As part of our ongoing commitment to community involvement The Hansen Ohana is having their Annual Toy Drive.
Unwrapped gifts and donations go to our Maui children through The Children’s Justice Center.
Please stop by our office at the Wailea Town Center if you would like more information or to drop off a toy or donation.
Unit #D-103 (just down from Bella Blooms) or call 808-874-8473 for directions.
Mahalo for your generosity!
The percentage gains are somewhat misleading, since they are coming off the very depressed situation in October 2009. However, a visitor total of 180,882 for an October is fairly robust even by usual standards. The big gain in per person per day spending may indicate that hoteliers are beginning to back off from the heavy discounting they used earlier to keep head counts up.
The Flash Report from Hospitality Advisors later this month will reveal if that happened.
State tourism liaison Marsha Wienert said there has been some recovery in room rates but also in spending at retail shops and on activities and recreation.
“When the downturn started, per person per day spending went down in just about all categories except transportation,” she said.
October is considered a “shoulder month,” a sort of breather between the last summer rush of August and the start of the prime winter season, in late December.
Maui Visitors Bureau Executive Director Terryl Vencl said she was “very happy with the news,” although still nervous about international events that could work against Maui tourism.
“I am cautiously optimistic, but anything anywhere on the globe could could cause more issues for us,” she said.
She noted the jump in expenditures. “We have a long way to go from the deep discounting,” and as a shoulder month, not too much can be read into the results, but “all trends seem to be heading in the right direction,” Vencl said.
The rest of the state also enjoyed an October surprise, though not quite as big as Maui’s.
Oahu head count was up 10.3 percent to 348,702, and spending up was 20.7 percent to $484 million.
Kauai head count was up 7.9 percent to 79,009, and spending was up 29.4 percent to $99 million.
Hawaii County head count was up 13.8 percent to 104,404, and spending was up 23.8 percent to $117 million.
For the first 10 months, Maui County visitor numbers are up 9.6 percent to 1.8 million, and spending is up 19.9 percent to almost $2.5 billion.
“It’s been a challenging couple of years, but the improving national and international economy is boosting consumer confidence,” said Wienert. “This confidence will generate an increased desire to travel for both business and pleasure.”
Vencl attributed Maui’s gains to heavier marketing. “It’s from being out on the road. We’ve got to maintain that pressure,” she said.
Statewide, spending by visitors to Hawaii jumped 24.7 percent in October compared to the same month last year.
Spending rose as more travelers visited Hawaii and as they spent more on average during their stay, the Hawaii Tourism Authority said.
The gains followed a yearlong trend in which spending rose 14.7 percent for the first 10 months of 2010.
Hawaii Tourism Authority President Mike McCartney said he’s viewing the figures with ”cautious optimism.”
”While the trends are positive, we have not yet fully recovered. Therefore, we need to continue our efforts to aggressively market Hawaii to help drive demand,” McCartney said.
The agency said total visitor spending hit $961.5 million in October, up $190.6 million from October 2009. The number of visitors rose 13.6 percent to 574,425.
The greatest growth came from the West Coast, which sent 21.4 percent more visitors, and Canada, which sent 17.2 percent more.
The statistics are published by the Hawaii Tourism Authority. The authority is funded by the state hotel tax and promotes travel to Hawaii.
* Harry Eagar can be reached at heagar@mauinews.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Some businesses find increased online sales after promoting via e-mail and websites
By Kristen Consillio
Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Nov 30, 2010
After a brisk Black Friday weekend, some Hawaii retailers were waiting to cash in on an anticipated boost in online sales on the hype of Cyber Monday — the day online retailers typically offer deep discounts in hopes of continuing the holiday shopping momentum.
Local retailers, aggressively trying to woo customers to their websites, expect online sales to match the strong start to the holiday season over the weekend, when 212 million shoppers flocked to stores and websites, up from 195 million a year ago, according to the National Retail Federation.
Consumers spent more than they did last year, with the average shopper spending $365, up from $343, an NRF survey shows. Total spending was estimated at $45 billion over the weekend.
Online sales at Maui Divers Jewelry, which has 55 stores, were up about 40 percent over the previous year this weekend, and Cyber Monday sales were up about 10 percent early yesterday afternoon, said Bob Taylor, president and chief executive officer of Maui Divers, which offered as much as half off the regular price and free shipping yesterday.
“It’s a good day,” he said. “As we get closer to Christmas, we’ll have even larger days.”
While sales are up, the average transaction is down about 10 percent over last year, Taylor said.
“People are definitely looking for lower price points from a year ago in the jewelry business,” he added.
Nearly 90 percent of retailers offered Cyber Monday deals yesterday, which could drive sales to more than $1 billion, according to one estimate. Online shoppers spent $648 million on Black Friday, up 9 percent from a year ago, and $407 million — 28 percent more than last year — on Thanksgiving, according to comScore, which measures online retail sales.
Hilo Hattie expects it will “easily double business on Cyber Monday,” according to Mark Storfer, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Pomare Ltd., parent company of Hilo Hattie, which will continue Cyber Monday offers for the next two weeks.
The Hawaiian gift store more than doubled online sales this weekend compared with the previous year, while brick-and-mortar stores were up 40 percent over last year on Black Friday — the best in five years, he said.
“It was huge. We had an incredible day,” Storfer said. “The common reasons for both brick-and-mortar and online (increases) is we see the economy improving, and we see customers more confident about the future.”
Customers are spending more on themselves this year than on family and friends, he said.
Retailers nationwide have gotten aggressive in marketing the so-called Cyber Monday following Black Friday, with many promoting sales through Facebook, Twitter and on websites.
Hilo Hattie sent a targeted e-mail invitation to a quarter of a million customers offering free shipping anywhere in the United States with a $100 purchase, beginning yesterday through Dec. 15.
“I woke up to 20 e-mails from all these different online vendors,” said Donnie Ford, a Hawaii Kai resident who shops online throughout the year but did not have time to shop yesterday.
While Cyber Monday is not as big as Black Friday in terms of traffic and sales for Best Buy, “it’s a lot bigger than it has been in previous years,” said Shawn Troup, Iwilei store manager.
“A lot of people are getting more tech savvy; they’re getting their needs online,” he said. “A lot of people are able to get things that might be out of stock or not available from (Black Friday); now they’re able to get them online.”
Best Buy has hired more staff to handle the expected increase in online ordering, which is up from last year, Troup said.
“Online is getting bigger and bigger and bigger,” he said.
“It was better than expected and going to continue to grow. For some people it’s more convenient. Time-starved people that don’t have a lot of time to drive to places are doing more and more research online.”
Macy’s also anticipates a rise in traffic and sales compared with last year, according to John Gorham, senior vice president and regional director of stores for the southwestern region.
After a brisk Black Friday weekend, some Hawaii retailers were waiting to cash in on an anticipated boost in online sales on the hype of Cyber Monday — the day online retailers typically offer deep discounts in hopes of continuing the holiday shopping momentum.
Consumers spent more than they did last year, with the average shopper spending $365, up from $343, an NRF survey shows. Total spending was estimated at $45 billion over the weekend.
Online sales at Maui Divers Jewelry, which has 55 stores, were up about 40 percent over the previous year this weekend, and Cyber Monday sales were up about 10 percent early yesterday afternoon, said Bob Taylor, president and chief executive officer of Maui Divers, which offered as much as half off the regular price and free shipping yesterday.
“It’s a good day,” he said. “As we get closer to Christmas, we’ll have even larger days.”
While sales are up, the average transaction is down about 10 percent over last year, Taylor said.
“People are definitely looking for lower price points from a year ago in the jewelry business,” he added.
Nearly 90 percent of retailers offered Cyber Monday deals yesterday, which could drive sales to more than $1 billion, according to one estimate. Online shoppers spent $648 million on Black Friday, up 9 percent from a year ago, and $407 million — 28 percent more than last year — on Thanksgiving, according to comScore, which measures online retail sales.
Hilo Hattie expects it will “easily double business on Cyber Monday,” according to Mark Storfer, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Pomare Ltd., parent company of Hilo Hattie, which will continue Cyber Monday offers for the next two weeks.
The Hawaiian gift store more than doubled online sales this weekend compared with the previous year, while brick-and-mortar stores were up 40 percent over last year on Black Friday — the best in five years, he said.
“It was huge. We had an incredible day,” Storfer said. “The common reasons for both brick-and-mortar and online (increases) is we see the economy improving, and we see customers more confident about the future.”
Customers are spending more on themselves this year than on family and friends, he said.
Retailers nationwide have gotten aggressive in marketing the so-called Cyber Monday following Black Friday, with many promoting sales through Facebook, Twitter and on websites.
Hilo Hattie sent a targeted e-mail invitation to a quarter of a million customers offering free shipping anywhere in the United States with a $100 purchase, beginning yesterday through Dec. 15.
“I woke up to 20 e-mails from all these different online vendors,” said Donnie Ford, a Hawaii Kai resident who shops online throughout the year but did not have time to shop yesterday.
While Cyber Monday is not as big as Black Friday in terms of traffic and sales for Best Buy, “it’s a lot bigger than it has been in previous years,” said Shawn Troup, Iwilei store manager.
“A lot of people are getting more tech savvy; they’re getting their needs online,” he said. “A lot of people are able to get things that might be out of stock or not available from (Black Friday); now they’re able to get them online.”
Best Buy has hired more staff to handle the expected increase in online ordering, which is up from last year, Troup said.
“Online is getting bigger and bigger and bigger,” he said.
“It was better than expected and going to continue to grow. For some people it’s more convenient. Time-starved people that don’t have a lot of time to drive to places are doing more and more research online.”
Macy’s also anticipates a rise in traffic and sales compared with last year, according to John Gorham, senior vice president and regional director of stores for the southwestern region.
Maui, No Ka Oi…
Here’s Why!
The Hansen Ohana
If you’re looking to live a balanced Island lifestyle, Maui is calling your name,”says Bob Hansen of the Hansen
Ohana. “Recently voted the world’s Top Island for the fourteenth year by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler, there are a
multitude of reasons we chose Maui as our home.” Recognized as Maui’s 2010 Top Producers by Hawaii Business Magazine, Bob
and his associates of The Hansen Ohana describe the reasons they call Maui home.
They are unlike any other! Whether maintained and easily accessible or quiet and secluded, the water is always sparkling.
You will always be able to find a beach where you can retreat and “get away from it all,” because despite Maui’s top ranking,
there isn’t an overflow of residents but a perfect population balance.
If you’re looking to grab a bite, Maui’s culinary options are diverse and plentiful. A wide selection of fine dining,
local style food, or international cuisine can help satisfy any craving. Some of the island’s best restaurants can be found in the
Shops of Wailea where shopping is also superb. From high-end shops in Wailea, antiques in Paia, or chain stores in Kahului,
shopping is readily available. Plus, there’s no need to plan far ahead for your drive from one shop to the next. Island
driving is practically stress-free unless you’re heading to Hana.
If you love the great outdoors, take advantage of the fabulous hiking with a trek through Maui’s beautiful tropical
forests and the wide assortment of trails, or explore West Maui Mountain or Haleakala. When you’re ready to cool off
jump right in to the temperate ocean for some snorkeling, wind surfing, outrigger paddling, stand up paddling, fishing,
boating,or canoeing.
With countless activities, beautiful sites, and eclectic culture, there is never a reason to be bored or overwhelmed
on Maui! Call the Hansen Ohana and a piece of paradise could be yours. With low interest rates and a wide variety of property
options, this may just be the time that you’ve been waiting for to make Maui your home or your home away from home.
The Hansen Ohana’s experience and enthusiasm make it easy to accomplish all your real estate goals. As 2009 and
2010’s Top Producer for Maui County, they take the team approach to providing comprehensive service, whether representing
a seller or a buyer. Just like a winning outrigger canoe team, they each have specialties that complement each other and meet
their client’s individual needs. Let their years of combined experience, extensive market knowledge, and reputation for hard work
and integrity help you find your Maui.***Look for this article and our multi page feature in the upcoming issue of Hawaii Luxury Home Magazine***
Happy Thanksgiving Day!
Hawaii Real Estate Blog 