Online holiday sales hit $44.2B as Cyber Week surges
Spending rose 7.7% during the so-called Cyber Week — the five days from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday — compared with an 8.2% increase to $41.1 billion last year, the report added. Read more
Business
The latest business, finance and economic news from Hawaii, across the nation and around the world. Coverage includes airlines, businesses and more.
DPP closes building permit counter for a week
The Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting has closed its building permit counter through Friday to deal with a stated backlog of permits stuck in the prescreen process since the summer time. Read more
Starbucks to pay $38.9M to settle NYC probe over worker schedules
The settlement, which caps a three-year investigation by the city, is the largest involving a worker protection law in New York City’s history, Adams’ office said in a release. Read more
Bitcoin drops as bearish sentiment grows
Bitcoin was last down 7.3% at $84,555, falling to a more than one-week low below $84,000. Read more
Texas AG probes retailer Shein over labor practices, product safety
Paxton’s investigation increases pressure on Shein, which was embroiled in scandal last month after France’s consumer fraud agency found childlike sex dolls and illegal weapons available for sale on the China-founded retailer’s online platform. Read more
Shopify down for thousands of shoppers on Cyber Monday
The platform is investigating the issue, with the company urging users to access the website from any devices where they are currently logged in. Read more
Get ready, America: Here come China’s food and drink chains
The American expansion comes at a challenging moment for China’s food and beverage industry. Read more
Holiday discounts, vacancies signal Hawaii tourism downturn
Hawaii’s visitor industry is confronting one of its weakest holiday seasons in recent memory, with hoteliers reporting rare availability during the traditionally sold‑out festive period and industry leaders warning of mounting economic pressures. Read more
Black Friday crowds pack Hawaii malls
Black Friday shoppers swarmed Hawaii malls, many arriving before sunrise, to grab bargains on what is traditionally the busiest shopping day of the year. Read more
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Hawaii tourism faces slow holiday season
Through October, Hawaii hosted nearly 8.04 million visitors, flat compared to 2024, while spending rose 5% to $17.87 billion. Read more
Puna Geothermal Venture seeks to boost power output by 5 megawatts
PGV, which taps heat from the Kilauea volcanic rift zone to generate electricity for the Big Island, is working to rebuild and modernize its facility after equipment was damaged during the 2018 eruption. Read more
Wall Street closes month higher in thin post-holiday trading
Expectations for a Federal Reserve rate cut in December strengthened throughout the week, helping underpin sentiment across equity markets. Read more
Medical helicopter group offers Oahu service
Global Medical Response is now offering emergency helicopter flight services from Oahu, with a newly established rotor-wing base at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu. Read more
Kokua Line: What are rules on getting a refund?
Question: Regarding paying by check, can a merchant hold back a refund for this? Read more
Retail earnings show shoppers’ resilience, but some stores struggle
Companies that didn’t meet sales or profit expectations missed key trends or suffered from poor management, analysts said. Read more
Wall Street ends higher on growing bets for December Fed rate cut
All three major U.S. stock indexes notched their fourth consecutive daily gains, as investors looked past the worries over inflated tech valuations that dragged all three to losses last week. Read more
Trump tariffs leave small U.S. retailers short for holidays
Big-box retailers such as Walmart and Costco can soak in the supply jitters by leveraging scale more easily than smaller firms. Read more
FAA probes Amazon after drone downs Texas internet cable
“A MK30 drone struck a wire line in Waco, Texas, around 12:45 p.m. local time on Tuesday, November 18,” the regulator said in a statement to Reuters, adding that it “is investigating” this incident. Read more
On the Move: Jeremiah Savage and Marcus Yano
Imua Family Services has named Jeremiah Savage as chief financial officer. Pacific Impact Zone Solutions has named Marcus Yano president. Read more
Hilo hospital expansion on target for 2027 completion
The bangs and rumbles of active construction can be heard and felt by medical professionals, visitors and patients in the main hospital. Read more
Hawaii solar installations soar but industry faces ‘disruption’
Hawaii overall now has the highest per capita rate of rooftop solar installations at 45%, Hawaiian Electric said, citing data from the U.S. Energy Information Agency. Read more
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