KAHULUI – Even in the rain, people lined up with their umbrellas, ponchos and jackets to be among the first shoppers at Target Kahului, which officially opened its doors Wednesday morning at the Pu’unene Shopping Center.
A line of at least 100 people fronted the store shortly before its 8 a.m. opening time, which occurred during sporadic downpours that may have chased away some would-be shoppers. Around 7:45 a.m., the parking lot was only a fourth full.
But the line reportedly grew larger around 8 a.m. And, by 9:30 a.m., nearly all the parking stalls were filled and shopping carts were hard to come by.
Kahului resident Celeste Acorda arrived at 6:30 a.m. and was first in line, waiting with her neighbors, so she could beat any crowd.
“Because I was thinking if get big line, I can’t go in,” she said, noting she needed to report to her job at Foodland Pukalani by 12:30 p.m.
Acorda, who had never been in a Target store before, said she was going to “look for coffee” at the Starbucks counter as well as comb the jewelry department for a watch. She said she was told there were quality watches and jewelry items at Target.
Wailuku resident Russell Wachi wore a blue poncho to protect himself from the rain as he waited for the store to open, but he said, “I expected a lot of people.”
He agreed that the inclement weather may have turned some people away. He arrived around 7:25 a.m., only to find a handful of people in line.
Wachi said he was going to check out the store’s electronics selection, and he was pleased that Target has opened a store on Maui. “I’m not a Wal-Mart fan,” he said.
He explained that he didn’t like news reports about Wal-Mart employees’ low salaries and poor working conditions.
Kihei resident Loretta Gresham said she took the day off from her job at a condominium in Kihei to be in line for Target’s opening.
“They thought I was crazy,” she said of her coworkers’ reaction to her vacation request.
“I’m very excited,” she said while beaming as she and others waited in the rain for the doors to open.
Gresham was so happy she couldn’t stop talking while in line, and even made some friends.
She said Wachi pointed out jokingly that she had not stopped talking since she arrived in line.
“I need to change my blue bag to a red bag,” she said as a blue Wal-Mart bag hung on her shoulder.
Target sells red reuseable bags. Like Wal-Mart, Target does not give out any shopping bags with purchases. Customers may buy a reuseable bag for $1.
On Wednesday, customers wandered around the store and crowded in and around the “One Spot” area at the store’s front where items were priced between $1 and $3. The section included small children’s toys, seasonal items, snacks and decorative items.
As customers walked, they gushed about the easy-to-push, smooth-driving shopping carts. Others talked about competitive pricing while others said prices were equal to those at other big box stores.
Some shoppers said they found deals in the grocery department, where there were offerings of $3 off frozen chicken and low prices on frozen foods and cereal.
The Target store includes clothing and an expanded fresh food layout, including fresh produce and meat and prepackaged baked goods along with dry, dairy and frozen items. The store offers holiday and seasonal items such as Easter candies. There’s an electronics department, aisles of makeup, home products, a Starbucks Coffee counter, a grab-and-go food counter and a pharmacy.
Lori Wilhelm of Mililani, Oahu, may have been the first person in line, but when she arrived at 6 a.m. and found no one in line she went briefly to Zippy’s nearby. Then, when she returned, a few people had arrived.
Wilhelm, a former Maui resident visiting family on the Valley Isle, said that although Oahu already has Target stores, including a new one in Kailua, she wanted to come to the Maui Target because Oahu crowds are much larger on opening day.
While in the store, she noted that collectors of Hot Wheels cars were looking through the store’s collection.
Waikapu resident Vaea Rodrigues was celebrating her birthday at Target.
“I decided I’ll go shop,” she said, noting she had the day off and her child was at preschool.
She had several items of clothing in her cart, although she said she wasn’t sure if she was going to buy it all.
Rodrigues said she is familiar with Target’s products and likes its Mossimo clothing line.
Her husband encouraged her to enjoy the day and use his credit card, she said. “He said, ‘Go have fun.’ “
While Wednesday’s shoppers were the first general public members to patronize the store, a “VIG,” or “Very Important Guest,” invitation-only shopping night was held at the store Tuesday.
Prior to the VIG’s 5 p.m. start, a line of guests flanked the front side of the building, and by 6:30 p.m. there were no parking spaces left and no shopping carts. The special event attracted more shoppers in its first two hours than the first two hours of the store’s official opening Wednesday, according to a visual survey of the store. Some quick-selling items Tuesday were sparse on shelves and racks on Wednesday.
Target is open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday. On Sunday, its doors are open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Food concessions close one hour prior to the store’s closing time.
* Melissa Tanji can be reached at mtanji@mauinews.com.
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