KAPOLEI — "Black Friday" came out of season in West O'ahu yesterday, as more than a thousand customers flocked into the new Costco warehouse store before noon yesterday.

Store general manager Max Ramos said more than 300 people entered the store during the first 15 minutes even though it opened at 7:42 a.m., 18 minutes before the announced 8 a.m. opening.

By 8:30 a.m., latecomers in the 775-stall parking lot weren't trolling just for an open stall, but for an equally precious commodity: one of 1,000 shopping carts.

The parking lot was so full Costco asked neighbors Home Depot and The Honolulu Advertiser for the use of a few of their stalls.

The madness actually started Thursday night during a two-hour preview for Costco business members and workers' families. An estimated 3,000 people showed up to taste the hot dogs, pizza, cake and beef sandwiches that Costco regulars are used to chowing down in sample portions.

Yesterday morning, Ande Kawaiaea, 49, of Kapolei, was in line by 6:15 along with daughter Brandy Toa, 25 and sister Kaui Lewis, 46, of Nanakuli.

"We have our strategy," Kawaiaea said, describing how she and Toa had studied the Kapolei branch opening coupon book the previous night and mapped out where each was to go.

"This is good for the community," Kawaiaea said. "It gives us consumers more options."

"We don't need to travel outside the area now," said Toa, pointing out that the only supermarket in Kapolei is Safeway. A Foodland is scheduled to open next year.

Like other shopping-starved West O'ahu consumers, Kawaiaea and Toa said they view Costco's arrival as further validation that Kapolei is coming into its own as a city.

What's good enough for Hawai'i Kai is good enough for the West Side.

Attilio K. Leonardi Jr., president of the Kapolei Chamber of Commerce, said he's pleased not only with the arrival of Costco, but also with the Kapolei Commons shopping complex that's kitty-corner from the Costco. The long-awaited Target store, one of two on O'ahu, opens Wednesday. A Sports Authority is already open and a PETCO is scheduled to open Monday. Also to open soon are Office Depot and Ross Dress For Less.

"It's good to be part of a business community that's growing when you see everything else that's going around the state and the United States," Leonardi said.

Part of the attraction at Costco yesterday was the doorbuster-type, one-day-only, two-for-one items. The 18-egg cartons were going so quickly there was a traffic bottleneck of shopping carts in the produce section leading to the walk-in dairy cooler. Workers were instructed to move pallets of eggs into the aisle so customers didn't need to trudge as far back.

Ramos said all the two-for-one items were moving, including juice and bread.

There was also a lot of interest in the designer handbags, including about four that each cost more than $1,000. Employees said they expected the items to be gone by the end of the weekend, if not the end of the day.

Evelyn Ogami, 56, of 'Aiea, said she paid $3,000 for the Chanel, black-with-gold-trim, leather flap handbag "on the outside" that was going for $1,999 yesterday. Ogami said she's thinking of buying another one.

Besides Costco's first indoor snack bar on O'ahu, the Kapolei store is the first to have an orthotic station where Costco members can be fitted for customized shoe insoles, Ramos said. The store is also the first in Hawai'i to offer self-checkout counters.

Helen Yniguez, Costco's regional marketing director, said more than 1,000 memberships have been purchased in the last month. "We expect to do that much in the next week," she said.

That's in a five-mile, target coverage area where Costco officials estimate they already have more than 30,000 families enrolled, a saturation rate of about 75 percent, Yniguez said.

The store is also seen as a job center. About 250 have been hired, many of whom live in the area. Ramos said about 90 existing employees transferred from the Waipi'o store.

Derrick Sarmiento, 45, of 'Ewa Beach, said the coming of Costco means it's his first job since being laid off by Aloha Airlines as a ramp services employee last year.

Sarmiento said after the Aloha experience, Costco is a blessing for him in that it provides solid medical benefits, a 401(k) plan and a strong chance of job advancement.