The family business legacy of Sam and Helen Chong is entering a new, future-facing phase with Hawaii’s first Batteries Plus Bulbs store, set to open Monday at Pearl City Gateway Shopping Center.
Batteries Plus Bulbs may sound like a merger between longtime Honolulu businesses Battery Bill’s and the Light Bulb Source, but it is not. Rather, it is a national chain that will compete with the local stores. The Chongs are the Hawaii franchise owners.
Chong’s family established ABC Furniture in 1977, and those with a bit of salt in their hair may remember the huge, red neon chair visible at their old Waiakamilo Road location back in the 1980s. The other location was in Halawa Industrial Park.
ABC Furniture now is in Waipahu, and its sibling ABC Auto Center adjoins the furniture retailing operation.
Sam Chong’s interest in Batteries Plus Bulbs was sparked while he was having photovoltaic panels installed on his Waipahu businesses. "I was looking for some kind of battery technology" to serve as a backup system for his stores’ solar energy systems, he said. Adding to his interest, ABC Auto Center sells electric Wheego vehicles. "They’re plug-and-play," he chuckled.
He came across information about the national Batteries Plus Bulbs chain and looked into it further.
"They’re open in 48 states, and the Hawaii (franchise) was completely open," he said. "They have 620 stores already and they open one every week."
The Chongs obtained the exclusive franchise for Hawaii, and Sam says his wife of 24 years is "the real boss."
Their sons Samuel Jr., 20, a member of the Hawaii Air National Guard, and Ryan, 19, will do their part for the business, Sam Sr. said.
As for the battery backup he sought, Batteries Plus Bulbs offers it, and Chong says a home- or business owner need not have rooftop PV to obtain and use the technology, he said. Battery backups can range from $2,000 to $10,000, depending on a customer’s needs.
While BATTERIES Plus Bulbsis a retail store offering consumers such services as mobile device screen repair, a large part of the business model is commercial accounts, Chong said. The company services national accounts, such as Anheuser-Busch InBev and ThyssenKrupp Elevator Americas.
Batteries Plus Bulbs can carry "from A to Z" in terms of battery needs, from watch and cellphone batteries all the way up to large-scale batteries for trucks, which for many local residents will bring to mind the Battery Bill’s radio and TV commercial.
TheBuzz’s call to the Mapunapuna location Tuesday was answered by owner Bill Ogawa himself. He was aware the national chain was preparing to open locally.
While he doesn’t "envision seeing them open up on every street corner," Ogawa is concerned, he said.
In business since 1982, he sold car batteries at first until companies such as Costco, Sam’s Club, Walmart and KMart proliferated on Oahu.
He lost 50 percent of his business, he said.
"So we had to change," he said. The business diversified, "and now we do every kind of battery."
So does Batteries Plus Bulbs, and Ogawa knows it.
Despite his strong branding in the market, "I don’t think a local brand has a chance" against a mainland chain, he said.
He will never underestimate the impact of a competitor, he said, noting the number of stores in the chain and its rapid expansion, which also translates to buying power.
Ogawa’s strategy will be to "hold (his) ground" and improve his customer service and other aspects of his operation to remain competitive.
The Light Bulb Source, meanwhile, has been serving Hawaii customers and businesses since 1986.
The store at 535 Ward Ave. offers all sorts of lighting, from incandescent to fluorescent, LED to CFL and halogen and specialty lamps, said account manager Gary Chang.
While it, too, has survived the big box store influx, store management feels part of its strength is its laser focus on lighting. "I think we have more expertise, knowledge and experience," he said.
Batteries Plus Bulbs offers some 45,000 types of batteries, light bulbs and accessories, according to a company statement, which describes the chain as the country’s fastest-growing franchise in the $30.7 billion battery and $17 billion light bulb replacement markets.
Reach Erika Engle at 529-4303, erika@staradvertiser.com or on Twitter as @erikaengle.
