We thought we'd check in to see how the headlines have been affecting your lives and your budgets, and what better way to do that than at the grocery store?
In this ongoing series, we plan to visit various grocery stores and learn more about what people are seeing. We're asking one of the most basic questions when it comes to spending: What’s in your shopping cart?
Share with us how the state of the economy is affecting your shopping habits and where we should go next. Leave us a voicemail at 808-792-8217 or email us at talkback@hawaiipublicradio.org.
HPR went to Kauaʻi to ask shoppers about their plans for Thanksgiving. Adeline and Erica were outside the Big Save in Kapaʻa. They live together in Moloa‘a and said that they’re preparing for a Thanksgiving potluck with friends because a whole meal is too expensive to make on your own.
Again at Safeway in ʻAiea, we met Jasmine and her daughter Naliko. They were shopping together, along with a couple of Naliko's siblings and her grandmother. The family is originally from Moloka‘i but lives in Salt Lake on Oʻahu. Jasmine shared that she compares prices at various stores because of the increase in costs.
At Safeway in ʻAiea, we met Wallace Suenaga, who shared that he relies on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for his groceries. Suenaga said he used to get $400 a month from SNAP assistance. Now he only gets $60 to last him the entire month.
HPR met Sai at Times Supermarket in ʻAiea. She is from Pearl City and works in restaurant administration. She talked about making ends meet and balancing a grocery budget for her family.
We caught up with Sharice as she was coming out of Don Quijote in Honolulu. She lives in California’s Bay Area but travels to Hawaiʻi regularly for work. She shared how sheʻs noticed a difference in prices between California and Hawaiʻi.
At Walmart in Honolulu, HPR met up with Sam, a 19-year-old who lives near the Ala Wai Canal. He talked about the products he's noticed have become more expensive, and how his schooling affects his outlook on the economy.
Again at Foodland Farms in Ala Moana, HPR talked to Jennifer, who was visiting from Shingles Springs, California. She talked about the creative ways she goes about getting healthy food.
At Foodland Farms in Ala Moana, HPR met up with John, who shared that he got plenty of items on sale from the Friday discounted hot bar. He said that the deals are worth it even though he has to endure the big crowd.
HPR met up with Mark of Waikele after he finished a recent shopping trip at Tokyo Central in Kailua. He said that he asked for a raise from his boss to combat the rising prices.
At Foodland in Kāneʻohe, we met up with Pi‘ilani. She shared that she picked up a second job so that she and her family could live comfortably and not live paycheck to paycheck.
HPR met up with Vince after he finished a recent visit to Times Supermarket in Kāneʻohe. He talked about his tolerance for the rising price of a plate lunch and what he's noticed about prices since the COVID-19 pandemic.
At ChefZone, we talked to Kandi Miranda, a small business owner from Hawaiʻi Island. She was visiting Oʻahu for her 10-year-old daughter Dioni's baseball tournament.
Miranda shared that she has businesses on both Hawaiʻi Island and Oʻahu. She has noticed that the cost of everything has skyrocketed, which she said has made it difficult for business owners.
Also at ChefZone, David, who works for Southwest Airlines, was shopping for an upcoming company lunch. He shared that due to price increases, they've had to be more strategic when planning the lunches.
We ran into Bruce Bryant, the owner of South Shore Grill on Oʻahu, at ChefZone. He's been grappling with passing on costs to his customers, due to the rising price of both food and insurance. He said that he made price changes to his menu in late February, but should have done it sooner.
HPR met Nelson Smith at Times Supermarket in Honolulu, just off King Street. He shared that the price to satisfy his sweet tooth has gone up — specifically the price of cake, and the portions have gotten smaller as well.
At Costco Iwilei, newlywed Michelle braved a busy Saturday picking up some everyday grocery essentials. She said that with the uptick in prices, sheʻs looking at purchasing things seasonally.
At Shima's Supermarket in Waimānalo, Alika was swapping out spam for luncheon meat, which he said is a lot cheaper. That's also the reason he's purchasing more pork than beef these days.
Over at Costco Iwilei, Josh from Kāneʻohe said he was shopping to meal prep for his student-athlete daughter. The conversation soon turned to how tariffs threaten Josh's line of work.
Let's set off to a Safeway in Kailua, where we chatted with Denise about egg prices and other kitchen costs. She said it's not just the eggs, it's everything.
HPR spoke to Oscar outside a Safeway in Honolulu as he finished buying groceries for the week. He said his two bags of food totaled about $150.
We caught up with Jean Hing at Palama Supermarket in Kalihi. She said she recently bought more canned goods at Costco to stock her pantry before prices rise even more.
HPR's Tori DeJournett contributed to this story.
This segment on The Conversation began in April 2025. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m.
