The Solution

We interviewed Curtis Higashiyama, Bernadette Castillo, and Amanda Cabanting of ABC Stores. Though we didn't get much quantitative data, we did get a lot of good qualitative information. The main advantage of speaking with them directly was getting to know more about ABC Stores as a whole. Even just facts like “ABC stands for Aloha Brings Customers” gave us a better understanding of their mission, however, we did get some useful data as well. For example, we learned that while most tourists pay more attention to the price tag, European visitors tend to make sure their purchase is made in Hawaii. Finally, they also told us about how the COVID19 pandemic had a huge effect on their stock. Of course, we also gathered some field data, which was useful, but the interview was our biggest source of information.

Our communication process with ABC Stores went extremely well, and we were so delighted that they had quick responses, and were extremely supportive of our project. We were able to correspond with them through email and a quick phone call, and we were able to schedule times in which we could visit the store and another for our virtual interview.

As the time came to implement our solution, Kiae and I had a specific goal in mind. We sought to educate tourists and change their shopping behaviors when visiting Hawaii. Knowing it would be extremely challenging to personally bring awareness to the millions of vacationers who come to the islands each year, it became evident that the best course of action was to collaborate with a business that we knew would have the needed reach. It had to be a corporation that had a specific dedication to Hawaii, however, was still able to cater to clients all around the world, in large numbers.

With a topic that revolved around personal decisions, the most important first step was to encourage others to simply take the course of action bit by bit. Being able to set a mindset that will allow you to check not only the price tag, but information such as where the clothing was manufactured, opens the door to a realm of possibilities few care to recognize. These include taking the call to action to request locally made clothing when traveling, find and support businesses you know are environmentally friendly when it comes to clothing production, and if successfully implemented, reduce the amount of textile imports to the islands.

However, this goes back to the question of how we could make this happen. What credible institution could actually help us initiate this change? Hawaiian Airlines. When the matters are that we must reach tourists and educate them before even starting their vacation, what better way than “meet” with them at a time when there's not much to do, and plenty of time to do it. After all, the islands of Hawaii are the most isolated from the rest of the world. The scale of Hawaiian Airlines’ reach to our target audience made them an ideal contact for us to propose our idea to, and implement the key parts of our solution.

Though these reasons state why it would be ideal to partner with this type of company, we also recognize that being able to reach so many people could allow us to hopefully find others who share a passion for protecting the environment, and are willing to take their own steps and choices further to many topics that are affecting the health of our world.

Being such a large scale topic, there is no doubt that to be able for this and other solutions to show positive impact, any effects would need to exceed the negative. However, once, hopefully, these changes do begin, there will be concrete ways to tell how. If retailers begin to report greater demand for locally made Hawaiian fashion, it will show that tourists are finding ways to still shop at their favorite stores, but also recognize that if what they truly seek is local fashion, they're willing to speak out. Next would be whether the actual sales of this locally made fashion increases. Though some visitors will decide to ask, not all may follow through, especially when it comes to the extra money that may need to be spent. But if numbers can show that these purchases are being frequently made, the goal is to go even further. If there is evidence of reductions of imported clothing coming to Hawaii, this is when ecological effects can decrease. Any less transportation, manufacturing, strenuous labor, and carbon emissions will make our natural world a better place.

The final indication that real change is being made will be if there's a growth in local manufacturing. Obviously, there will have to be additional steps towards keeping this production environmentally friendly for our local ecosystems, but there is no doubt that these positive changes are necessary.

Even after I've continued to credit what can happen if our world, specifically those with scheduled vacations to Hawaii, are educated and take personal action through a possible solution that Kiae and I have hoped to put in place, for the time being, we’ve not had luck. With no response from the airlines, we haven't been able to even communicate our vision, but we hope that this will be changed soon. Understanding that Hawaiian airlines is also an extremely large air carrier that has many other requests, some possibly being from a more credible client, and that we don't have anything to offer financially speaking, there may be several reasons for not having a response just yet. However, once we’re able to get in contact, both of us are willing, ready, and hopeful to follow through, as if there's anything this project has taught us, is that if we don't take action, no one else will.