JazzVibe

KAHULUI – For almost a year, Target Kahului store manager Scott Hayes enjoyed rock star status when he wore his Target aloha shirt on Maui.

“When we go out in aloha wear, it’s like crazy. It’s like you are a celebrity. They (people) are like ‘There is Target, Target Target.’ What it did was put a face that we are coming. They see us out there. They see us in the community,” Hayes said Tuesday after leading a media tour of the store.

That excitement and buzz has led to today, when the store finally opens its doors to the public at 8 a.m.

“I’m excited because I know how excited the community is. Being here since September of last year, that buzz has been here,” Hayes said.

The nearly 140,000-square-foot store, at the Pu’unene Shopping Center at 100 Hookele St. near Zippy’s, has 740 parking stalls, all of which are ready for use.

Store officials were unsure how large a crowd will be at Target on its opening day or if anyone would camp out at the entrance before the store opens. But there were social media reports that people would be lining up outside.

“We’re glad people are excited,” Target spokeswoman Erika Winkels said after Tuesday’s Hawaiian store blessing. “We don’t know what to expect.”

On Tuesday, the store’s shelves were fully stocked with merchandise available at other Maui big box and grocery stores, and there were Target specialty items, such as the Ava & Viv plus-size women’s clothing line; the Circo line of clothing, furniture and other items; and Target grocery products including refrigerated chicken breasts and dairy case items. The store sells local products, including Kula Produce, Aloha Maid drinks and S&S Saimin.

Prices appeared to be comparable with other Maui stores. A can of Spam was $2.64; a 1-pound container of Mainland strawberries was $4.99; and a 9-ounce bag of Cadbury mini-egg candy was $2.89.

The now-resolved West Coast dock slowdown affected inventory “a little bit, but not much,” Hayes said.

Winkels said the store couldn’t share details on affected items, but store officials said they are committed to making sure customers get what they need.

With or without a dock slowdown and even if there were a rush of customers today, Hayes said there should be a lot of merchandise on the floor and in stock because the store receives shipments twice a week.

“We are going to do the best we can to stay as full as we can,” Hayes said, but he added that it’s hard to predict how busy the store will be.

Inventory includes clothing, dry goods, groceries, produce, electronics, CDs, a wide range of baby items, a Hawaii souvenir section, shoes, home items and a brightly illuminated cosmetics department. Then there’s Target’s special “One Spot” area, where items are priced between $1 and $3. These include children’s socks, coloring books, party favors and also some Easter and St. Patrick’s Day knickknacks.

Hayes, who spent three and a half years at the Target store in Hilo, said the grocery section was that store’s most popular department.

But Hayes predicted that the home decor department would be a hit here because Maui residents looking forward to shopping at Target have told him “they want to come into Target to buy something different,” Hayes said.

The Kahului store, like many Target stores across the nation, has a Starbucks outlet, a Target Cafe with Pizza Hut pizza and other grab-and-go items and a pharmacy.

The store will employ approximately 250 people, with more than 90 percent Maui residents, store officials said. They’re still hiring some part-time employees.

In December, a Target job fair at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center attracted around 400 people, who sought positions as cashiers, salesclerks and back room stockers.

This is the sixth Target in the state. A new Kailua, Oahu, store also opens today. Other Target stores are on Oahu and the Big Island.

Mayor Alan Arakawa spoke at Tuesday’s blessing and predicted the Kahului Target would be the top-selling store in the state.

“We know Target will be a strong producer on Maui,” he said.

“The only thing they did wrong, according to my wife, is they didn’t have a shopping cart (immediately) available for her to go in,” Arakawa joked during the blessing.

Target Kahului is open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. Food concessions close an hour before the store shuts its doors for the day.

The official grand opening will be held on Sunday.

* Melissa Tanji can be reached at mtanji@mauinews.com.

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7rq3UoqWer6NjsLC5jqecsKtfobykrctmpZ6vo2R%2FcX2UaGdsZ5uWtba41KJkrZminLK1ec6pnKehnpx6tbvDmrBo