Sears has been the anchor store at Ala Moana Center ever since its grand opening in August of 1959. Besides appliances, automotive and furniture needs, sears also provided opportunities for local vendors.
On August 13, 1959 more than a thousand people gathered between Longs Drugs and Sears for the grand opening of Ala Moana Center.
"I remember the grand opening we took picture outside and you could see all the mounds behind us before they actually finish they were digging in with a shovel in those day," said Waikiki resident Bobby Brilliande. He was 19 at the time and excited to work in the garden shop at the new store after working at the original store on Beretania Street.
"We had a huge event, I remember Aku was there covering it for radio station. We had somebody dressed as King Kalakaua," said author and historian Bob Sigall.
Walter Dillingham and his son, joined Governor William Quinn and Mayor Neil S. Blaisdell for the grand event which came a week before Hawaii became a state. His grandson Ben Franklin Dillingham and his wife made the first purchase at Sears that day a tube of Colgate toothpaste.
"Oh yeah good days," said Brilliande.
Sears had made the move from its downtown location, a move some questioned at the time.
"A lot of them were reticent to come to Ala Moana Center when it was announced that it was going to be opening because this was swamp land," said Sigall. "This was out in the middle of nowhere and people weren’t used to coming here. It was only when Sears made a commitment to open up here that the smaller retailer said well then it must be worth our while and they gave their commitment too."
"That was a big move, everybody thought actually they thought the thing wouldn’t go, recalls long-time shopper Imaikalani Young. "Everybody was kind of skeptical but as the thing was moving, even by weeks they knew the thing was going to be boom."
And it did for decades, providing shoppers with appliances, automotive needs and clothing – while providing jobs for thousands of islanders.
"I started working here part-time when I was in college," said Diana Chang who has fond memories working in the children’s department. Her children worked here as well. "My son worked here summer time I mean, both of my sons did so it’s been tradition."
A tradition that also provided opportunities for local designers.
"Sears has been such a fantastic supporter of local designers both small and large, names like Malahini, Tori Richard, SurfLine Hawaii, Jams World, they really supported us," said fashion consultant Paula Rath. "And they were among the first to take some of those lines or suggest that those lines go to the mainland as well. On behalf of someone who really supports our local designers I’d like to say Mahalo and aloha ‘oe to Sears."
Ala Moana will never be the same.
"Ala Moana Center is the biggest outdoor shopping mall in the world people say and Sears has been one of the reasons it got off the ground in the first place and was successful," said Sigall.
"Sad day, sad day. Surprising, sad," said Chang.
"Just hard to believe now, hard to believe," said Brilliande.
See the original article at: KHON2 Local News
