Growing up in Honolulu, about a 10-15 minute drive from Ala Moana, I never realized how blessed I was when it came to luxury stores. I never paid much attention to them since I used to view those shops as for the tourists only, and my serious love for designer brands didn’t really blossom until after I graduated from college (though I did get my first Coach and Gucci bags in high school from Ala Moana). Now whenever I go back to my hometown I wish I had taken advantage of these shops for tourists earlier 😂. And not everyone may know this but some luxury brands offer a “Hawaii price” that’s cheaper than the Mainland (that’s the continental US) price. This is so that the prices are more comparable to prices in Asia (and thus more tempting to Asian tourists who usually make up a large portion of the customers buying luxury in Hawaii). Anyway not all brands do this and the following list (in alphabetical order) details which of them do (or don’t) and what percentage is offered. And even for the brands that don’t offer a discount, sales tax in Hawaii is 4.5% so at the very least you might save some money on tax (at least compared to CA).

I also wanted to note that on the island of Oahu, there are two places to buy luxury items: Ala Moana (the main mall) and “Luxury Row” on Kalakaua Ave. in Waikiki. Some brands have outposts in both locations, while others are located in just one. The Waikiki stores are usually a tad bigger and may offer more, but the selection varies. If you can, I recommend visiting both stores if there are two on the island. If you have to choose only one, I’d go with Ala Moana (but that’s just my personal preference—as an ex-local, Waikiki to me is more inconvenient because the parking is a hassle. But of course if you’re staying at a hotel in Waikiki, that location may make more sense).

And last but not least, this list is not comprehensive nor do I have experiences at all these brands. Policies also change so what is true now might not be later. I will try to update it periodically to keep it relevant, but if you have gone to Honolulu recently and have updated intel please let me know so I can be as accurate as I can, thanks! (Also if I’ve missed a brand here that you feel should be listed, let me know). And lastly the best way to know exactly how much you will be saving on a particular item is by just calling up the store to ask.

Balenciaga

Though I haven’t shopped Balenciaga in awhile, there’s a shop in Ala Moana as well as Waikiki, and it looks like they give a 10% discount on most items.

Bottega Veneta

There’s a Bottega both in Ala Moana and in Waikiki, but I’ve only shopped at the Ala Moana location. The customer service was very attentive and prices were about 10% off on most items. They also had a lot of stock in various colors.

Burberry

Theres stores in both Ala Moana and Waikiki and it looks like they give a 10% discount.

Bvlgari

There’s a Bvlgari in Ala Moana and they give a 10% discount on most items.

Cartier

There’s a Cartier in Ala Moana and I’ve had a great experience shopping with them pre-pandemic. Though there’s no Hawaii discount, I did save some money on the tax.

Celine

There’s an Ala Moana location that gives a varied discount. When I browsed there last, it was about $200 off their bags but I think the discount varies per item.

Chanel

There’s a Chanel both in Ala Moana and Waikiki, and as far as I know they don’t give a Hawaii discount so you’re only saving on taxes.

Dior

Dior is also located in both Ala Moana and Waikiki though I haven’t shopped at either. Discounts supposedly run 5-11% on some items (but not all). {October 2024 intel (thanks H!): Pricing varies by item but most of the higher priced items do not have a discount.}

Fendi

Both the Ala Moana and Waikiki locations give about 10-20% off leather goods.

Gucci

Both the Ala Moana and Waikiki locations give about 10% off leather goods. {October 2024 intel (thanks H!): Only certain items have Hawaii pricing, which already has the 10% off as the list price.}

Hermes

There are three Hermes in Honolulu: Ala Moana, Waikiki, and the airport (I have no experience at this store). I have shopped at both the Ala Moana and Waikiki ones and I have chosen to go to the Waikiki one because I found a great SA there. The Waikiki location is also bigger and gets more in stock, however they’re also more popular and sell more stock. So what’s available really depends on luck and timing. If you’re looking for a particular item, I say go to both. I’ve learned that one location can not (will not?) check the stock of the other. And sadly, there are no discounts at Hermes so at most you’ll be saving on tax. (P.S. If you find a great SA and go back to Hawaii periodically, let me just say they love Trader Joe’s in Hawaii since it’s something unique to the Mainland 😉.)

Loewe

I’ve purchased several items from the Ala Moana location and I have to say I love the people there (Olin and Naoko are my favorites). They’re so friendly and just love to talk shop. I’ve never felt pressured to purchase anything and they provide superb customer service. They’ve even offered me water just for purchasing one charm lol (vs Hermes where I had to ask for water even when purchasing a $2k+ wallet). The pricing is usually around 10% cheaper so I pay a couple hundred dollars less when buying a bag (my mini Flamenco at the time was going for $1900 and I got it for $1700).

Louis Vuitton

There are three Louis Vuitton stores on Oahu, one in Ala Moana and two in Waikiki. I haven’t shopped at LV in a long time so I don’t have any recent personal experiences at the stores but I know there used to be a discount. From what I gather on the internet, the pricing is now about 2-3% cheaper if that and varies for each item. I think if you’re interested in a particular item, your best bet is to call the store and inquire.

Miu Miu

There are two stores on Oahu, one in Ala Moana and one in Waikiki. I’ve never shopped at either but from what I gather on the internet there’s a 5-10% discount on ready-to-wear and a 5% discount on select bags and shoes (as of 2022 so not sure if it’s still like this).

Prada

There are three Prada store on Oahu, a seperate mens and womens stores in Ala Moana and another Prada location in Waikiki. I’ve also not shopped at Prada for a long time but from what I gather it’s about a 10% discount from Mainland prices.

Saint Laurent

There are two store locations, Ala Moana and Waikiki. I’ve never shopped at Saint Laurent (but I did buy a bag a long time ago when it was still called YSL) but it seems like it’s a straight 10% discount across all items.

Tiffany and Co

There are two store locations, Ala Moana and Waikiki. I haven’t stopped into the Tiffany’s recently but it seems like there’s now a 8% discount on most items since 2023.

Valextra

There are few Valextra stores to begin with so it’s a treat to visit the store in Ala Moana. I just love their layout and the way they display their goods. But I’ve never purchased from their store (the one Valextra bag I have was from Matches back in the day), and as far as I know there aren’t any discounts.

Valentino

Both the Ala Moana and Waikiki locations give about 20% off most items.