Times Supermarkets

Times Supermarkets
Type Subsidiary
Industry Retail
Founded 1949 (Honolulu, Hawaii)
Headquarters Honolulu
Number of locations 20
Products Bakery, dairy, deli, frozen foods, general grocery, meat, pharmacy, produce, seafood, snacks, liquor
Parent PAQ Inc.
Website http://timessupermarkets.com/

"Times Supermarkets" (Full name Times Supermarkets, Ltd.) is the name of an American supermarket chain, headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii. Times operates 20 stores throughout the state of Hawaii, 17 using the "Times" banner, two specialty food/liquor stores under the Fujioka’s Wine Times name, and one location operating as "Shima's Supermarket" in Waimanalo, Hawaii. "A Supermarket With Everyday Low Prices" is their current slogan. It is also referred to by its customers as The Times, rather than the full name.

History

Times Supermarkets was founded in 1949 by brothers Albert and Wallace Teruya, who were sons of Okinawan immigrants[1][2]. The two opened its first store in Honolulu and began expanding statewide afterwards. In 2009 Times acquired another Honolulu-based supermarket chain, Star Markets, giving them more locations in the Honolulu area[3], although it did sell 2 of Star's 7 stores to CVS Pharmacy (to convert into Long's Drugs) due to CVS wanting to block Walgreens from entering their respective markets. CVS/Longs Drugs has been acquiring as many locations as possible to slow Walgreens Expansion[4]. Star was Honolulu's first supermarket chain, having started in 1940.

Times is the second-largest supermarket chain in the state and the second oldest as well as it competes with another Honolulu-based supermarket chain Foodland, who is state's largest and oldest (it was founded in 1948, a year before Times began operations). It also has competition with Safeway, Costco, Don Quijote, and Wal-Mart.

In 2002, Times Supermarkets was sold by the Teruyas to PAQ, a Stockton, California based operator of Food 4 Less stores.[5] After the Teruyas sold Times, they would later become owners of The Ilima Hotel in Honolulu.[6]

In 2009, Times bought the Star Market chain of supermarkets from the Fujieki family.[7]

In 2011, Times bought the Big Save chain of supermarkets on Kauai from the Kawakami and Furugen families.[8]

References

External links