Yesterday, it was announced that the Walmart located in Downtown Honolulu will be closing next month.
That was my favorite Walmart!
It wasn't as big & overwhelming as the one on Keʻeaumoku (near Ala Moana) but still had enough stuff to satisfy my shopping needs!
It was very convenient in that I didn't have to walk as far to the nearest bus stop.
Whereas for the one on Keʻeaumoku, I have to walk like 2 blocks to the bus stop I need to get home. Imagine having to walk with 2 full shopping bags.
(yes, there's a bus stop directly in front of the Keʻeaumoku store, but the buses that stop there don't go to my home)
And to add insult to injury, after the closing of the Downtown Honolulu Walmart, there will be no public restrooms left in the area. For some people, that was THE main reason to go to that Walmart.
If there are no public restrooms left in downtown, then why should I go to the other shops in the area?
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The other question is ....is that location bad luck.
Before the downtown Walmart opened in 2014, the space was occupied by Liberty House, which later became Macy's! Both of which provided public restrooms.
If Macy's couldn't last, and Walmart couldn't last there, who could?
It's bad enough some of the other nearby businesses have closed. The Walgreens and Longs on nearby Hotel Street have shut down.
There's still Fisher's Hawaii (which focuses on school & office supplies) and Daiso (which focuses on Japanese imports), but how long will they last in an area that lacks public restrooms?
And while downtown is known for being the business headquarters for Hawaii, it has also become the center of homelessness.
Downtown Walmart is just walking distance from Hotel Street! Hotel Street (which used to have hotels before Waikiki became THE tourist magnet) is now a code word for the "mentally ill people who rant & rave & scream profanities for no known reason."
That's what downtown Honolulu has become known for.
People tend to avoid the area unless they work or live nearby. I mostly come for Walmart!
And Lord knows how many former downtown workers are now working from home.
And when people with money stop coming to downtown, then more businesses will struggle, even perish!
And if more businesses shut down, the area could become a ghost town. Sad!
Learn more at
Dan Nakaso, “Walmart Closing Downtown Honolulu Store,” Honolulu Star-Advertiser, March 21, 2023, https://www.staradvertiser.com/2023/03/21/breaking-news/walmart-shuttering-downtown-honolulu-store/.
Dan Nakaso , “Closure of Last Big Downtown Retailer, Walmart, Prompts Fears,” Honolulu Star-Advertiser, March 22, 2023, https://www.staradvertiser.com/2023/03/22/hawaii-news/closure-of-last-big-downtown-retailer-prompts-fears/.
