YouMe Mart closing months after opening in Honolulu

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - A Korean grocery store on Keeaumoku is closing its doors just months after opening, leaving some customers surprised and raising questions about the challenges facing Hawaii businesses.

YouMe Mart, located across from Walmart on Keeaumoku Street, has posted 30% to 50% off and final sale signs throughout the store.

Inside, shelves are noticeably emptier as the business works to sell its remaining merchandise.

A store manager confirmed to Hawaii News Now that the store is closing but did not provide an exact closing date.

Customers surprised by closure

Customer Alex Nguin said he was surprised by the news, especially after seeing a large crowd when the store first opened.

“I was kind of mind blown. I was like, I thought this business was doing good because the first day I saw there’s like a big line over here,” Nguin said. “I don’t know, just surprised it’s shutting down.”

For some customers, the store had become a convenient stop.

“Few weeks ago, I was still coming here getting my drinks and doing some work. And when I heard recently, like a few days ago, that it was closing down, I was a bit bummed out actually. You know, I was expecting it to do a bit more good,” Honolulu resident Johan Ocampo said.

Another customer, Nanea Kaleikini, said she was disappointed to hear about the closure.

“It’s unfortunate that it’s closing. I also found it convenient. That’s why that is here. Just to like get some snacks,” Kaleikini said.

Challenges for Hawaii businesses

The closure comes as Hawaii businesses face a range of operating challenges.

Dale Dixon, chief innovation officer for the Better Business Bureau’s Great West Pacific region, said rising commercial property costs are among the biggest concerns.

“Businesses across Hawaii are facing a lot of challenges, but I think we can narrow them down to three that are universal and that are being felt by most,” Dixon said.

“The first is the skyrocketing commercial property rents, leases, building ownership. The property is just expensive,” he added.

Dixon said rising utility costs also add to the financial pressure businesses face.

“Whether the business is leasing renting or trying to buy a piece of property, that property is incredibly expensive underneath the property cost,” he said.

Dave Erdman, interim president and CEO of Retail Merchants of Hawaii, said staffing costs and competition for workers can create additional challenges.

“Other issues would be the wages,” Erdman said. “Maybe they didn’t anticipate that it’s very competitive and that you have to fight to find the right people that will work for you.”

YouMe Mart first opened with a soft launch in February, offering a variety of Korean snacks, fresh produce, a bakery and a cafe.

Hawaii also ranked last in CNBC’s 2026 America’s Top States for Business report, which cited high operating costs, business pressures and the state’s business survival rate.

Dixon said the local customer base is another challenge, as residents face their own financial pressures.

“While there are a lot of people there and the tourism industry is coming in, it’s still a capped local market,” Dixon said. “And people who live here in Hawaii are feeling the pressure as well. And so their spending is coming down. So they don’t have as much to spend with these businesses.”

The store manager told HNN she is unsure whether reopening YouMe Mart in the future is a possibility.