53 Best Shopping in Oahu, Hawaii

Located in the Moana Surfrider hotel, the flagship store of this innovative company is filled with colorful, lightweight, “splash-proof” bags of all sizes, shapes, and styles—from tiny zippered travel pouches to eye-catching beach bags to oversize totes. The company continually offers new patterns and styles, so bag lovers will always find a unique beach- and/or travel-friendly option.

Shop for gifts or yourself at this cozy, independent bookstore, which feels more like a small-town library, welcoming browsers to linger. It sells new and secondhand books, and its children's section is filled with both books and toys.

To really impress those back home, pick up a box of locally baked, gourmet cookies. Choose from dozens of delicious flavors of premium shortbread delights with a wide variety of sizes, all designed for travel. In addition to the location in the Royal Hawaiian Center, there are a number of these stores in Waikiki, so you probably won't be able to avoid them—even if you try. 

Mana Up is a groundbreaking organization that promotes Hawaii-based entrepreneurs and shares their unique products with consumers. Its large retail store in the Royal Hawaiian Center not only showcases innovative, locally made items but also shares the stories of the makers behind them. It's fun to browse for gourmet chocolate, edible coffee bars, art, sustainable food wrappers, surf-inspired clothing, extra-comfy flip-flops (called slippers in Hawaii), children’s books, and much more. All the profits are used to support these small businesses.

Founded by local entrepreneurs Jillian Corn and Hunter Long (who is also a professional skateboarder), Keep it Simple strives to promote a healthier planet by selling high-quality, natural, organic, and/or vegan items with minimal (or zero) packaging. Look for unique beauty and bath products and accessories, as well as items for the kitchen and elsewhere in the home.

In addition to Island-style clothing for adults and children, Hawaiian cultural items, and unusual artwork, such as Niihau-shell necklaces, this boutique's book selection covers Hawaiian history and language and includes children's books set in the Islands. Na Mea also has classes on Hawaiian language, culture, and history.

This three-block-long center has more than 110 establishments, including an Apple Store and ABC Store, as well as local gems, such as Oiwi Ocean Gear, Mana Up, Fighting Eel, Honolulu Cookie Company, Koi Honolulu, Hawaiian Island Arts, Island Soap & Candleworks, and Royal Hawaiian Quilts. In addition to a number of restaurants, you can dine at the Waikiki Food Hall. Complimentary cultural classes, a theater, and nightly outdoor entertainment round out the offerings. Note for drivers: the center offers free parking for three hours with validation at shops and restaurants.

The small boutique carries everything from Brighton jewelry and European designer wear to fashionable T-shirts, shoes, and handbags. Expect attentive and personalized yet casual service. The stock changes frequently, and there's always something wonderful on sale. No matter what your taste, you'll find something for everyday wear or special occasions.

The ultimate destination for designer shopping in Hawaii is this elegant town house–style center, where shops include Chanel, Coach, Tiffany & Co., Yves Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Gucci, Hugo Boss, Miu Miu, and Moncler.

The world's largest open-air shopping mall is a five-minute bus ride from Waikiki. More than 350 stores and 160 dining options (including multiple food courts) make up this 50-acre complex, which is a unique mix of national and international chains as well as smaller, locally owned shops and eateries—and everything in between. The newer Lanai @ Ala Moana Center is worth stopping at for a range of casual dining options in one spot. More than 30 luxury boutiques in residence include Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Christian Dior. All of Hawaii's major department stores are here, including the state's only Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom, plus Macy's, Target, and Bloomingdale's.

This thrice-weekly outdoor bazaar attracts hundreds of vendors and even more bargain hunters. Every Hawaiian souvenir imaginable can be found here, from coral shell necklaces to bikinis, as well as a variety of ethnic wares, from Chinese brocaded dresses to Japanese pottery. There are also ethnic foods, silk flowers, and luggage in aloha floral prints. That said, be prepared to wade through the usual sprinkling of used and counterfeit goods to find value. Wear comfortable shoes, use sunscreen, and bring bottled water. The flea market takes place in the Aloha Stadium parking lot Wednesday and Saturday 8–3 and Sunday 6:30–3. Admission is $1 per person ages 12 and up.

You can take either Uber or Lyft from your hotel. You might also ask your hotel concierge about shared shuttle services. For a cheaper but slower ride, take TheBus. The new Honolulu Rail trains will connect the Aloha Stadium with Kapolei when they start running (currently scheduled for late 2022). So you could shop at the swap meet and hop on the train to Ka Makana Alii to treasure-hunt even longer—all without a car!

This designer combines the beauty of classic kimonos with contemporary styles to make unique pieces for career and evening. In addition to women's apparel, she designs a men's line.

Vintage aloha shirts are the specialty at this kitschy store. Prices range from $3.99 to several hundred dollars for the 15,000 shirts in stock. Thousands of them are used; others are creations by top designers. The tight space and musty smell are part of the thrift-shop atmosphere. Antiques hunters can also buy old-fashioned postcards, glassware, Hawaiian LPs, authentic military clothing, funky hats, and denim jeans from the 1950s.

This little shop offers a great selection of Hawaii-made items for adults and children. Look for brightly colored, beach-casual clothing, bags, jewelry, and accessories in soft cotton and rayon aloha prints.

The Ala Moana store carries a large selection of locally made products, including soaps, honey, tea, salt, chocolates, art, and CDs. Every item is carefully selected from various Hawaiian companies, artisans, and farms—from the salt fields of Molokai to the lavender farms of Maui to the single-estate chocolate of Oahu's North Shore. An in-store café serves healthy smoothies, panini, tea, and espresso.

This triathlon shop near the Bike Factory offers training gear and bike rentals, aerial yoga and capoeira classes, and nutritional products.  Inquire directly about the latest schedule of classes at the store, which is owned and operated by top athletes.

Look for old-style Birdwell surf trunks here, along with popular labels, such as Quiksilver, Roxy, Dakine, and Billabong, which supplement Downing's own line of surf wear and surfboards.

A place to find unusual art, this gallery hosts changing exhibitions and events showcasing works by designers and artists from near and far. It also carries small and large home items you won't find anywhere else in Honolulu, offers interior design services, and has a café featuring a rotation of pop-up coffee and tea spots.

The most notable tenant here is the legendary Matsumoto's Shave Ice. (You'll know it by the long line of people.) The shiny, open-air complex is also home to the locally owned Haleiwa Fruit Stand and the casual beach-chic boutique Guava Shop, as well as surf photographer Clark Little's art gallery.

Hugely popular with Islands residents and visitors, these pineapple-shaped shortbread cookies, half-dipped in milk or dark chocolate, come in an assortment of flavors from macadamia nut to mango and lilikoi. Made locally in Kalihi, these gourmet cookies are sold in boxes and tins of varying sizes at a number of locations in Ala Moana and Waikiki.

Bring home some aloha you can sink your bare feet into. Designs from this exclusive Hawaiian rug collection depict Hawaiian petroglyphs, banana leaves, heliconia, and other tropical plants or scenery.

Fashionable beach clothing and bags, bathing suits, hats, and rash guards supplement a huge selection of paddling accessories.  Check out the wooden decorative paddles: they become works of art when mounted on the wall at home.

This eclectic store in a section of the Old Waialua Sugar Mill carries gifts, clothes, and local food items—especially coffee and chocolate that is produced in Waialua. You can get a short unofficial tour of the coffee and cacao mill and roasting area just outside (this includes samples of coffee, cacao beans, and chocolate). 

This family-owned and -operated gallery offers the artist's functional and decorative pottery as well as the works of approximately 200 other American artisans. Jeff has worked with clay for more than 40 years and his wife, Karon, operates the gallery and selects other works, including jewelry, glass pieces, metal sculpture, wall art, wooden items, musical instruments, chimes, suncatchers, sand globes and pictures, holiday decor, and ornaments.

This mall lures patrons with easy access from the H1 freeway, abundant free parking, and several island ware–focused stores, including Noeau, with an array of locally designed, handcrafted items. The adjacent Honolulu Rail station is scheduled to open in late 2022.

This indoor mall has more than 100 stores and restaurants, with a mix of national retailers and not-to-be-missed, homegrown boutiques, clothing stores, and galleries. You can also browse local foods and products at Whole Foods. For post-shopping entertainment, see what's playing at the Kahala Theatres, where you'll also find a full kitchen and bar.

Kawamoto grows all flowers on its 3½-acre orchid farm near downtown Honolulu. Their specialty is the cattleya, a favorite for Mother's Day, but they also grow hundreds of hybrids. The nursery now does the bulk of its business online, and they have decades of experience shipping temperamental orchids to the Mainland.

Turtle Bay Resort purchased 468 acres of prime North Shore agricultural land near the entrance to the resort and created an organic farm to supply fresh ingredients to its restaurants, as well as to support 34 sustainably farmed community garden plots. A farm stand with multiple stalls shares the bounty with locals and visitors. Pull off the highway to pick up sustainably grown pineapple, papaya, corn, and other fruits and veggies, plus locally made souvenirs. The stand is open daily 9 to 5.

Take home the fragrances of the Islands with this shop's organic body lotions, hand creams, soaps, sprays, bath salts, and scrubs. Botanical extracts, such as papaya, mango, sea kelp, and calendula, are combined with essential oils, including from macadamia and kukui nuts, to produce the shop's refined line of products.

Try Longs at the Ala Moana Center (or one of its many other outposts) to stock up on chocolate-covered macadamia nuts, candies, cookies, Islands tea, and 100% Kona coffee—at reasonable prices—to carry home.