I could deal with that. But also, no Bed, Bath and Beyond. I was severely dismayed. There was a BBB coupon in the book I bought, surely there would be a store somewhere on Oahu, right? Wrong.
But, the harshest reality -- online shopping. In Boulder, I clicked and shipped at will. Quickly, cheaply, reliably. Once removed to Hawaii, however, I learned the cold, hard truth. Most of the websites I used to shop at do not ship to Hawaii at all. If they do, it is at a huge cost that outweighs the advantages of low price (or makes the purchase itself a really bad idea). Only Amazon still ships at the same cost as on the mainland. If something qualifies for free shipping on Amazon, it includes Hawaii. I have purchased school supplies, a rain jacket, day pack, travel coffee mug, swim suit, books and a sailing hat on Amazon. I was always a fan of Amazon but I am now positively addicted.
There are two major retailers that fill in all (most?) of the blanks.
One is Wal-Mart. This is the store in downtown Honolulu. Some of the merchandise is different, much is the same. Thank God. (I never thought I would say that.) (Ever.)
