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Safeway will close its Waipahu store at the end of the month, according to General Manager John Obery.
Obery, who oversees Hawaii operations, says this is the only Hawaii store the chain has closed in nearly 40 years of doing business here.
"We reviewed all options and the decision that was made was made," says Obery.
In recent years a slew of businesses have closed in Waipahu, including Arakawas, Big Way Supermarket, Sak 'n Save and the Flamingo restaurant. Other Waipahu retailers have had to refocus their businesses, including Waipahu Bicycle & Sporting Goods, which has eliminated the bicycle portion of its business, and Pizza Hut, which has closed its dine-in restaurant.
Over the past decade, Safeway, along with other retailers in the beleaguered district, has dealt with fierce competition from big-box retailers and new shopping center outlets that have sprung up in outlying areas.
Ironically, just four years ago Safeway claimed Hawaii's market was...