Molokai General Store Going Out of Business

Molokai General Store News Release

Businessman David Mikami has announced the closing of Molokai General Store (301 Ala Malama Street) in Kaunakakai. The last day of business will be Saturday, August 30.

The clearance sale began Wednesday, July 9 at 9 a.m. with the entire inventory at 20 percent off as well as select items at higher discounts. Everything must go!

“We thank the Molokai community for their support of our business,” said Mikami. Molokai General Store is Molokai’s version of the old-style plantation store. The store currently sells a variety of items, including office supplies, linens, containers, fishing supplies, sporting goods, party supplies, appliances, jewelry, snacks, cleaning supplies, tools, books, clothing and toys.

“When we opened Molokai General Store in 2011 in Molokai Drugs’ former space on ‘Main Street,’ we hoped that we could bring in housewares and sporting goods at market-appropriate prices,” said Mikami. “We had goals and expectations of how the store would perform.

“Over the past six months, the store has been underperforming and we have seen month-after-month of declining sales while the expenses of overhead and maintaining a full inventory have increased,” added Mikami.

Eight full- and part-time employees work at Molokai General Store. Any staff members displaced by Molokai General Store’s closing will be offered positions at the family’s other two stores, Molokai Drugs, Inc. (drugstore) and Kamoi Snack-n-Go, Inc. (ice cream and snack shop). Any employees laid off in this process will be offered outplacement assistance.

“The months between Labor Day and early December are our slowest sales period of the year,” stated Mikami. “We could not wait until the Christmas shopping season for sufficient growth and sales; we needed to close sooner than later.”

The family will be announcing future plans for the 4,300 square-foot space in the upcoming weeks.

Please contact Kimberly Mikami Svetin for any additional information.