Bloomingdale’s heads to Hawaii

CINCINNATI — Bloomingdale’s is heading to Hawaii for the first time. It plans to open a 167,000-sq.-ft., three-level store at the Ala Moana Center in Honolulu on the Island of Oahu in fall 2015.

The new store will be part of a redevelopment of a portion of Ala Moana, Hawaii’s premier shopping destination, by General Growth Properties. Construction will begin in 2014. The upscale chain of department stores, owned by Macy’s, will join a Macy’s store which already operates at the shopping center.

The Bloomingdale’s store will include a wide range of designer and luxury goods, including women’s apparel, shoes, accessories, beauty, men’s, kids and home. Bloomingdale’s Ala Moana store is expected to employ a workforce of approximately 250 people.

“Ala Moana will provide an exceptional environment for the distinctive, upscale shopping experience for which Bloomingdale’s is world famous. It is a beautiful open-air shopping center that is a recognized destination not only for local customers from the Hawaiian islands, but also for visitors from the U.S. mainland, Asia and worldwide,” said Michael Gould, chairman and CEO of Bloomingdale’s. “In Hawaii, we will offer global customers the unique Bloomingdale’s sense of contemporary style, as well as the attentive service that sets us apart.”

Ala Moana will be the 38th Bloomingdale’s store location in the country. The retailer operates 36 store locations and plans to open a new store in Glendale Galleria in Glendale, Calif., this fall. In addition, it plans to replace an older store at the Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto, Calif., with an all-new Bloomingdale’s fall 2014.

Bloomingdale’s in Dubai is operated by Al Tayer Group under a license agreement. Bloomingdale’s also operates 12 outlet stores in the U.S., with a 13th opening in fall 2013 in Rosemont, Ill.