CocoNene’s Māʻalaea storefront marks a new beginning after their Lahaina flagship loss : Maui Now

CocoNene, a local brand known for its made in Hawaii products, announced the grand opening of their new store in Māʻalaea, Maui at the Maui Harbor Shops.

The celebration commenced with a special morning blessing ceremony on Dec. 11, 2023, prior to the official grand opening at 8 a.m. This new location marks a poignant milestone for the brand’s recovery journey after the loss of their Lahaina flagship store, allowing their Lahaina team the chance to get back on their feet. 

CocoNene is part of the family of brands that includes the esteemed kamaʻāina company Pictures Plus, founded in 1986 by Kent and Lori Untermann. Dedicated to crafting meaningful products that feature designs by local artists, all of CocoNene’s products are 100% made in Hawaiʻi, a testament to their commitment to local artistry and manufacturing.

Their assortment of wood wall art, home décor and gifts capture the essence and beauty of Hawaiʻi and its gift-giving culture.

CocoNene’s annual holiday collection is especially popular with Hawaiʻi residents looking for unique, locally made gifts for the holidays, including ornaments, customizable Longboard Letters, and new this year, a collection of Hawaiʻi villages and nativity scenes. 

“CocoNene and Pictures Plus are part of a homegrown family business that was founded on the principles of hard work and a commitment to fostering and retaining great employees, who are treated as extended ʻohana (family),” according to the announcement.

The company includes 150 employees, many of whom have been with the organization for over a decade.

In August of 2023, CocoNene faced an enormous setback when their flagship store, located in a historic building on Front Street in Lahaina, was lost to the Lahaina wildfires. The Front Street store accounted for approximately 50% of CocoNene’s sales, or roughly $3 million dollars a year, and its loss was a poignant blow, according to the owners.

In response to this challenge, CocoNene has pivoted their strategy to rebuilding and recovery efforts to ensure continued employment for their sales and manufacturing team members.

In addition to the newly opened locations at Māʻalaea and Kings’ Shops in Waikoloa, the CocoNene team will open three more stores across Hawaiʻi by next summer. The new storefront in Māʻalaea is especially significant, as it provides jobs for the brand’s displaced Lahaina employees.

“As a fire-affected Front Street business, this expansion gives us hope,” said Atu McClancy, manager of the CocoNene Lahaina Front Street location, who has been with the company for 28 years. “It helps with the rebuilding effort to support the Maui community and our team feels great about getting back to work. It’s a start to gain some normalcy and we are ready to start the process of healing and moving forward.” 

McClancy continues her heartfelt sentiments, saying “Every single person on our team is going through a different roller coaster of feeling lost. We loved our beautiful store, the thousands of guests that walked in daily creating memories with us and we love Lahaina, but we have to move on. I believe this new storefront in Māʻalaea will help in our healing process.” 

The new CocoNene location is the first of the brand’s expansion on Maui since the fires. Their ability to pivot and open a new store just months after the loss of their flagship location is a remarkable story of perseverance and determination. The store, located in the Maui Harbor Shops, features the same iconic products that have made CocoNene a beloved Hawaiʻi brand, including home décor, wood wall art by local artists, and their signature Longboard Letters.

The public is invited to visit the new CocoNene store in Māʻalaea to experience all of the made in Hawaiʻi products that make the brand so unique. The CocoNene team looks forward to welcoming back the Maui community to their new storefront, and giving hope to other affected businesses looking to do the same.