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Cariloha to Hold Grand Opening
By Lahaina News
LAHAINA – To celebrate its arrival in the Lahaina community, the new Cariloha store will host a grand opening ceremony on Thursday, April 4, between noon and 2 p.m.
A store that revolves completely around bamboo-based products, Cariloha is located at 824 Front St., across the street from Cheeseburger in Paradise.
The ceremony will include hula by local hula dancers, a ribbon-cutting ceremony by founder and owner Jeff Pedersen (who is flying in from Utah for the event), and a free bamboo lei for all attendees.
The 800-square-foot Cariloha store is corporately owned and shares the same store square footage with its sister brand, Del Sol, which specializes in clothing and accessories that change colors with sunlight.
Both are celebrating their grand opening in Lahaina.
Cariloha’s hats, shirts, polos, dresses, shorts, skirts, socks, bed sheets, bath towels and jewelry are all made from eco-friendly bamboo blends.
“When you think of bamboo, large green shoots in the jungle somewhere likely come to mind,” said Pedersen, Cariloha founder and CEO.
“Not many people know that bamboo can actually be husked and separated into ultra-soft fabric for making apparel and other goods at little to no risk on the environment. In fact, some species of bamboo can grow up to three feet per day. It’s one of the most renewable resources on the planet.”
The Cariloha Lahaina store will be staffed and managed by local employees and corporately hired interns, who typically work in the store for three to six months.
Staffers and interns encourage store visitors to touch, feel and compare the softness of the bamboo clothing, bedding and bath goods with other similar products in today’s marketplace.
“Customers are the best judges of whether or not they think Cariloha bamboo products are softer than anything they’ve ever felt before,” said Scott Brady, Cariloha assistant vice president of communications.
“If it’s not softer, then we guarantee the customer’s money back, no questions asked.”
Brady said the store’s name derives from blending Caribbean style with Hawaiian aloha spirit.
In addition to this Lahaina store, Cariloha can now be found in Kauai at the Poipu Shopping Village and in Kona at the Waikoloa Kings’ Shops.
Another Cariloha store is slated to open this summer in Waikiki at the Ala Moana Shopping Center.