Maui is a Shopper’s Paradise

Shoppers love Maui. They love it with a passion, because they know that Maui’s boutiques, galleries and well-endowed shopping malls present countless avenues to Nirvana.
 
The atmosphere of creativity and discovery can be attributed to the high numbers of artists, businesses and entrepreneurs who build lives of inspiration on Maui. Long the queen of specialty products, Maui has spread its wings to become one of Hawai‘i‘s premier all-around shopping destinations. Islanders fly in from the neighbor islands to hunt for treasure in the chic boutiques of upcountry Maui and the quirky antiques shops of Wailuku. Visitors discover that shopping on Maui is as enjoyable as a day on the golf course. Along the south and west coastlines, glamorous shopping and restaurant complexes purvey the latest in European fashions and Maui style.

Oil paintings and sculptures, handmade soaps and designer silks, aloha shirts and souvenirs, flowers and world-famous onions – the island is a mecca of finds for the thoughtful shopper. Here are some examples:
 
Shopping Destinations:

• The Shops at Wailea is Maui’s newest and most glamorous complex, 150,000 square feet with more than 60 shops and restaurants in a Hawaiian architectural motif. European high fashion, shoes, furnishings, books, maps, sundries, beach wear, art, gift and gourmet items – they’re side by side at this south Maui hotspot. With its artist and gallery receptions and live entertainment on Wednesdays, there’s a lot more than shopping at The Shops.

• In Upcountry Maui’s Makawao, the one main street, Baldwin Avenue, is lined with stylish fashion boutiques, wood-floored country stores, art galleries and unique gift shops, housed in the vintage architecture of a historic cowboy town. From esoteric Tibetan imports at one end of town to glass-blowing demonstrations at the other, Makawao is full of surprises. Makawao’s art galleries include Hui No‘eau, the island’s most prominent arts organization.

• In central Maui’s Kahului, most shopping needs are centered in Queen Ka‘ahumanu Center and Maui Mall, about 5 minutes from the airport. Maui Mall has a 12-screen movie megaplex as well as scores of shops, and Queen Ka‘ahumanu Center the third largest in the state, offers more than 100 shops and restaurants. These centers offer home accessories, electronics, clothing, shoes, Asian imports, surf wear, and made-on-Maui arts and crafts, from hand-turned woods to blown glass. Several miles away on the road to Hana, with its own laid-back character, the town of Pa’ia is a colorful throwback to the ‘60s, with an excellent bead shop and arts cooperative among to greet you as you enter the town.

• Central Maui’s Wailuku is coming out of the closet as Maui’s shopping gem. This is a take-your-time, stop-in-every-store style of shopping, where, in one leisurely stroll down Market Street, you can lose yourself in treasures from the past as well as edgy art galleries and contemporary gifts. Known as “antiques alley,” Market Street offers vintage Hawaiiana, Asian antiques, and one of the world’s finest purveyors of aloha shirts, textiles and contemporary Hawaiian accessories.

• At Whalers Village in Ka’anapali, step right off the beach into a shopping bonanza: Gucci, Versace, Chanel, Vuitton and other designer boutiques. Surf shops and aloha wear. Imports and top-quality made-in-Hawai‘i handicrafts. From upscale silk sarongs to flip-flops and sundries, from cameras to pearls for that special night out, you can satisfy all of your needs at the Village. If you’re shopped out, slow down at the whale museum, or in one of the oceanfront restaurants.

• Lahaina is one long shopping fantasy, a string of boutiques and restaurants that line the shoreline of this historic town. Lahaina’s shopping centers include the galleries, food shops and clothing stores of the recently renovated Lahaina Cannery Mall; and the upscale Lahaina Center, as much a dining and entertainment nexus as a must-see for shoppers. At the Center, popular national chains share space with local emporiums of aloha wear and gift items. Front Street is lined with boutiques and galleries with something for every budget, from fine art to trinkets, from plumeria soap to aloha shirts.
 
Maui Specialties:
• Art Galleries:  Maui has a high concentration of art galleries – more than 50 – and an active community of artists and craftsmen who share their work in all media. Luminous hand-turned woods, fiber arts, sculpture, painting, jewelry and hand-blown glass turn up in surprising places. In outdoor fairs, upscale resort shopping villages, and successful artists’ cooperatives in towns like Pa’ia and Makawao, the arts of Maui are an island signature. East Maui’s Hana has one of the most culturally significant galleries in Hawai‘i, impeccably curated to honor the finest Island artists.

• Farmers Markets: From Kahului to Kihei, farmers markets and swap meets bring out local artisans with their wide-ranging wares: baked goods, hand-turned woods, handmade jewelry, vintage collectibles and things Hawaiian, and the made-on-Maui botanical products that are making their mark in the beauty and wellness field. Particularly in Wailuku, the markets offer a glimpse into local culture.
 
• Food and agricultural products: Grown in fertile upcountry soil, Maui onions, specifically Kula onions, are famous among foodies worldwide. Kula onions are the crème de la crème of Maui food products, renowned for their sweetness and coveted by savvy chefs who cart them off the island by the bushel. Maui potato chips, goat cheese, gourmet preserves and vinegars, made-on-Maui wines, and the sturdy, otherworldly, upcountry protea blossoms and lavender are among the excellent gifts to go.