The Best Shopping in Hawai‘i
Want to take a little bit of the islands back home with you? Sure, you can hit the outlets and open-air malls; but also take time to explore some of the quintessentially Hawai‘ian shops and boutiqes, where you'll find everything from fun Hawai‘ian kitsch to hand-made jewelry and fine art.
122 Kamehameha Ave, Hilo, HI 96720, USA
For a subtler aloha shirt or shell dress (a simple shift), try this place in Hilo’s old downtown. Opened in 1985, it's now a second-generation shop steeped in local rites and rhythms. Designer Sig Zane creates patterns based on traditional...
3 Kuhio Hwy, Lihue, HI 96766, USA
Once you've seen your first Hawai‘ian quilt, you'll want to buy them all! The distinctive fabric art uses appliqués—usually symmetrical—in bold colors, often depicting botanical designs on a white background. Many experts...
Waikiki Beach Walk 2nd Floor #227, 226 Lewers St, Honolulu, HI 96815, USA
This lovely, nostalgic shop has been selling traditional Hawai‘ian designs—bright and botanically themed—alongside contemporary creations by owner Michael John Gillan for decades. The classic buy is a kapaeke (an heirloom quilted...
22 S Pauahi St, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA
Founded in 2004, this exquisite Chinatown boutique sells unique jewelry pieces designed by Cindy Yokoyama. "I started as a painter and fell in love with abstraction," she says. "Many of my pieces still reflect elements of this, including...
19 N Pauahi St, Honolulu, HI 96817, USA
Big baggy aloha shirts—that could double as canoe sails—goodbye. Instead head to this Chinatown boutique, featuring the sharp, tapered designs of the eponymous Roberta Oaks. She draws on her hippie, farmhouse childhood and mid-century...
76-5893 Mamalahoa Hwy, Holualoa, HI 96725, USA
Once common, the art of carving and dyeing Hawaiian ipus (gourds) is fading. But artist Bill Wright still sells detailed masterpieces—both traditional and contemporary—in the village of Hōlualoa. His gallery also displays engravings...
The small, dry, mysterious island of Niʽihau is unlike any in the Hawai‘ian chain. This arid island to the southwest of Kauaʽi was sold in 1864 to the Robinson family by King Kahemameha V. For 150 years, the island has existed under the...
78-6831 Alii Dr #142, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740, USA
Local shops and the Big Island go hand in hand. Kona is home to plenty of homegrown shops, but if you are just looking for that great piece of literature to read on the beach, Kona Stories is a fantastic little book shop worth browsing around....
316 Kuulei Rd, Kailua, HI 96734, USA
Handmade soaps with local scents, island and Kailua themed artwork, the good kine slippers, greeting cards, books, treats, floral purses, Hawai‘ian honey, tees, fresh tropical flowers and other goodies will delight you at Kailua General...
1026 Nuuanu Ave # 1A, Honolulu, HI 96817, USA
If you're looking for vintage Hawai‘ian stuff then head to Honolulu's Chinatown and visit the Tin Can Mailman! This place is full of old Hawai‘iana. They sell vintage Hawai‘i related ephemera, postcards, books, maps, photos,...
Folks in Kailua really work together to protect the uber cool beach factor of the town. But face it, since a major landholder of commercial properties (now sold to another) began bussing in Japanese tourists for day-tripping from Waikiki a few...
77-996 Hualalai Rd, Holualoa, HI 96725, USA
In the Hawai‘ian language, lauhala means "leaf." A fourth generation family business, the Kimura Lauahala Shop is more than just a roadside store, it is a landmark of sorts, and a steadfast member of the Holualoa community. The custom made...
One of the most charming souvenirs from the Big Island is a Hula Lamp. The lamps are a great way to bring the spirit of aloha into your home. They are a much grander version of a dashboard hula doll. Charles Moore is the artist who began creating...
65-1279 Kawaihae Rd, Waimea, HI 96743, USA
In The Gallery of Great Things, visitors will find much more than "things" to experience when they walk in the shop. The actual building was a nurses' quarters during WWII serving an estimated 50,000 soldiers who passed through during the war....
