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The optimism expressed by some Hawaiu merchants is in direct contrast to the where retailers are bracing for a slowetr season thanlast year, with high gas prices and a housinyg crisis that's left many cautious about opening theier wallets. "I think in Hawaii we're stilo a little bit stronge than the nation in saidRon Yoda, general manage of . "I thinkl we'll do better than the rest of the This week, the issued its forecastt for the upcoming season, and it wasn't very The Washington, D.C.-based organization predicts growth of 4 percent over 2006 sales, the lowest forecast since 2002. Actual growth that year was just 1.
3 American households are projected tospene $619.51 each on gifts and holiday decorations, up from $603.8 6 last year. The nationall retailers' group defines the holiday shoppingt season as the months of November and although for many shoppers the starting gun fires the morninvgafter Thanksgiving, known as Black Friday. "Thde bottom line is that while consumerswill spend, they will actuall be spending a little bit more cautiously," said spokeswoma Kathy Grannis. "We see luxury retailers beingf the winners this year because their shopperw are not as impacted by economic factorws such as gas prices and the housing marketand such.
" But the same could be said about Hawaiui shoppers, according to some store owners who expectt sales to be as good as last year or based on what they've seen lately. "We'vr already started putting out ornaments," said Michael Cummins, co-owner of at Ward Centre, whichy sells unique Christmas ornaments eachholidagy season, along with its chocolates. "Thatr has already been sellingreally well, so I'm hoping for a very good expects sales at its eigh t Oahu stores to be stronger than last in part because its stores at Pearlridge Center and the newlt renovated Windward Mall are both larger than last year.
"Havinbg the right merchandise and a wide selection of productsz at the right pricdis key," said Marketing Director Lani Although optimistic, most retailers say it is hard to predict exactly how much business they'll see. "It really is hard to said Reid Fujita, owner, with his wife Jonelle, of Cinnamon a dress, accessories and gifts retailer. "We had yearsd that we thought woulf be soft and it turned out to be a bannetr holiday and we had years that we thoughy would be a banner year that turned out to be Kahala Mall merchants are expecting this year to be jolliere thanlast year, when the mall was still recoverinf from a flood nine months The movie theaters were closed untilo December, and then only partially opened.
The Apple Store still was under construction and there were severalunoccupiec spaces. "This year we don' t have any of those dark so that helps traffic and thegeneral feel," Yoda said. All eighty theaters have since re-opened, along with the Appl e Store, and just this week, Cinnamo n Girl opened a holiday store in the formerr BananaRepublic space. Next door Santa's Pen, a local companyh that specializes in customized tree is getting ready to open in aspace that's twicw as large as the former Zales jewelry store it leased at Kahalaq Mall last holiday season.
"I thin k we're going to do better than last saidGaye Kaupiko, who, with husband Brian, owns Kahala Kids at Kahal a Mall. "Our numbers have been up sincde the beginning of the Not so at AlaMoana Center, which is in the end stagees of a major construction project that has bisectex the parking lots on the Kapiolaniu Boulevard side of the mall. Ala Moana also has been hurt by the downturhn in Japanese tourism and a shifft in shopping patterns byyounger Japanese, who are now lookingv for the kind of bargains offeref by Wal-Mart.
"The feeling in the local market seems to feel better than it does in thevisitor market," said Kim Scoggins, vice presidentt of the retail service division at Colliers Monroe Friedlander. "The visitor markey is pulling back alittle bit."
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