Hawai'i malls continue to expand, increase total sales

By Andrew Gomes
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hawai'i consumers spent more at shopping malls last year than they did the previous year, pushing total sales up almost 6 percent.

While the number of malls in the state grew, the number of shoppers did not — indicating those who did shop spent more, according to data compiled by the International Council of Shopping Centers.

Hawai'i was home to 194 malls with a combined 20.2 million square feet of retail space last year, up just over 3 percent from 188 malls totaling 19.6 million square feet in 1999, the industry group said.

At the same time, the number of adults visiting those shopping centers remained flat at 800,000 a month, a level unchanged since at least 1997, the council reported.

But total center sales, the group said, rose 5.9 percent to $3.75 billion last year, compared to $3.54 billion in 1999.

Increased spending was a trend nationwide, according to the council. Nationally, mall sales grew 7.3 percent. But that increase was aided by a 3.7 rise in the number of shoppers as well as a smaller increase in the number of malls, which grew 1.6 percent.

Drivers of mall growth in Hawai'i last year included the 156,000-square-foot Shops At Wailea and several additions of less than 100,000 square feet such as the 30,000-square-foot second phase of City Square in Kapalama.

The additions helped move Hawai'i up in the council's ranking of states by gross leasable mall space to 41st, up from 43rd in 1999.

Hawai'i, with its 20.2 million square feet of malls, overtook positions held by Idaho and Rhode Island, which each had 19.9 million square feet of mall space last year.

This year, mall space in Hawai'i is continuing to expand. New retail complexes recently opened include the 156,000-square-foot Ward Entertainment Center, the 186,000-square-foot DFS Galleria in Waikiki and a 19,000-square-foot expansion of the Kings' Shops on the Big Island.

Scheduled to open later this year or early next year is the 65,000-square-foot Shops at Mauna Lani on the Big Island.

The Honu Group's 95,000-square-foot luxury retail complex in Waikiki is scheduled to open next year as is an additional 20,000-square-foot expansion of the Kings' Shops.

Andrew Gomes can be reached by phone at 525-8065, or by e-mail at agomes@honoluluadvertiser.com.