Groceries
Our go-to grocery is Foodland Kihei. Turn left as you leave the condo parking lot and continue north along Kihei Rd. Foodland is a little more than one mile north of the condo and is located in a small mall on the land side of the street. It offers groceries, a deli with prepared food, several types of house-made tuna poke, and a pretty decent selection of beer, wine and spirits. You will likely find that Spam, which Hawaiians consume in greater quantities than virtually anyone else, is usually cheaper here than on the Mainland. And Foodland also has a Redbox on site if you'd like to rent a DVD or Blu-Ray movie or video game.
Safeway has a store located at 277 Piikea Avenue, about three miles away, that is open 24 hours if you need something in the middle of the night. Take the Piilani Highway (Hwy. 31) north to Piikea, turn left at the traffic light, and the store is on the right in the Piilani Village Shopping Center.
Drug stores
As unjust as it may seem, people do get sick while on vacation, even in a tropical paradise. Fortunately, there are several drug stores within easy reach.
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| Rainbow Pharmacy |
Longs Drug has a large, 24-hour store at 1215 S. Kihei Rd., about 2.3 miles north of the condo.
Safeway, listed above, also has an in-store pharmacy.
If you find you need an item of clothing, whether a swim suit, a shirt, shorts, or a sundress, there are many places from which to choose.
Sharing the Piilani Village Shopping Center with Safeway are Crazy Shirts, Maui Waterwear (the swimwear division of Maui Clothing Company), Hilo Hattie (famous for mid-range Hawaiian clothes), and a branch of the ubiquitous ABC Stores. Unlike some states on the mainland, "ABC" does not stand for Alcoholic Beverage Control; it's simply the chain's name. And they have virtually everything from snacks to beverages to clothing, water toys, etc. They remind us of a line used in Garrison Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion": If they don't have it, you can probably get along without it.
Upmarket shopping
If you're looking for upmarket shopping, The Shops at Wailea are where you want to be. Located about three miles south of the condo, follow Kihei Rd., which turns into Okolani Dr., then turn right at Wailea Alanui Dr. There you will find Louis Vitton, Tiffany's, Gucci, Tommy Bahama, an ABC Store, and more. There are also several restaurants in the mall where one can pause and take nourishment to regain their strength before soldiering on.