Target adds fresh foods to its fashion and shoe racks
Target Corp. is adding fresh foods and groceries to the product line at its Honolulu and Kona locations.
The company said groceries will be available March 25.
Target is dedicating about 10,000 square feet per store to fresh produce, packaged meat and prepackaged baked goods, as well as dry and frozen products.
The retailer is also revamping its home, beauty, electronics and shoe departments at the Honolulu and Kona stores.
Target is the second-largest U.S. retailer behind Walmart.
Windward Mall goes dark in power loss
Power went out at Windward Mall for a little more than an hour Thursday.
The center’s 110 stores were dark from 10:15 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Mall security ushered shoppers to exits to ensure safety, the center said.
The loss of three Hawaiian Electric Co. generators caused an outage Wednesday night on Oahu.
Several areas on Oahu including Waipahu, Pauoa, Kakaako and Waialua lost power at about 9:25 p.m., according to HECO.
Power was restored for most customers within an hour as reserve units went online.
Expanded flights boost Hawaiian’s loads
Hawaiian Airlines carried more passengers in February than in the year-ago period as the carrier expanded its operations.
The airline transported 702,890 people, up 5.6 percent from 665,553 in February 2011. Available seat miles, or one seat transported one mile, rose 13.1 percent to 982.6 million from 868.4 million. The percentage of seats filled dipped to 82.9 percent from 85 percent.
Revenue passenger miles, or one paying passenger transported one mile, increased 10.3 percent to 814.3 million from 738.5 million.
Compatible components gives Apple edge
NEW YORK » Apple certainly has lots of buzz and corporate cache behind its products, but the hidden — almost mundane — reason its newest iPad is likely to dominate the competition is the advantageous deals the company cuts with components manufacturers.
Apple’s size, and the fact that the iPad shares components with the highly popular iPhone, means that the company can buy crucial parts such as processing chips and display screens at lower prices. Any company that wants to make a tablet computer that matches the iPad’s $499 starting price has to endure higher costs.
As a result, Apple’s tablet-making competitors have flailed — and failed. With its new iPad, Apple is expected to extend its 62 percent market share in the tablet computer category it created. IMS Research expects Apple to capture 70 percent of the market this year.
Drugmakers want safety studies to go on
WASHINGTON » Some of the world’s largest drugmakers will face an uphill battle next week in their bid to revive a class of experimental pain drugs that have been sidelined by safety concerns for nearly two years.
The Food and Drug Administration says there is a clear association between the nerve-blocking medications and reports of joint failure and bone deterioration that led the agency to halt studies of the drugs in 2010. However, the agency also notes that those side effects were less common when the drugs were used at lower doses, potentially leaving the door open for future use. The agency released its safety analysis ahead of a public meeting next week where outside experts will discuss the drugs’ safety.
On Monday, Pfizer Inc., Johnson & Johnson and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals will make their case to continue studies of the drugs, with new safety precautions to protect patients.
Exxon to spend $150B in hunt for more oil
NEW YORK » Exxon said Thursday that it will spend about $150 billion through the next five years to find more oil and natural gas to satisfy the world’s growing energy appetite.
Exxon Mobil Corp., the world’s largest publicly traded energy company, expects global energy demand to increase 30 percent by 2040, compared with 2010 levels. As demand grows, CEO Rex Tillerson said Exxon will plow more money into a global search for new resources. Including investments in its refining and chemicals business, Exxon’s capital budget for 2012 through 2016 will total $185 billion, up 29 percent from the previous five-year period.
Greece certain of investments in debt deal
ATHENS, Greece » Greek government officials and world markets appeared confident that a high number of private investors would participate in a major Greek debt reduction deal as the deadline to do so passed Thursday night.
Participation in the landmark agreement ended as planned at 3 p.m. EST Thursday.
It is aimed at slashing the country’s national debt by $140 billion, with private bond holders accepting a face-value loss of 53.5 percent, in exchange for new bonds with more favorable repayment terms.
On the Move
» TruTag Technologies has appointed Denis Coleman as senior scientific adviser. He co-founded Symantec, which is the maker of Norton antivirus software and is the fourth-largest software company in the world.
» First Hawaiian Bank has announced the following division and area manager promotions:
— Jane Bush to vice president and division manager, personal trust division. She has 21 years of trust administration experience, most recently as team leader for the bank’s personal trust division.
— Stephen Kaaa as vice president and area manager, Kahala branch. He joined the bank in 1991, and his experience includes work as a private banking officer and dealer center credit analyst.
— Candice Naito as senior vice president and team leader, Kapiolani banking region. She joined the bank in 2009 with 34 years of banking experience.
— Dawn Hofmann as vice president and team leader, corporate banking division. She joined the bank in 2007 as a vice president and corporate banking officer with 22 years of banking experience.
— Mitchell Kaaialii to vice president and area manager, Wahiawa branch, from assistant vice president and business banking officer, main branch. He joined the bank in 2000 and has 18 years of financial industry experience.
