ABC Stores (Hawaii)
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ABC Stores is a chain of convenience stores based in Honolulu. Of their 72 stores, 56 are located in the state of Hawaii, with the remaining locations in Guam, Saipan and Las Vegas.
The chain was started by Sidney Kosasa, who opened his first store in Waikiki in 1964. The stores were originally named "Mister K." Later, in order to make the store name easier to remember, the name of the stores were changed to "ABC Stores." Only one of the Waikiki stores is still called "Mister K." Jokingly, though not far from the truth, it is said that ABC stands for "All Blocks Covered".[citation needed]
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[edit] Products
The stores sell both convenience items such as groceries as well as tourist items and souvenirs; in fact, the chain's best-selling items are tourist-oriented products such as Macadamia nuts and suncare products such as sunscreen and sunglasses.
[edit] History
The chain was started by Sidney Kosasa, who opened his first store in Waikiki in 1964 and now generates more than $150 million in annual profits and employs over 900 staff.
[edit] Locations
The stores are now ubiquitous in the tourist-dominated Waikiki neighborhood. There are in fact 37 store locations within a one-mile radius of Waikiki alone and there are consequently multiple stores in close proximity. At one street corner, Kalakaua and Seaside Avenue, there are four ABC Stores at that one intersection alone. [1]
There are 19 other ABC stores in Hawaii, on the islands of O'ahu, Maui, Hawaii and Kauai. There are also six stores in Las Vegas (currently the only mainland location of the stores), as well as eight in Guam and two in Saipan.
