Daiei --> Don Quijote

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Daiei --> Don Quijote

I watched Jake for a bit

What? And you didn't tell him I said hello? Awwww......

[Palolo Joe]

Re: Daiei --> Don Quijote

What? And you didn't tell him I said hello? Awwww......

Man, for a part-time volunteer radio jock, you've sure got a big ego...

[Pomai]

Re: Daiei --> Don Quijote

Nice shots, PZ. A zoo indeed. Gosh, I can't even recognize Jake anymore after losing all that weight.

In your photo of the seafood department, I see they kept the fiberglass fish mounts, mounted above next to the "Seafood" sign. Very cool. My friend Layne on the Big Island made those for Daiei a few years ago. Check out his site. Truly a master in the art of fiberglass fish mounts (and costume making!).

I'd like to wait for the madness to settle before going there, but judging by the pictures and story, I don't think that'll be anytime soon. I may have to fight some lady for a parking stall. lol

[pzarquon]

Re: Daiei --> Don Quijote

What? And you didn't tell him I said hello? Awwww......

Um, no Leo, I hadn't thought of you and your radio connections while trying to clap, take pictures, enjoy the music, and meanwhile keep from being trampled by a considerable crowd of Japanese fans.

And, of course, I know Jake myself, through the Kaimuki High School music program, so had my own greetings to pass along.

Anyone else enjoying the photos? I missed lunch for y'all! (Wanted one of their bentos, but the line was too long!)

Cool story 'bout those mounts, Pomai. Small world!

[lilin]

Re: Daiei --> Don Quijote

Donki looks a lot busier... not just in customers, but in products and colors. I'm still trying to adjust to all the plastic foliage sprouting from all directions. Did you get to see the Lion dancing? I watched for about 10 minutes and then got a headache. I think I even saw a person lying on the ground, from the heat or the excitement, I'm not sure. PZ, did you get any good deals? Were the products better than before or the same?

Was that little girl with the towel on her head with the Japanese groupies? Daiei used to have a sign saying you couldn't take pictures. Will DQ also have that rule after the grand opening?

[pzarquon]

Re: Daiei --> Don Quijote

I missed the lion dancing but the heat was intense and I know there was an ambulance there for someone who had collapsed. Most of the women and girls in the crowd for Jake were indeed Japanese nationals and visitors. Plenty of local friends and fans, too, though. Jake's brother was there and he plugged his new CD.

It is busy, design wise. Heck, busy doesn't halfway express the design ethic. I can only imagine what a real Donki is like, if ours is so notably subdued.

Oh, and there are prominently placed signs prohibiting photography. I... er, didn't notice them until I was leaving.

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Daiei --> Don Quijote

Um, no Leo, I hadn't thought of you and your radio connections while trying to clap, take pictures, enjoy the music, and meanwhile keep from being trampled by a considerable crowd of Japanese fans.

Geez, I WAS joking; I didn't honestly expect you to go bug him while he's doing a gig, or push through the huge swarm of people, just to say "howdy" from one of thousands of people he's met.

But yes, ego notwithstanding, he does know who I am. Last time he was in Seattle, he came to our office at my request and played a half-hour set for the dozen of us who program music (I have it on video); one time before that, he came out to the radio show and did a live half-hour interview and performance (I have that on disc.) We've dined together, talked story together, and I've emceed most of his Seattle-area performances.

Sorry if that comes across as shameless namedropping; I got the impression my connection with the gentleman was in doubt. (Oh, and I worked with Hema Pa`a - the duo of 'Baba' Alimoot & Chris Kamaka, who performed earlier in the day - at the Kalama festival in late August.)

[mel]

Re: Daiei --> Don Quijote

Oh, and there are prominently placed signs prohibiting photography. I... er, didn't notice them until I was leaving.

Yep, Daiei had long posted signs against taking photos...

Still today was just too tempting to not take photos... so I walked in with my tiny fixed focus Sony U30 pocket camera and shot some. Click on the image of each photo to see a larger version.


The electronics department.


Grocery and gift section, near bakery.


They upgraded the food court eating area, even painted the cement!

More pictures at this link: Buzznet

When I went at around 5:15 this afternoon, the store was very crowded. So crowded that I don't think they could enforce any photo ban if they tried.

That said, I kind of like the kitschy plastic tropical-Japanese decor. The place could almost pass for a tourist attraction. I almost expect the two little Peanut Sisters from the "Mothra" movie to pop up somewhere and start singing their famous theme song.

I guess they like zig zagging aisles and merchandise stacked up very high. Several departments have this set up including clothing and electronics. They have the lights dimmed at the electronics section and little boomboxes playing contemporary hip hop/ dance tracks in the clothing department.

And as someone said earlier, I like the return of the fish hanging up in the seafood department. The good thing is that all of the grocery items and deli selections are still there. That is the main reason why I go to Daiei... er... Don Quijote.

Just looking at some of the earlier posts and this one caught me...

"The new owner wants to assure the people of Hawaii that no sudden or drastic changes will be made to the stores, merchandise or operations." <cough> bullshit! <cough>

I think the core merchandise has not changed, but they certainly added more merchandise, totally re-arranged the store, stacked some of the shelvings up to the ceiling, added in all of the new signage and decor, changed the employee uniforms, repainted the entire outside of the store, upgraded the food court area.... and sadly, eliminated the dollar store, where I used to go to buy the clear plastic CD cases and paper holders.

Overall though I think most of the changes are an improvement and certainly at this early time, quite novel in relation to the decor.

[shaveice]

Re: Daiei --&gt; Don Quijote

I have a Canon 300D Rebel SLR. Used the standard 18-55 mm wide angle lens that came with the camera. Handheld and shot at 800 ISO.

oh, that's sweet. i've got the old pany fz30, canon sd550, etc but i always appreciate a good shot taken in low light

when my wife, daughter and i went to check out the new store at around 6:30 pm, it was madness. drivers circling like sharks and doing battle over parking spaces.

thanks for the info on the sd card!

[LocalMotion]

Re: Daiei --&gt; Don Quijote

wow... i was just there 2 weeks ago and it was all under construction... looks good.

you think this will affect the prices upwards?

[pzarquon]

Re: Daiei --&gt; Don Quijote

you think this will affect the prices upwards?

The prices I managed to check while breezing through seemed competitive, if not great. Of course many were grand opening specials. But I would've considered actually shopping there for stuff I actually want, were it not for the fact that the checkout lines stretched halfway into the store. You couldn't even get into some aisles because they were filled with filled shopping carts!

[Pomai]

Re: Daiei --&gt; Don Quijote

Regarding competitive prices, the nice thing about Daiei - which seems DQ is continuing - is that they're MEMBERSHIP FREE. Of all the major supermarket players on Oahu, they and Star Market were/are the only ones who keep my wallet approximately 1mm less thicker than it would, lest I'd need to haul one of their dreaded plastic cards around.

Daiei's sale and "everyday low" prices on the basic consumables were right on par, and sometimes slightly lower than the competition, including Costco.

for asian imported groceries, Daiei certainly had a larger selection than the Ward Marukai (I don't go to the Dillingham warehouse 'cause it's out of the way). Marukai is more specific to Japanese food, so they'll likely have that one specialty item you may not have found at Daiei. But that could be a toss-up as well. Price-wise between the two in this category were generally the same.

Advantage to Daiei for not needing that dreaded membership card.. and lots more hot Nihongin chicks to look at while shopping.

I'm thinkin' DQ (not Dairy Queen!) will be very agressive with their pricing strategies.

[Erika Engle]

Re: Daiei --&gt; Don Quijote

quote: and sadly, eliminated the dollar store, where I used to go to buy the clear plastic CD cases and paper holders.

NOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Gotta hit the Kailua/Pearl City/Waipahu dollar store sections and stock up, if the sections are not already gone.

When I went to the Kailua store to cover the fence-cutting ceremony yesterday, I didn't have time to venture in and look around ... it was definitely there the last time I was there, not that long ago.

Even Marukai's 99-cent Superstores charge $1.49 for most stuff now.

[Pomai]

Re: Daiei --&gt; Don Quijote - Kailua store takes down fence

When I went to the Kailua store to cover the fence-cutting ceremony yesterday

I didn't know what you were referring to here until reading the article...

Across the island yesterday was another sign that the old Daiei has given way to the new Don Quijote. Yasuda helped start work to tear down a Kailua fence Daiei had long insisted on keeping to prevent shopper migration to the Safeway store next door.

The Kailua Chamber of Commerce has heard from residents for at least 10 years that tearing down the fence was a top priority to make shopping easier.

Mitch D'Olier, president and chief executive of landowner Kaneohe Ranch Co., said that when they first spoke about the possibility, "Yasuda made the decision to take down the fence in about two minutes."

HA published a story today entirely on the subject.

[pzarquon]

Re: Daiei --&gt; Don Quijote

The Star-Bulletin had a fence-focused article last month, noting how someone would periodically cut through the fence, just adding to the headaches as it would eventually be repaired. The Pacific Business Newsalso had a 'tilting at fences' hed that I thought was clever, given the Don Quijote link.