Waikiki Shopping Guide: Waikiki Market vs Target + Hawaiian Casuals

Shopping in Waikiki is part of the fun.

Supermarkets,

snacks,

souvenirs...

and of course the eternal question:

“Where should I actually buy this?”

We visited three places during our Hawaii trip:

Waikiki Market,

Target

and

HAWAIIAN CASUALS.

And surprisingly,

each one was good for completely different things.

Some had better food.

Some had cheaper souvenirs.

And one sold a bottle of water for $2.39 that we had seen for $10 at a hotel in Los Angeles.

Yes. The same kind of travel moment that makes you question every bottle of water you have ever bought（笑）

Here is our firsthand comparison of what we found,

what we bought

and which store we would choose for different types of Waikiki shopping.

Check Rates on Marriott Official Website

Moana Surfrider is conveniently located for exploring central Waikiki on foot.

Waikiki Market: Prepared Food, Sushi and Good-Priced Lion Coffee

Waikiki Market is located upstairs from

Piko Kitchen + Bar,

where we enjoyed the $6 happy hour featured in another article.

One of the things we liked most about Waikiki Market was the selection of

ready-to-eat food.

We found bread,

inari sushi,

California rolls,

yaki udon

and yakisoba.

We actually tried the yaki udon and sushi,

and both were good.

The inari sushi tasted almost exactly like the kind we buy in Japan!

After several days of traveling,

sometimes something familiar suddenly tastes extra comforting.

If you start missing Japanese food in Hawaii,

this is a useful place to remember.

The bread also seemed reasonably priced compared with many other things we saw around Waikiki.

Lion Coffee Was Cheaper Here Than at Target When We Checked

Lion Coffee is one of those classic Hawaii souvenirs that is easy to bring home.

When we visited,

we found it at Waikiki Market for

$11.99.

At Target,

the same product we checked was

$12.99.

So at least during our visit,

Waikiki Market won the Lion Coffee battle by $1.

A small victory,

but a victory is a victory（笑）

Prices can change, so treat these as the prices we found during our trip rather than permanent prices.

Lilikoi and Mango Butter Made Easy Hawaii Souvenirs

We also found

lilikoi butter and mango butter

for $9.99 during our visit.

We bought the lilikoi butter as a souvenir.

It had a lovely tart flavor

and was very tasty.

This is the kind of souvenir I like:

small enough to pack, actually edible, and unlikely to become permanent clutter（笑）

Waikiki Market Has Cute Gifts Too

Waikiki Market is not only about groceries.

We also found stylish reusable bags,

tumblers

and other items that would make easy souvenirs.

And look at these soaps!

So cute.

I liked that Waikiki Market had plenty of things that felt a little more stylish than the usual souvenir-shop selection.

Check Rates on Marriott Official Website

Target Waikiki: Cheap Snacks, Souvenirs and Much Cheaper Water

Target feels very different from Waikiki Market.

Along with food,

you can shop for clothing,

underwear,

hats

and plenty of everyday items.

We saw fruit,

ham,

cheese

and other groceries.

But during our visit,

we did not notice the same kind of broad ready-to-eat deli selection that we found at Waikiki Market.

So if I wanted a quick prepared meal,

I would personally go to Waikiki Market first.

Target did have some attractive promotions,

including buy-one-get-one-free offers on certain products when we visited.

That is definitely worth checking.

Target Was Better for Cheap Shareable Souvenirs

For snacks such as

macadamia nuts

and nut chocolates,

Target was cheaper than Waikiki Market for the products we compared.

We also bought individually wrapped

pineapple gummies

for $7.69.

They were tasty too.

If you need several small souvenirs for coworkers,

friends

or family,

Target is the kind of place where I would look first.

The $10 Hotel Water Was $2.39 Here!

And then...

the water incident.

We had seen a bottle of water selling for around

$10 at our hotel in Los Angeles.

At Target,

we found it for

$2.39.

The difference was ridiculous.

I just stood there thinking,

“So THIS is what the water actually costs!?”

Travel lesson learned:

if you need drinks for your hotel room,

a supermarket can save you a surprising amount of money.

HAWAIIAN CASUALS: Cute Character Souvenirs and Hawaii Finds

HAWAIIAN CASUALS was the most

“Hawaii souvenir shop!”

of the three.

And it had lots of character collaboration merchandise.

A tanned Doraemon!

And Hawaii-themed Hello Kitty merchandise!

Dangerously cute.

This is exactly the kind of store where you walk in thinking,

“I’m just looking,”

and suddenly start mentally assigning souvenirs to everyone you know（笑）

There were lots of collaboration items,

and we felt that the selection had become much larger than on some of our previous Hawaii trips.

If you like character goods,

this place is fun just to browse.

I also found these

sparkly rhinestone tumblers.

Very subtle.

Obviously.

（笑）

And then I spotted

Hawaiian bird plush toys.

I love birds,

so naturally...

I was thrilled（笑）

Other people see a souvenir shop.

I apparently see birds.

We even found a Hawaii-themed

Donald Trump bobblehead.

When we went to a Dodgers game in Los Angeles,

we also received a Yoshinobu Yamamoto bobblehead.

Apparently America really likes bobbleheads?

There is even a bobblehead museum,

so maybe the answer is yes（笑）

We Always Buy MINATO Garlic Shrimp Sauce in Hawaii

One thing we almost always buy when we visit Hawaii is

MINATO Garlic Shrimp Sauce.

We have introduced it before on Kanreki Travel,

and many of our Japanese readers have purchased it too.

Among the shops we checked during this trip,

HAWAIIAN CASUALS had the best option for this sauce.

Waikiki Market had poke sauce when we looked,

but not the garlic shrimp sauce,

and we did not find it at Target.

HAWAIIAN CASUALS had plenty in stock,

so it was also convenient if you wanted to buy several bottles.

We can buy it online in Japan too,

but buying it in Hawaii was cheaper when we checked.

And when you use it at home to make garlic shrimp,

you suddenly remember Hawaii again.

An edible souvenir that turns dinner into a tiny Hawaii flashback.

I like that.

Waikiki Market vs Target vs Hawaiian Casuals: Which Store Is Best?

After visiting all three,

I would not say there is one single “best” Waikiki store.

They are good at completely different things.

Store	Best For	Good Finds During Our Visit
Waikiki Market	Prepared food, sushi, bread and stylish grocery shopping	Lion Coffee, lilikoi butter, ready-to-eat meals
Target	Everyday items and inexpensive shareable souvenirs	Macadamia snacks, pineapple gummies, bottled water
HAWAIIAN CASUALS	Hawaii-themed character goods and specialty souvenirs	MINATO garlic shrimp sauce, collaboration goods, cute gifts

So my simple strategy would be:

Need dinner or ready-to-eat food?

Waikiki Market.

Need snacks for ten people and cheap water?

Target.

Need a tanned Doraemon, sparkly tumbler or garlic shrimp sauce?

HAWAIIAN CASUALS.

Very different missions（笑）

The prices mentioned in this article are what we found during our trip

and can change.

So rather than assuming one shop is always cheapest,

if you have time, compare a couple of stores before buying lots of souvenirs.

That is especially useful in Waikiki,

where the exact same type of item can sometimes have a surprisingly different price.

And whatever you do...

maybe check Target before paying $10 for water（笑）

Check Rates on Marriott Official Website

Moana Surfrider is conveniently located for exploring central Waikiki on foot.

Moana Surfrider Waikiki Review: Historic Hotel, Beach & Activities

We stayed at Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa, Waikiki Beach, one of the most historic hotels in Hawaii. The hotel celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2026, making our stay feel especially memorable. We booked our room using Marriott Bonvoy points and spent several days enjoying the hotel, Waikiki Beach and its resort activities. This review shares our actual experience, including the room, beautiful photo spots, lei-making activity, pool, beach and practical facilities. What Is Moana Surfrider? Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa, Waikiki Beach opened in 1901 and is known as the “First Lady of Waikiki.” It ...

続きを見る

Cheap Eats in Waikiki: $6 Happy Hour at Piko Kitchen + Aloha Greek

Waikiki is beautiful. Waikiki prices? Sometimes a little less beautiful. With food prices in Hawaii feeling expensive, it is always nice to find somewhere in the middle of Waikiki where you can eat without immediately worrying about the bill. That is exactly why we were happy to find Piko Kitchen + Bar. During happy hour, we found burgers and beer for just $6 each. Mamarin and I went to try it ourselves, so here is our firsthand look at the food, portion sizes and how quickly the restaurant filled up. And because dinner is obviously not enough（笑）, we also stopped ...

続きを見る