Waikele Center is a mixed-use shopping center that plays host to a variety of restaurants and retail shops. However, the scope of its services extends far beyond a bite to eat and some window shopping. With 538,000 sq. ft. at your disposal, visitors can find anything from office supplies to insurance policies to banking to optometrists.
Waikele has been open since 1993, and it was an immediate success story in Hawaii retail. Located near Honolulu, it attracts locals for its reasonable prices and tourists for its numerous shops and services. It boasts a two-story professional center with an array of health and wellness services and medical practitioners.
Shoppers will typically come to Waikele if they have an appointment or if they want to fuel up while taking on all of the stores in sight. Waikele Center is associated with the nearby Waikele outlets, but the stores are a bit bigger. There’s also more variety when it comes to the number of food and drink options. If you’re in the mood for a new outfit while you’re on Oahu, there are numerous spots to explore.
You might pop by for a tropical dragon twist smoothie from Jamba Juice, so you have enough energy to tackle the Gap Factory or Banana Republic Factory Store. Or you might see a tourist going for collagen induction therapy before grabbing some ice cream to top off the day. No matter what you’re looking for, you can likely find it at the Center.
What makes the Waikele Center so popular is not just the convenient location, it’s also the prices of goods and services. Famous brands like Party City, Safeway, and OfficeMax set up their shelves for people who have come prepared to score some bargains. Even the more practical options, such as podiatrists, mortgage centers, and banks, are all catering to shoppers who want real value in exchange for their hard-earned money.
Coming to Hawaii to shop can open your eyes to more than just the price tags. While Old Navy and Panda Express may be well-known chain stores, you can rest assured you’ll find some local flavors on offer. From the people ringing up your orders to the fashions tucked in the nooks and crannies of the outlets, Waikele Center doesn’t shy away from its Island roots. In fact, before developers arrived, the land was used for sugar cane fields. (After mass production of sugar swept the US, it became more useful to tourists and locals alike as a shopping center.)
The Waikele Center also hosts events, such as blood banks or the arrival of a popular food truck. These local occasions can help further introduce the communities that live on the island. Plus, it gives all shoppers the chance to appreciate the chefs, first responders, and entrepreneurs who are all doing their part to make Hawaii an amazing state to live in.
While you’ll find a wide array of shops in Honolulu, not everyone wants a shopping experience that ends with an empty wallet. For a little more bang for your buck, visiting the complex can be an in-road to learning more about how real Hawaiians spend their days.
Insider Tips:
-This sprawling location is vast and difficult to navigate, particularly because popular parking lot areas may fill up quickly.
-There is no longer a trolley on site to navigate between stores.
-Check the Waikele Center Facebook page for individual deals from on-site businesses.