An abc stores in honolulu hawaii by eekim 2012

ABC Stores is a chain of

convenience store A convenience store, convenience shop, bakkal, bodega, corner store, corner shop, superette or mini-mart is a small retail store that stocks a range of everyday items such as convenience food, groceries, beverages, tobacco products, lotter ...

s based in

Honolulu Honolulu ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is the county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of Honol ...

. The chain operates 73 stores, 58 of which are located in the state of

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...

, with the remaining locations in the

Mariana Islands The Mariana Islands ( ; ), also simply the Marianas, are a crescent-shaped archipelago comprising the summits of fifteen longitudinally oriented, mostly dormant volcanic mountains in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, between the 12th and 21st pa ...

(1),

Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

(6), and

Guam Guam ( ; ) is an island that is an Territories of the United States, organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. Guam's capital is Hagåtña, Guam, Hagåtña, and the most ...

(8). The company now generates more than $230 million in annual sales and employs over 1500 staff, and is described as the 37th largest company in Hawaii.

Products

The stores sell convenience items such as groceries, as well as tourist items and

souvenir A souvenir ( French for 'a remembrance or memory'), memento, keepsake, or token of remembrance is an object a person acquires for the memories the owner associates with it. A souvenir can be any object that can be collected or purchased and trans ...

s. The chain's best-selling items are tourist-oriented products such as

Macadamia nuts ''Macadamia'' is a genus of four species of trees in the flowering plant family Proteaceae. They are indigenous to Australia—specifically, northeastern New South Wales and central and southeastern Queensland. Two species of the genus are comm ...

sunscreen Sunscreen, also known as sunblock, sun lotion or sun cream, is a photoprotection, photoprotective topical product for the Human skin, skin that helps protect against sunburn and prevent skin cancer. Sunscreens come as lotions, sprays, gels, fo ...

and

sunglasses Sunglasses or sun glasses (informally called shades or sunnies; more names Sunglasses#Other names, below) are a form of Eye protection, protective eyewear designed primarily to prevent bright sunlight and high-energy visible light from damagin ...

History

The chain was started by a

Japanese-American are Americans of Japanese ancestry. Japanese Americans were among the three largest Asian American ethnic communities during the 20th century; but, according to the 2000 census, they have declined in ranking to constitute the sixth largest Asi ...

, Sidney Kosasa, who opened his first store in

Waikīkī Waikīkī (; ) is a Honolulu neighborhood and the eponymous Waikīkī beach on its south shore, on the island of Oahu in the U.S. state of Hawaii. (Despite situational use of the spelling "Waikiki", typically in materials aimed at tourists, t ...

in 1964. The stores were originally named "Mister K." Later, in order to make the store name easier to remember, the name of the stores were changed to "ABC Stores." The last Mister K was changed to ABC in 2009. The son of a first generation Japanese immigrant, Sidney Kosasa (or rather ‘Mr. K’- known by his ABC Stores ‘Ohana’ or family) was born in Palolo Valley, Hawaii in December 1919. His first experiences in retail began while working in his parents’ grocery store in Palolo. In 1949, Mr. and Mrs. K. opened their first pharmacy/convenience store in Kaimuki, Hawaii – known later as Thrifty Drugs. As business grew, his entrepreneurial and business philosophies resulted in the opening of four locations within 10 years. While attending a business convention in Miami Beach, Florida, Mr. K noticed all the tourists near the large hotels and had a vision to build a chain of resort stores in Hawaii. The first ABC Store was opened on Kalakaua Avenue in Waikīkī, Hawaii in 1964. Mr. Kosasa passed away on November 17, 2006. His son Paul is the current CEO of ABC.

Brands

ABC Stores The company's namesake brand is also its largest sub-brand, having more than 58 locations across the

Hawaiian Islands The Hawaiian Islands () are an archipelago of eight major volcanic islands, several atolls, and numerous smaller islets in the Pacific Ocean, North Pacific Ocean, extending some from the Hawaii (island), island of Hawaii in the south to nort ...

and beyond. These convenience store style shops carry local Hawaiian products like

macadamia nuts ''Macadamia'' is a genus of four species of trees in the flowering plant family Proteaceae. They are indigenous to Australia—specifically, northeastern New South Wales and central and southeastern Queensland. Two species of the genus are comm ...

chocolates Chocolate is a food made from roasted and ground cocoa beans that can be a liquid, solid, or paste, either by itself or to flavor other foods. Cocoa beans are the processed seeds of the cacao tree (''Theobroma cacao''); unprocessed, they ta ...

, and

coffee Coffee is a beverage brewed from roasted, ground coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content, but decaffeinated coffee is also commercially a ...

as well as apparel, groceries, and all types of alcoholic products. Island Gourmet Markets Island Gourmet Markets is described by the company as a "lifestyle market and gift shop." These large format stores carries a more expanded assortment of grocery items including fresh produce and meats as well as the traditional products find in standard ABC Stores like apparel, gifts, and snacks. This brand currently has two locations - one in Waikoloa's Queens’ MarketPlace and the other in the Shops at Wailea on the Hawaiian Island of

Maui Maui (; Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ) is the second largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago, at 727.2 square miles (1,883 km2). It is the List of islands of the United States by area, 17th-largest in the United States. Maui is one of ...

. Similar establishments are also operated by them under another name at the Kapalua Resort on in

(the Honolua Store) and in Koloa on

Kauaʻi Kauai (), anglicized as Kauai ( or ), is one of the main Hawaiian Islands. It has an area of 562.3 square miles (1,456.4 km2), making it the fourth-largest of the islands and the 21st-largest island in the United States. Kauai lies 73 mi ...

(Sueoka Market). Island Country Markets Island Country Markets are officially described by the company also as a "lifestyle market and gift shop." Country Markets are generally smaller than the large Gourmet Markets but larger than the traditional ABC Store. They have a stronger emphasis on fresh and prepared food than ABC Stores but lack the same level of groceries available at their larger cousin. The brand currently has three locations; one at the Ritz Carlton Residences

Waikīkī beach Waikīkī (; ) is a Honolulu, Hawaii, Honolulu neighborhood and the eponymous Waikīkī beach on its south shore, on the island of Oahu, Oahu in the U.S. state of Hawaii. (Despite situational use of the spelling "Waikiki", typically in materi ...

, one at the Ko Olina Resorts on the

Island of Oahu An island or isle is a piece of land, distinct from a continent, completely surrounded by water. There are continental islands, which were formed by being split from a continent by plate tectonics, and oceanic islands, which have never been ...

, and one in Kapaʻa on the island of

Kauai Kauai (), anglicized as Kauai ( or ), is one of the main Hawaiian Islands. It has an area of 562.3 square miles (1,456.4 km2), making it the fourth-largest of the islands and the 21st-largest island in the United States. Kauai lies 73 m ...

. Dukes Lane Market & Eatery In 2017, the company opened a restaurant and

food hall A food hall is a large standalone location or department store section where food and drinks are sold. Overview Unlike food courts made up of fast food chains, food halls typically mix local artisan restaurants, butcher shops and other food- ...

known as the Dukes Lane Eatery in Waikīkī. Restaurants The company also owns and operates a number of restaurants with the most popular being Lineage in

Wailea Wailea is a census-designated place (CDP) in Maui County, Hawaii, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 6,027. Prior to 2010, the area was part of the Wailea-Makena census-designated place. The community was developed in 1 ...

, Basalt in

, and Island Deli locations in some of its various retail establishments.

References

External links

ABC Stores of Hawaii
{{DEFAULTSORT:Abc Stores Companies based in Honolulu Convenience stores of the United States Business in Hawaii 1964 establishments in Hawaii Retail companies established in 1964 Grocery stores in Hawaii American companies established in 1964 Retail companies based in Hawaii