Monday to Saturday and at 6pm on Sunday.

No, Supercenter in WM parlance means they also have a real supermarket (one that would compete against the Safeways of the world). Most of the WMs out in the boonies have that component; the ones in urban areas probably don't because there are so many other alternatives for groceries. The Supercenters are the ones that are giving lots of urban communities the fits and the ones those communities are fighting against.

I think Sam's Club at Keeaumoku is still geared towards businesses, which is why the shopping hours are so restricted.

Miulang

[Konaguy]

Wal-Mart and wal-Mart Supercenters are different beasts from Sam's Club.
Wal-Mart recently converted a Wal-Mart to a Wal-Mart Supercenter
north of Everett Washington at Quilceda Creek. I was able to see it when we
were up in WA last summer. Being in retail, it totally blew me away the
size of the grocery component of the store.


60-65% of the business at the new Sams Club on Oahu is going to be
from other businesses I read.

[Konaguy]

Here is a webpage describing the differences between Wal-Mart,
Wal-Mart SuperCenter and a Sams Club.

http://tinyurl.com/4o9fu

[Albert]

Well, I still haven't gone into the place because it has been SO crowded.

But I wanted to buy new shorts, or maybe even long pants (considering the calendar). I went to two different Ross stores, to Macy's, Sears, Old Navy, still couldn't find what I wanted. Well, yes, at Macy's, but I didn't want to pay fifty dollars for pants.

Maybe I'll just have to go to Wal-Mart. Or K Mart (?).

[Konaguy]

Really its still a zoo in the new Wal-Mart ? I would think the newness factor
would've worn off already :) :D

[helen]

It depends on the time of day that you go. I went around 2pm today and it was crowded at Wal-Mart and Sam's Club. Saturday's night foray was around 9:30 pm and while it had people it wasn't that bad.

[helen]

I ate at the food court in Sam's Club for dinner tonight. They sell hot dog with a soda for $1.50 but the soda cup they give you is 32 ounces vs the 22 ounces at Costco. While it is a Coke based fountain they also have Dr. Pepper in the mix.

More choices of pizza slices and slightly more choices of food, however you need to enter Sam's Club in order to get to the food court.

[craigwatanabe]

Does the size of the cup really matter since you get free refills right? I guess it depends on what size cup fits your cup holder in your car.

[Kalihiboy]

I think Sam's Club is maintaining similiar hours to Costco which also closes earlier on the weekends.

KalihiBoy

[craigwatanabe]

did you see last weeks Mad TV show? They did commercial spoofs on Wal Mart called WalsMart. Pretty much identifies with the negative remarks about them on this board. I died laughing! So I take it the temple scar on the Walsmart employees were implants? I'm not so sure how Wal Mart employees felt about that skit but I'm sure Kmart employees were having a field day with that show.

[helen]

The L&L at Wal-Mart is open but they close at 9pm and I showed up at 9:30 pm.

[memorylane]

I wear my sunglasses in the freakishly bright Super Centers of Walmart :D
The only complaint i have about them is how they leave a perfectly good building and rebuild as little as 200 feet away when the other building could have been added on to. Havent applied to work for them so i dont know that side of the coin.
Glad the Islands are just that, so that hopefully the empty left over bigboxes wont overtake the entire island one day. :rolleyes:

[craigwatanabe]

what building was that?

[memorylane]

what building was that?

If you are asking me, i mean any and all around this state i live in which is Oklahoma. Since the islands are islands, hopefully, they wont be able to do that, they'll stay in the same building a long time and then add to it if needed.
Did that make better sense?

:D

[Miulang]

Here you go: WM is eyeing Daiei, to the point that it has been in contact with the Japanese state-run organization set up to help bail out failing Japanese companies overseas.

http://starbulletin.com/2004/11/09/business/index3.html

Maybe WM will offer to buy out Daiei in Hawai'i, but keep it under the Seiyu name (of which it already owns 37%) so unsavvy people would think that there was still "competition" for WM? Hmmm...the plot thickens. :p

Miulang

[mel]

Locally, the Honolulu Daiei store seems to be holding its own and still generates a lot of traffic. Things kind of slowed down for the first week or so after WalMart opened, but now when I go to Daiei, the shopping experience is pretty much back to normal from before the time WalMart opened. Some of the grocery items at Daiei are cheaper than WalMart. Plus they have a way better grocery department in Daiei vs. the limited party and fast food kind of stuff they have at WalMart.

I don't know about Sam's Club, I haven't been there yet. Being an apartment kind of a guy I am not in much a position to be buying stuff in bulk with nowhere to store it. WalMart is good enough for me to get cheap clothes, household items, tools, electronic stuffs, CD, DVDs and things like that. Daiei good for groceries, deli, take out bentos, oriental foods, the $1 section, poki, and other items.

If Daiei falls I don't think it will be from the lack of business in the Honolulu store nor the other Oahu locations. More so it will be from their ongoing problems with the firm at large.

[Babooze]

I heard today that that Sam's Club has laid off a bunch of people. I hope this is not true. Can anyone confirm this?

[Kalihiboy]

Does anyone have confirmation yet that they will close the Sam's Club in the Leeward area?

Kalihiboy

[craigwatanabe]

If you are asking me, i mean any and all around this state i live in which is Oklahoma. Since the islands are islands, hopefully, they wont be able to do that, they'll stay in the same building a long time and then add to it if needed.
Did that make better sense?

:D

No :confused:

[helen]

the limited party and fast food kind of stuff they have at WalMart.


That best describes the food selection at the Wal-Mart. Quick lunch, breakfast or snacks. Nothing major.

[Konaguy]

I just heard that the Sams Club is laying off 90 people at their
new store in Honolulu. The reason was the sales were not
what they expected ?

http://pacific.bizjournals.com/pacific/stories/2004/11/08/daily58.html?jst=b_ln_hl

Keeaumoku Sam's Club to cut 90 jobs

Just three weeks after opening on the floor above the new Wal-Mart on Keeaumoku St., the affiliated Sam's Club has notified some 90 employees that their jobs will end in a matter of days.

"The Honolulu Sam's Club has made a business decision to conduct a workforce adjustment due to business results being different than anticipated," spokeswoman Jolanda Stewart said in a statement e-mailed to Hawaii news media Thursday evening. "As a result, we evaluated the departments and made the decision to scale back staff in certain areas."

She said 90 employees -- Wal-Mart and Sam's Club call them "associates" -- have been told that their positions will be abolished in one week, effective Thursday, Nov. 18.

The company described this action as jobs being "phased out."

[Kalihiboy]

While I feel for those people who just a few weeks ago started a new job in a new store and with a new future are out of work right now, I hope Walmart/Sam's Club gets the picture that we dont need anymore of these stores on Oahu. We have enough already.

I'd like to see a TARGET built over here but I have had the impression that the Walmart stores over here have discouraged them from expanding here.

Kalihiboy

[Miulang]

The Star-Bulletin this morning confirms that 90 employees of the new Sam's Club are being laid off. The reason is that business was not as anticipated; i.e., Costco is probably too deeply entrenched in Honolulu for Sam's Club to overcome their late entry into the market. Apparently the laid off employees will be given the option of applying for positions at other WM operations, but they have no guarantee of getting a job there.

Miulang

http://starbulletin.com/2004/11/12/news/index1.html

[Kalihiboy]

The Star-Bulletin this morning confirms that 90 employees of the new Sam's Club are being laid off. The reason is that business was not as anticipated; i.e., Costco is probably too deeply entrenched in Honolulu for Sam's Club to overcome their late entry into the market. Apparently the laid off employees will be given the option of applying for positions at other WM operations, but they have no guarantee of getting a job there. Its really sad as the Chrismas shopping season is really taking off and you would think a store like that would NEED extra employees if nothing else.

But perhaps the Sam's Club wasnt needed at all, Costco is nearby and takes in alot of customers. Plus people can go to Leeward Sam's Club as an alternate choice as well as the other Costco's in Hawaii Kai and Waipio.

Kalihiboy

[dick]

I visited the new Wal-Mart, and it was one of the worst shopping experiences I've had in a while. The place is enormous. Vast. Ridiculous. It took me 20 minutes to find Saran Wrap. Hell, I need GPS to navigate that place. I'll never go back there. I'll stick to Longs or wherever and pay a few more cents to actually shop in a pleasant atmosphere that doesn't resemble a circus.

[Konaguy]

http://starbulletin.com/2004/11/14/business/story2.html

Not-so-super block
A month after Wal-Mart Stores
Inc. opened its Hawaii superstore,
results are falling short
By Dan Martin
dmartin@starbulletin.com

One of Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s key points in promoting its controversial Keeaumoku Street superstore was that nearby merchants would enjoy spillover business.

But some businesses in the area -- including those on Wal-Mart's very doorstep -- say they are still waiting for that super dividend to materialize.

"We thought it would bring in more business but it hasn't really helped us," said Sara Jang, owner of Parasol, which serves coffee, shave ice and other refreshments directly across the street from the two-story retail building.

It's only been one month since the complex's Oct. 14 opening, and the Christmas shopping season is yet to begin, but many of the merchants in the area lament that the store so far has brought more action to the streets, but not necessarily to their cash registers.

That includes some of the businesses directly in the double-decker store's shadow.

[Miulang]

The people employed by the local WM who make $6/hr are actually below the poverty level if based on the annual cost of living increase. They would need to make more than $9/hr to keep their heads above water.

Interesting that 14 states have minimum wage laws that exceed the Federal standards. Hawai'i should be one of those, because the cost of living is so high.

Miulang

http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/112404I.shtml

[kimo55]

Sprawlmart may not gain any footing in the possible Daiei kaheka thing in da news...
Daiei at this locale is profitable.
their lease extends til 2018.
A&B may buy the land it sits on... for possible redevelopment of the structure and area.

so enjoy that ol' timey 60's Hawaii feel there while ya can citizens. Cus it will soon look like an Irvine strip mall.

****

additionally, here's my prediction, based on:
* sam's club's slow demise lately.
* walmart laying off people and the sales not meeting expectations.
* neigborhood businesses not enjoying any residual traffic or cashola from people walmart brings into the area. something walmart promised would happen to pull the wool over peoples eyes.
* lack of business promised to high rent paying enterprises in the walmart building, the "shops at keeaumoku".

they simply don't see any of the promised business walmart vouchsafed to them. And retail consultants are doing the usual word shuffle to say, "well we never said it would be immediate. they gotta wait for the dust to settle."
or some such avoid/evade verbiage...


Ok so the prediction is:
Walmart and "Sam's-club-over-the-head-of-local-businesses" will close and we will have remaining, a huge empty behemoth of a structure, (that's what it is now, of course) but it will be empty and NO one can fill it. we are left with an eyesore and aint a dayum thing anyone can do about it.

and we can thank walmart for screwing up and over another town.

think about it:
Hawaii. one of the most beautiful places in the world. and we are killing it.

[craigwatanabe]

The people employed by the local WM who make $6/hr are actually below the poverty level if based on the annual cost of living increase. They would need to make more than $9/hr to keep their heads above water.

Interesting that 14 states have minimum wage laws that exceed the Federal standards. Hawai'i should be one of those, because the cost of living is so high.

Miulang

http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/112404I.shtml


That's why you gotta love Home Depot..entry level part time and full time makes $10 per hour with a $0.50 raise after the first year based on your eval. Part timers get virtually the same benefits as full timers including full family medical/dental/drug/vision plans for less than $93 per month, paid time off, sick leave, 150% matching 401k, profit sharing at 15% discount on HD stock.

They promote from within and they stress excellent customer service. If a manager is giving orders to a sales associate on the floor and a customer walks into his/her department he is instructed to help the customer and put all other assignments aside. Sales associates are encouraged to walk the customer throughout the store to help them get what they need for their home improvement project right to their car to help them load their purchases.

HD also encourages employee ideas as well as employee participation in community projects like Habitat for Humanity and others. HD will pay for up to 50% of any employee's college tuition for courses related to their work.

So how do I know all this? Because on Thursday, December 16th, 2004 on our Grand Opening day in beautiful Hilo behind wonderous Wal Mart I'll be the happy sales associate in the hardware department (yeah big boy toys) in the orange apron from 6 to 9 m-f. Basically HD's management style is what everyone could want in a manager, helpful and desiring for you to succeed.

[Miulang]

So how do I know all this? Because on Thursday, December 16th, 2004 on our Grand Opening day in beautiful Hilo behind wonderous Wal Mart I'll be the happy sales associate in the hardware department (yeah big boy toys) in the orange apron from 6 to 9 m-f. Basically HD's management style is what everyone could want in a manager, helpful and desiring for you to succeed.

So you going work for HD, huh? Got itchy feet already from being retired for one year? :D Now you and Aaron get something to talk about. Hammers and nails and competition! Congrats.

Miulang

[kimo55]

"The Honolulu Sam's Club made a business decision to conduct a workforce adjustment due to business results being different than anticipated," spokeswoman Jolanda Stewart said in a statement e-mailed to Hawaii news media Thursday evening. "As a result, we evaluated the departments and made the decision to scale back staff in certain areas." "associates" -- have been told that their positions will be abolished. The company described this action as jobs being "phased out."

Can you believe this bullhash!?
This lack of unaccountability? Of responsibility? Of mind-numbing double talk?
Wjy don't they just level with people and speak English!?
This is what the above really means:

"we admit we lied to the public by saying we WILL create jobs. Just to get public opinion in our favor.
Now, we will fire a buncha people who just recently left OTHER jobs in the hopes of growing with a seemingly growing company.
We falsely claimed definite projected business activity. And much tax revenue coming in. Based on gazing into our crystal ball. (Which is infallible. Even now.) Again, to garner public backing. And the local government bought it and much of the public did too. Yessireebob! Hook, line and stinker.
However, sales are at a very sucky level now.
We believed the retail real estate consultants (no accident that's the word you get when you ad "con" and "insult") and built Sam's Club on top of another store. Now these same consultants say it is NOT convenient and our kind of shoppers want only convenience.
So, we see low numbers walking though the departments peopled by those we will FIRE!


"Soooo, ummmmaaah, Fred? Yeaaah ahh Fred, your position is abolished"
"You mean I am fired"
"No... You are a valued 'ass-ociate'! It's just that your job is being phased out."
You are saying yer canning my ass!"
"No, not exactly. We are adjusting the work force."
"I gotta hit the street, you mean!"
"No, we are simply scaling back. Staff. In certain areas..."
"You wanna make me basically unemployed!?"
"Nooo... Uh... we are phase-scaling work force to a minimal substrata..."
"Oh I get it. You don't need me, I won't earn any more paychecks here?"
"Nooo, were not really saying that... we are downsizing here.."
"I'm history, yea?"
"Not at all, Fred... we...
"Ok, allright. Yer outta her, ya bum!
Don't let the screen door hit ya where the good Lord split ya!"

[Miulang]

Eh Kimo, I think our scenarios that we posted in da odda WM thread in da World Events folder still going come true: Sam's going fold and dey going convert dat space and da Keeaumoku WM into one SuperWM (which will have da grocery store where Sam 's was) causing Daiei's grocery business (reported to be da most profitable of da 4 Daiei's in Honolulu) to wane which in turn will force Daiei to close da Kaheka store so dat A&B (da ones buying da land under Daiei) can redevelop dat land sooner den 2018, which is when Daiei's lease expires!

That would be one neat package, yeah? :(

Miulang

[Miulang]

I was wondering what happened to the 'iwi that was discovered on the WM Keeaumoku site while it was being constructed. The last I heard, the bones were in a cardboard box as various Hawaiian families fought over who owned them.

Apparently, the bones were supposed to be buried next week, but there has been no resolution on ownership of the bones "...All descendants are to meet with historic preservation officials tomorrow to agree on how the bones shuld be prepared for reburial and write a "burial treatment plan.""...

I guess everyone still agrees that the bones should be buried in a corner of the WM parking lot, though. :mad:

Miulang

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2005/Feb/10/ln/ln18p.html

[kimo55]

typical;
when you are dealing with a large corporation, and the State.
This travesty continues...

[Miulang]

Burial of ancient bones is delayed indefinitely

"The reburial of ancestral bones (http://starbulletin.com/2005/02/17/news/index4.html) unearthed during the construction of the Wal-Mart complex on Keeaumoku Street scheduled for tomorrow has been postponed indefinitely.
A Wal-Mart spokesman said the retailer was notified Monday by the state Historic Preservation Division that the burial would be postponed due to a "lack of inventory information."


Shame, shame, shame.

Miulang

[kimo55]

Burial of ancient bones is delayed indefinitely
A Wal-Mart spokesman said the retailer was notified Monday by the state Historic Preservation Division that the burial would be postponed due to a "lack of inventory information."


Shame, shame, shame.

Miulang


Multinational corporations and the state... nuttin' but pilikia.
Nothing happens when it is run by the state, and corporations evade and avoid responsibility.

[1stwahine]

Auwe! The remains found on the site of Wal Mart on Keeamoku put into an air-conditioned container till burial time? Found to be desecrated, heavily glued and marked with some form of marsh pen? I ain't gonna go shop there no more...no wonder my ...... broke on the first fitting!

SPOOKY! :eek:

[helen]

Stopped by the Keeamoku Wal-Mart on Tuesday evening and there is a sign that now says that they are open 24 hours a day.

[Miulang]

Auwe! The remains found on the site of Wal Mart on Keeamoku put into an air-conditioned container till burial time? Found to be desecrated, heavily glued and marked with some form of marsh pen? I ain't gonna go shop there no more...no wonder my ...... broke on the first fitting!

SPOOKY! :eek:

Now the State says they have to conduct an "investigation" on the desecration (mostly they're upset because whoever did the desecrating didn't ask their permission first), which means the 'iwi will not be reburied in the foreseeable future.

I wouldn't shop at that WM either.

Miulang

[Miulang]

I'm sticking this (http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/view_release.php?rID=4182) article in the local WM thread because even though it's a national website (www.WalMartSux.com), the webmaster happens to be an ex-WM employee from Waipahu. Louie Maytorena brings up an interesting point: if Sam Walton was still alive, would he be against unions? Walton always talked about encouraging respect for his employees...tried to treat them like family, even.

Miulang

[prettyday]

If you are asking me, i mean any and all around this state i live in which is Oklahoma. Since the islands are islands, hopefully, they wont be able to do that, they'll stay in the same building a long time and then add to it if needed.
Did that make better sense?

:D
I worked across the US for a period of time (ten years ago, I guess...) in OK, I watched store after little store close within months of Wal-Mart arrivals, now in my home state of CA, they are like some mammoth toxic mushroom patch...they claim to be so patriotic, but whatever happened to made in USA; or Taiwan, for that matter...and unions? Forget it! As a former Retail Clerks Union member (they straightened my teeth with my dues, which is more than my battling parents managed to do,) I know the truth about a real and functioning union...it's not what the spin docs would have you believe...
Poor Samuel Gompers...it makes my heart physically ache that someone would have such good intent in mind, see it come to be, and not even a century later, all is rent apart in the name of...responsibility to the shareholder, or? Take your pick...This is not Free Enterprise. This is gleeful flight toward serfdom by the 1%.

[kimo55]

if Sam Walton was still alive, would he be against unions? Walton always talked about encouraging respect for his employees...tried to treat them like family, even.

Miulang

If Sam were alive, it would be a wholly different, much less voracious entity. Reminds me of the Disney debacle. Totally different animal than when Walt was alive and at the helm.

[Miulang]

The Circuit Court of Honolulu (http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2005/May/17/ln/ln10p.html) handed down a decision yesterday regarding the disposition of a lawsuit that was filed on behalf of some of the descendants of the kanaka maoli whose bones are thought to have been buried at the WM Keeaumoku site. The judge decided that WM was not responsible for any emotional damage to the families whose bones were disturbed because the bones are in the custody of the State and not WM.

In the meantime, the 'iwi kupuna are still housed in a cardboard box in a secure trailer somewhere in the parking lot on Keeaumoku. It wouldn't surprise me if some "interesting" things are happening in the store that no one is reporting on. :eek:

Miulang

[craigwatanabe]

Okay Miulang here's the secret: They're rolling back the prices! Rollin' rollin' rollin'

What's more amazing is that the descendents should also be suing those massage parlours that sodomized those burial lands and those auto shops that truely descrated those bones when those shops dumped motor oil on their graves before the WalMart construction discovered their ancestors.

Actually I'm amazed these descendents weren't grateful that their ancestors were even found! I mean if my son was dead for a long time and someone found his bones, I'd be grateful to that person for finding them.

Let's look at it from this perspective...these descendents hadn't a clue where their ancestors were buried until construction workers found them. The whole time these bones were buried, there was a lot of pretty bad environmental and social activity going on over at that site. Yet no one cared because no one knew. Has it ever occured to anyone that ancient buried bones are everywhere in Ala Moana...yet no one seems to care whether driving over Keeaumoku is desecrating any undiscovered iwi?

Heck these descendents when travelling to the WM site to protest could be the very ones walking over another descendent's ancestors' gravesite.

When these bones were buried it wasn't limited to just the WM site. You go dig a hole anywhere in Kakaako and you'll probably find human bones! Kakaako was the site of mass graves at the time of that epidemic that killed off the majority of Hawaiians. But is anyone talking about the Bank of Hawaii Building on the corner of Ward and Ala Moana BLVD? There were bones found there. How about The Gas Company building on Kamakee...bones found there too! Why only Wal Mart! At least WM is taking the obligation to do something about these bones instead of backfilling as was done in virtually all construction that occured in the Kakaako/Ala Moana areas.

[Miulang]

Bottom line, Craig, is you can't change what happened in the past (like black Americans (http://www.afro.com/history/slavery/main.html) today can't blame white Americans today for the atrocities committed way back when, and the Native Americans (http://www.nativeweb.org/pages/legal/sovereignty.html) can't blame today's white Americans for what happened to them prior to 1938, the Asian Americans can't blame the white Americans today for Executive Order 9066 (http://bss.sfsu.edu/internment/executiorder9066.html) and the kanaka maoli can't blame anyone alive today for what happened after the Great Mahele (http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/kona/history5g.htm)).

What we CAN and MUST do is learn from the past and all work together to ensure that things like this never happen again and stop perpetuating the hypocrisy which is borne through ignorance and fear of the unknown. Peace and justice take sustained effort from everyone. I just wish all the dickering between the State and the kanaka maoli families over the 'iwi kupuna is resolved soon, so that the bones can be returned to the earth, where they belong.

Miulang

[craigwatanabe]

Here here and the gavel drops once and for all!

Except that was in the past and I forgot what you said :D

The Iwi definately need to be ceremonially reburied in a respectful place. Urban Honolulu is the last place I'd want to be buried and be gawked at by millions of tourists as such at the corner of Kaphahulu and Kalakaua.

When I was a younger man I used to hike the many trails of the Koolau. One of my favorite trails was past the Waialae Iki IV ridgeline going all the way to the summit where a small 25 sq foot grass ledge (someone had to cut it regularly) overlooked both sides of Oahu. On the Windward side there was a steep drop where if you stood at the edge and waited long enough, you would see the clouds rushing up at you as the tradewinds blew them up the cliff walls. Suddenly you're engulfed in a white cloud and you felt as if you died and went to heaven.

That was my favorite spot to hang out by myself when I got depressed. It was a four hour hike to the summit but once there it was worth the effort.

Places like these I assumed seemed sacred and I treated them as if they were. Places like these should be final resting places for tired souls. It felt like a launching point to the afterlife when swirling clouds envelope your body and mind. It is an exhilerating and spiritual experience I never forgot.

[Miulang]

Disposition of the 'iwi (http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050709/NEWS03/507090348/1007/NEWS) located on the WM Keeaumoku site is in the news again. I hope for the sake of the ancestors that this time all the families can come to a peaceful resolution soon. It sounds like everyone has agreed that the bones should be reinterred on the WM site, and it sounds like the only reason for the current discord is the court's decision to name just one family as the direct lineal descendants of all the bones located on the site, which was contrary to the recommendation of the staff of the State Historic Commission.

If all it takes to resolve the fighting is to overrule the first decision and recognize other families as also having lineal descendancy and ownership of the 'iwi, then that's what should be done, especially if all families agree to have the bones reinterred on the WM site. The ancestors have waited long enough to go back and rest in peace.

Miulang

[Miulang]

The State and Hui Malama have settled a suit (http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050719/NEWS20/507190352/1170/NEWS) to assign "ownership" of the 'iwi at the WM Keeaumoku site. According to the terms of the settlement, the "...state's historic preservation division will not say remains aren't affected by new developments, such as Wal-Mart, just because the property was previously developed..."

What impact this has on future unearthings in the downtown core remains to be seen, but the agreement will save both sides plenty kala at least in the case of the Keeaumoku bones.

Miulang

[mel]

Well, WalMart Keeaumoku has been around for a year now, and looks like it is a bonafide success. The same is probably not so true of the Sam's Club upstairs. So far I don't think WalMart has negatively impacted surrounding small businesses, most of which are supported by the somewhat large resident Korean community (http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051016/NEWS23/510160338/1001).

I walk by the area in the early evening and all of the little restaurants on both sides of the street are doing very well. Only 1 Okazuya place closed and I think a jewelry place closed since WalMart opened last year.

The Iwi is still an issue I presume, but I think there is a nice grassy area on the corner of Makaloa and Sheridan street that I think is for those remains once the court dust settles. I can picture a burial site similar to the one in Waikiki for those long departed souls.

Meanwhile work will soon begin on a new Nordstroms near Ala Moana Shopping Center.

[Rickyrab]

I can't imagine anything very much different from the WalMarts anywhere, so I wouldn't be impressed by the hoopla at all.

The differences in news reporting from one daily rag to another is the reason why you cannot rely on one newspaper for your information gathering. In my Political Science class at the UH our professor said, "The government that controls the media, controls the people". In our case, our news media biases the facts that we must base our opinions on so it's best to get your information from more than one source.

To some Hawaiians it seems this particular WalMart is a good thing. To others, well we know about that. As for the blessing, I don't think that'll work because I've been to workplace blessings in Kakaako and the hauntings continued. That was at the Gas Company's Kakaako location. I got some ghost stories and have witnessed some of them first hand.

We've had several blessings over the 22 years I worked there and none have worked. We even had one worker die after chopping down a kukui nut tree on the corner without asking permission from the tree! Two kahuna's tried to rid him of the spirits that had made him sick enough to be admitted to Queen's Hospital, both of them ran out of his room in a panic, real spooky stuff. He eventually died with no apparent cause of death.

The stories go on and I've been there to witness them too.

I wonder what stories will come up with this new WalMart store.

So much for the power of prayer, I guess.

[Miulang]

Walmart (http://starbulletin.com/2005/11/03/news/story02.html) "rewards" its employees by altering their time cards so the overtime they worked doesn't show up on the records. They have done this many times over the years to many of their employees all over the country.

Now, workers in Hawai'i are complaining that their pay has been cut through this devious practice, too.

"Thousands of residents who worked at Wal-Mart stores in the islands between 1997 and 2004 might have been unpaid for hours -- or even days -- of work and overtime as part of a systematic practice of "time shaving" aimed at keeping payroll costs down, a class-action lawsuit filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court alleges...."


Miulang

[adrian]

Any news on the walmart in Pearl City? Will it be a supercenter?

When will it open?

[manoasurfer123]

BEIJING - Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is bidding about $1 billion for a chain of 100 hypermarkets in China in a deal that could vault it ahead of competitors to become the country's biggest food and department store network, reports said Tuesday.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061017/ap_on_bi_ge/wal_mart_china

Can you say Wallnese?

Wal-Mart truly is trying to dominate the world it appears!

And just think of the Minimal amount of pay it would have to pay it's workers over there!

[Miulang]

Coming soon to some WalMarts (http://www.alternet.org/story/47224/): a "metrosexual" look and feel! Organic food! Designer clothes! $2,000 plasma TV sets! Upscale buildings! Same exploitation of workers.

Miulang

[craigwatanabe]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061017/ap_on_bi_ge/wal_mart_china

Can you say Wallnese?

Wal-Mart truly is trying to dominate the world it appears!

And just think of the Minimal amount of pay it would have to pay it's workers over there!

Hey Home Depot just opened up a store in China. I'm wondering how the Chinese factory workers will feel knowing the products they make will end up on Home Depot shelves and at what price?

[Miulang]

Hey Home Depot just opened up a store in China. I'm wondering how the Chinese factory workers will feel knowing the products they make will end up on Home Depot shelves and at what price?
That's ironically humorous, in kind of a perverted way: they get paid pennies per hour for the stuff they make which they can buy back for the equivalent of several hours of toiling to produce the stuff they buy!:p Of course, the WalMart workers in China do have a union, unlike the WalMarts in this counrty (forced upon WM by the Chinese government as a condition for doing business there). Wonder if the Home Depot workers will be able to join a union too?

Miulang

[joshuatree]

Hey Home Depot just opened up a store in China. I'm wondering how the Chinese factory workers will feel knowing the products they make will end up on Home Depot shelves and at what price?

Probably no different than when they pick up a pair of Nikes or buy Ikea furniture. Plus, the price there will probably reflect market prices there.

[adrian]

Anyone has any news on the potential Walmart in Kapolei? I know that the Kunia location will stay open because of management offices there, and the Pearl City location just opened, so no use in closing that down.

But my big question is... Why is there so much walmarts on this side of the island? Sure, I can transfer to the Kunia location once I get in my few months, but I can't see the logic in how Walmart opened its first store in Mililani, then expanded to Kunia then later in Pearl City (Keeamoku I understand).

(disclaimer: the above comment is from adrian, not walmart. Any comments made by adrian about walmart stores will be of his own comments, and never by walmart stores)