Anyone who's been to Hawaii knows about ABC Stores. They're found on each of the major islands and in Waikiki you'll find one on almost every block.
When I'm in Hawaii I visit them frequently. They're the place where you'll find the least expensive snacks and beverages. For 99 cents you can buy a big bottle of water. Soda and wine are equally affordable. Why pay $8.00 for a glass of wine at the hotel bar when you can buy a whole bottle at the ABC store for just a few dollars more?
In some locations such as main street in Lahaina, you'll find a competing store with a different name that for the most part carries the exact same merchandise for comparable prices. Most are owned by the umbrella company Shops of Hawaii. My favorite of that group is Whalers General Store which carries a bit higher quality merchandise.
For the Japanese visitors to Hawaii, however, there has been no store like an ABC Store which carries snack and beverage items like they find back home. That's no longer the case.
Earlier this month two new stores opened in Waikiki. They're the first of what will be 20-30 similar stores within the next few years. The store is called Lawson Station. The name may sound American, and it is originally, but Lawson is a huge convenience store chain in Japan.
Find our how this chain with an American name came to be so huge in Japan, what their plans are for Hawaii and what they offer that will surely make them a huge hit with Japanese visitors as well as anyone who enjoys Japanese food in our feature First Lawson Station Stores Open in Hawaii.