Hilo has a wide variety of shopping from large malls to small gift shops, local stores and box stores. This page describes major shopping malls and stores in Hilo with pictures and addresses.
Unlike the mainland, Hilo is a cash economy. Folks go shopping when they get their paychecks. Businesses respond by timing their sales around paydays. Coupon books are sent in the mail to alert you to the sales.
Prince Kuhio Plaza Mall is the largest mall in East Hawaii and maybe the Big Island. Sears and Macy's are the anchor stores and there is a 9-screen Movie Theatre. The fully enclosed mall has restaurants, clothing stores, Gamestop, radio shack, etc. The places we most visit in the mall are Game Stop (which recently moved into a larger area in the mall after the Suncoast video store closed) and Chen's Chinese food. (Yes we have a teenager)
The mall has a lot of activiities and events in addition to shopping and during the holidays it is a major attraction with Santa and lots of decorations.
Puainako Center at 2100 Kanoelehua Ave is a shopping complex with the KTA superstore, Foodland Sack N Save, Checker Auto Parts, restaurants, and some Hawaii county offices (the sewer department in particular).
This KTA is my favorite place to shop for food. They have the best selection of local Hawaiian products (see more about food in Hilo) and all the Asian seasonings and soups that I love.
Hilo Shopping Center at 1261 Kilauea Ave is a quaint shopping center with numerous small businesses, shops and restaurants, some are inside an air conditioned portion of the mall.
This shopping center has a 1st Hawaiian bank, the Oceanic Time Warner office, and Kope Kope, a popular coffee hangout.
Walmart - 325 Makaala St.
This is a typical Walmart except that parking is tight due to other nearby stores. When a cruise is in town the place is packed with tourists buying Kona coffee, mac nuts and made-in-china Hawaiian junk. If there is a ship in town, we avoid it.
Borders - 301 Makaala St.
Borders shares the parking lot with Walmart.
Office Max and Ross Dress for Less - 311 Makaala St.
It is great to have an Office Max for printer ink and office supplies. These stores share the parking lot with Walmart.
Home Depot - 380 Makaala St
HPM - 380 Kanoelehua Avenue
HPM (Hawaii Planing Mill) was started in Hilo as lumber mill. Now they provide lumber as well building supplies and house kits in their main store in Hilo as well as stores elsewhere on the island. HPM is unusual in that it is 100% owned by its employees.
Trojan Lumber 199 Makaala St
Ben Franklin Crafts 333 Kilauea Ave
CostULess- 715 Kinoole St.
CostULess is like a mini-Costco. It has a similar set up with racks to the ceiling of large size products shipped in from the mainland. You don't have to join - and there are no tourists to get around (like Walmart). For paper, pasta, drinks, etc. it can be a real cost saver over the local grocery stores. (Hilo doesn't have a Costco - Kona side does).
 
Safeway 111 E Puainako St, #133
When you walk into this store, you can imagine yourself back on the mainland (without the crush of people).
Next door is a Longs Drug store
(there are 2 Longs in Hilo)
Ace Hardware 660 Kilauea Ave
Ace is the place we get pesticide, de-humidifiers, water filters, and lots more that we need living in Hilo. They not only have the products, they have people that can tell you how to use them to maintain a house in the tropics. Ace is a crowded place making it often impossible to get into the parking lot.
Longs Drug Store 555 Kilauea Ave
Longs can have some good deals, particularily on booze.
We have come to appreciate them because of their willingness to special order items for us. This is the Longs near downtown; there is another Longs next to the Prince Kuhio mall.
Hilo Hattie
Hilo Hattie is a popular tourist spot.
Unfortunately, the company was recently bought by a California company and is no longer a Hawaii company.
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