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Wal-Mart: Chapter 3

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  • Wal-Mart: Chapter 3

    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. 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.

  • #2
    Re: Wal-Mart: Chapter 3

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

    http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/s...1/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/ar.../bz/bz02p.html

    Miulang
    "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Wal-Mart: Chapter 3

      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/stor...D&;siteid=mktw

      Miulang
      "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Wal-Mart: Chapter 3

        WalMart Has Finally Opened.

        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.
        I'm still here. Are you?

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Wal-Mart: Chapter 3

          Originally posted by mel
          WalMart Has Finally Opened.

          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?

          Miulang
          "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Wal-Mart: Chapter 3

            Originally posted by mel
            WalMart Has Finally Opened.

            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."
            Check out my blog on Kona issues :
            The Kona Blog

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Wal-Mart: Chapter 3

              Thanks for the breaking news Advertiser article on the opening, Mel (the traffic flow map is pretty helpful), but there's no need to bait the "naysayers." (Try here instead.) When you do make it down there, please share your impressions of the location.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Wal-Mart: Chapter 3

                Originally posted by admin
                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 ?
                Check out my blog on Kona issues :
                The Kona Blog

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                • #9
                  Re: Wal-Mart: Chapter 3

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

                  Miulang
                  "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Wal-Mart: Chapter 3

                    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.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Wal-Mart: Chapter 3

                      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 ?
                      Check out my blog on Kona issues :
                      The Kona Blog

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                      • #12
                        Re: Wal-Mart: Chapter 3

                        I think the map 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).

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Wal-Mart: Chapter 3

                          Here is a map of the location of the new Wal-Mart http://tinyurl.com/68nbz
                          Now I know where this place is located
                          Check out my blog on Kona issues :
                          The Kona Blog

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                          • #14
                            Re: Wal-Mart: Chapter 3

                            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).
                            How'd I get so white and nerdy?

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                            • #15
                              Re: Wal-Mart: Chapter 3

                              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!
                              Last edited by craigwatanabe; October 13, 2004, 02:15 PM.
                              Life is what you make of it...so please read the instructions carefully.

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