The miracle, as experienced by just about any Island resident with a car, is finding a convenient parking space at the mall during the holiday shopping rush.

This year may be one of the worst.

Hawai'i consumers are buying automobiles in record numbers — and they're buying bigger, space-hogging cars. With the economy humming, sales are expected to be up at the most popular malls.

So get ready to do battle for the prime parking spaces.

Trying to find a parking space at Ala Moana Center has Patti Raybin of Diamond Head almost ready to pull out her hair. With the holiday shopping season approaching, parking at malls is likely to get tighter. Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser

But a lot depends on your perception of enough.

Salt Lake resident Jay Obusan got a taste of the impending parking lot jam last week as he said he was almost late to a job interview at Island Snow at Ala Moana Center because he was looking for a safe space out of the sun to park. "Just imagine when the Christmas rush comes in, how it's going to be."

Dwight Yoshimura, Ala Moana general manager, said he recalls only once in recent history when the parking area of last resort at the state's largest mall — the upper 'ewa-makai corner outside Sears — was used to the max.

"It's just that they don't want that parking," Yoshimura said.

The Ala Moana Center parking lot may look like a mess, but mall officials say parking is available if you don't mind walking a bit. Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser

"They like to park in the same area, and they will circle, and circle, and circle until they find a place to park, rather than go someplace a little further out that is unfamiliar but less congested," he said. "It's a comfort zone for them."

The city requires retail stores to have at least 3.3 parking stalls per 1,000 square feet of store space.

Bill Brizee, a principal with Architects Hawaii Ltd., said it has been his experience that developers will try to build as close to the minimum parking as they can because of high land costs.

"That's why you can't ever find parking spaces around Christmastime," he said. "They'd rather build something that can be leased and generate revenue like more stores."

On the other hand, large retailers typically demand at least four stalls per 1,000 square feet of store space before agreeing to become a tenant at a shopping center.

"The tenants drive hard on parking," said Eric Tema, director of real estate for local development firm The MacNaughton Group.

Tema said five stalls per 1,000 square feet of store space is a good rule of thumb. "You can make it work with less, but more is better," he said.

Of O'ahu's five largest regional shopping centers, parking ratios range from 4.6 to 5 stalls per 1,000 square feet of store space.

Still, for the average shopper, finding a space can seem impossible during the holidays.

"I actually pray for parking," said Raybin, adding that she would almost rather try strapping packages to her moped than negotiate a mall parking lot in her red Mustang convertible during the weeks before Christmas.

Mall managers suggest shopping early in the season instead of waiting until the weekend before Christmas, as well as settling for parking spaces that require a little bit of a walk.

Maintaining the aloha and holiday spirit can ease parking stress.

Some centers this year are taking special initiatives during the holiday shopping period to help reduce parking congestion.

Automobile valet service will be available at Kahala Mall and Ala Moana Center.

Victoria Ward Centers has about 75 extra spaces this year mauka of Pier 1 Imports, in place of an old warehouse. The Kaka'ako shopping complex will also have attendants advising customers where available parking can be found at the sprawling retail complex.

Windward Mall said it will restrict employee parking to a lot outside the mall. The lot, across Alaloa Street next to He'eia Elementary School, is also available to customers.

At Pearlridge, greeters at mall entrances will be available to help customers load packages into cars, speeding up the parking flow. The mall will also open at 7 a.m. (two hours earlier than in past years) on the day after Thanksgiving to help diffuse the first-day holiday shopping rush.

"We're trying to make it easier," Pearlridge marketing director Creel said.

They haven't made it easy enough for Sharon Rezentes, a Waimanalo resident who said she already has done most of her holiday shopping online. Why? Because, Rezentes said, the parking "is crazy."