I started this blog back in May, but just now getting around to editing and posting this lol.
But I still felt like this topic will be relevant as I’m getting ready to book my flight back to Hawaii for my 34th birthday this year.
Hawaii is such a beautiful location and there’s so much to see and learn while you’re there. And I STRONGLY recommend that if you visit, you learn about the history and culture too.
But being the glam girl that I am, of course I took some time to sneak off and do some quick luxury shopping.
Honolulu has so many good shopping options and I really wish that I had more time or planned things better so that I could have visited more of them.
I am happy thought that on our last day, I was able to make time to stop by the Louis Vuitton and squeeze in a quick shopping before I headed home.
So for todays blog, I wanted to detail my luxury shopping experience in Honolulu for you all, share with you the differences in price from Hawaii vs the rest of the US and of course share with you all what I purchased!
Screen shot from inside the Gump Building Louis Vuitton in Waikiki
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Table of Contents
Save More on Your Hawaii Trip!
Getting to Hawaii doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg. With Expedia, you can plan your whole entire trip on one site and get the best value possible.
If you’re the type of person who is looking for easy planning with flexibility and max savings, Expedia with their larger travel network has you covered.
Even for seasoned travelers like myself who live off of rewards, I just about always find myself using Expedia to search and compare deals and generally book my car rentals through Expedia as well.
With Expedia’s “Unreal Deals” your perfect getaway just got easier.
Expedia’s “Unreal Deals” allows you to book your flight and hotel for a significant percentage off (with even a free flight if you’re lucky) when you book your hotel and flight together through Expedia.
These deals are great for individuals and family members a like looking to book a trip for the best value.
Imagine booking a 5 day, round trip vacation to Waikiki in a beauty hotel by the beach, flights included for only $1,300.00USD? That’s possible with this deal right here.
Plus you can extending these savings even further if you’re a Rakuten member.
Yes, Expedia is also a Rakuten partner!
For those who don’t know, Rakuten is an online automatic rebate service that get your cash back on purchases at 100’s of retailers and sites.
Just download the app, browsers extension or stop by the Rakuten site before you shop and they’ll automatically apply the available rebate to your account.
Expedia generally offers anywhere from 3%-10% cash back through Rakuten so you can save a nice coin for your vacation.
New members to Rakuten can also receive an additional $30 cash back for when they make a qualifying purchase using this link here.
I just love sharing tips like this with y’all because these trip can be expensive so it’s nice to save where you can even if you don’t have credit card points or rewards to spend.
Things To Know BEFORE Luxury Shopping in Hawaii
You may have heard that Hawaii is an excellent place for luxury shopping due to luxury products being cheaper on the island.
This is somewhat true.
Many luxury brand do offer lower price points in Hawaii, ranging from 5%-15%.
But not all brands do and even with in a House, the percentage “discounted” can vary depending on category of items and other factors.
With Louis Vuitton in particular, it’s probably going to be best going in knowing what the mainland prices are first.
For me, one item was lower by 10% while another was only lower by 7% so it really just depends and some of these factors feel random to me.
Hawaii does have one of the lowest sales tax in America though, so unless you live in one of these states, even if there is not discount off of mainland prices, you’ll still be saving money with taxes.
I also think it’s important to know that these stores get VERY busy.
I have seen several bad reviews about the shopping experience in Honolulu, but I feel like a lot of these experiences come down to just how overworked this location is.
A long with it being a luxury shop, it is also kind of a tourist attraction.
The sales associates can be pretty swamped fielding questions and request, so I would give them some grace.
Getting Your Hawaii Stamp
Most people going to the Hawaii Louis Vuitton locations want to acquire the location based Hawaii Louis Vuitton stamp, which can only be gotten while in the state.
Because this is such a popular request, they do have some rules surrounding this service.
The first is, you have to bring your own item to hot stamp. There was a time where you could buy a luggage tag and get it hot stamped then and there, but that is no longer the case.
I do believe that you can still purchase other SLGs and turn them over to be hot stamped but understand that their qualities may be limited.
Second, you have to leave your item with them for 1-4 days, depending on the wait times. They get A LOT of request for the Hawaii hot stamping so your item can be cued for a while.
The third rule here is that you must pick up your item in person. They will not ship your hot stamped item to you, so you’ll have to plan your trip accordingly.
I want to add a little caveat here and say that my SA told me that not all the Louis Vuitton stores in Waikiki are equally busy at the same time.
If you are in a rush, you might have better luck trying the store in the Hilton location for a faster turn around time.
Which Store I Visited
There are 3 Louis Vuitton locations in Oahu; one in the Ala Moana shopping center, one in the Hilton Resort and the one we visited at the Gump Building on Luxury Row.
We were staying at the Autograph Collection Laylow Hotel so it was only about a 10 minute walk to get to this location.
This location here is  square feet with 2 stories and plenty of art and eye candy to look at.
This particular store is open daily from 10:00am to 10:00pm
Best Time To Shop
As I mentioned earlier, this store can get CROWED.
I opted to visit the store right when they opened at 10am and experienced no wait. I got matched with my SA Maria straight away and was able to shop with no hassle.
First thing is also probably one of the better times too because you’ll have first pick at items to look at.
I shopped for about an hour and as I was leaving, a small line was starting to form, though it still wasn’t too bad.
I also visited Hawaii during their ‘off” tourist season, which probably helped a lot with product availability and crowds.
My Shopping Experience
My shopping experience was lovely.
I originally came in looking to get my passport holder stamped and to see the Double Zip pochette options that they had.
Maria quickly informed me of the system they have in place for getting a hot stamp, but arranged for me to get a stamp on a Louis Vuitton gift tag instead since it was Lei Day which was a nice surprise.
She also pulled out all the options they had in stock of the Double Zip and even called around to the other stores to see if they had the color that I wanted in stock.
And one of the other stores actually did!
Product Selection
This was one of the larger Louis Vuitton stores that I have been in and they had a nice amount of stock.
They had plenty of shoes, ready-to-wear, SLG’s, perfumes, charms and silk products to choose from.
They also seemed to have a lot of the standard stock available too. At the time, there were several bags that I just wanted to see in person such as the Neo Noe MM and Maria arranged for me to try them all on.
I also enjoyed the fact that they were willing to call the other local stores to see if they had the color ways that I was looking for in stock.
Not every store or SA will do this but when they do it is very nice and appreciated.
It might be better to call around before shopping if you’re looking for something in particular, but If you’re going to take a shot in the dark, the Luxury Row location might be your best option in Waikiki.
What I Bought
Because this post is SO late, many of you already know what I got.
But for those that are still interested, I ended up purchasing the empreinte Speedy 20 bandouliere in the latte/chamallow color way.
I spotted it as my SA was calling around for the Double Zip in pink and I told her that I needed to see this bag immediately!
At this point I had owned the Speedy 20 in black empreinte for about 6 months and my only complaint with it is just that black isn’t a color I gravitate towards with bags.
This lighter color was perfect for me and I’m still head over heels in love with it.
This particular Speedy retails for $2,710.00USD here in the mainland, but I was able to purchase it for $2,350.00USD in Hawai’i with a tax difference of 5.75% (from Seattle), saving me just under $450.00USD or about %15.
Just for a quick comparison, you can buy a round trip ticket to Hawaii from Seattle for as little as $230.
Buy this math, it just makes way more sense to fly down to Hawaii for these bigger purchases!
Quick Review
- Book your Trip on Expedia through Rakuten to maximize your savings
- -Many luxury items are cheaper in Hawaii, but not all
- -Louis Vuitton prices in Oahu can range from 7%-10% cheaper than on the mainland
- -If you want a Hawaii hibiscus hot stamp, expect a wait time of 3-4 days
- -The Louis Vuitton in Gump Building has plenty of stock, but can be crowed
- -The best time to shop will probably be just as they open
- -If you live on the East Cost, consider flying to Europe if you can for cheaper prices
Overall Thoughts
I love the fact that I was able to save so much shopping in Hawaii and recommend it to any luxury lover who has the time and budget to do so.
There are a few things to consider though:
If you live in Washington like me, it might be easier to just shop in Portland instead.
Not all luxury items in Hawaii are at a lower price point, but you will pay zero in sales tax when you’re in Oregon (or any other state with a 0% sales tax rate). So I can save a ton as well by just making a 3 hour drive.
If you’re on the East cost, consider flying to Europe instead if you wish to make a luxury purchase.
From New York, tickets to Paris start at $320 round trip and luxury fashion prices are generally 15%-20% lower than here in America with the ability to get a VAT tax rebate.
But, if you’re from the West cost where tickets to Hawaii can be very inexpensive or were just planning on being over there anyways, then it may make sense for you to plan to indulge in Luxury Row for a bit.
As for the Louis Vuitton Store itself in the Gump Building, my SA was really sweet and did her best to accommodate me (even tracking down water to make sure I was hydrated for shopping and walking around later).
The store had plenty of stock and fun art work to look at and it was just a fun experience over all.
I’m currently planning out my trip back in May for my 34th birthday, and this time I’m excited to see all of what Luxury row has to offer.
Would you travel to shop if it meant you’ll save money? I would love to hear your response down below!
Be sure to check us out over on Instagram and Youtube to continue this conversation as well
Love, Monnii
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