The Locavore Store

What The Locavore Store does

The Locavore Store is a privately held, founder-operated specialty grocery and gift retailer headquartered in Hilo, Hawaii, that curates and sells 100% locally sourced Hawaiian products across packaged foods, produce, meat, dairy and eggs, apparel, bath and body, household, health and wellness, prints and stationery, and accessories. The business sells through a single brick-and-mortar storefront at the Ben Franklin Hilo Center on Kīlauea Avenue as well as an e-commerce site at bigislandlocavorestore.com that ships interisland across Hawaii and to the continental United States, supplemented by in-store pickup and curbside pickup options. It sources from a network of more than 200 local farms, families, and makers and explicitly excludes all mainland or imported products, positioning itself as a community-anchored food hub rather than a conventional grocer.

The underlying technology stack is assembled entirely from off-the-shelf small-business SaaS: Wix hosts the marketing site, Ecwid powers the online storefront, Square processes all in-store and online payments, and Google Analytics tracks site behavior. There are no proprietary systems, mobile apps, or AI/ML components disclosed; merchandising, vendor onboarding, and curation (including Kanaka-Owned, Wahine-Owned, Vegan, and Locavore Exclusives collections) appear to be managed manually by the small internal team. Payment methods include cash, major credit cards, and SNAP/EBT, and the store participates in the federal SNAP program for qualifying food items and food-producing plants.

The revenue model is straightforward retail transaction economics, augmented by four pricing levers: a 10% daily senior discount (9AM–12PM), 5% until close and 10% all-day Sunday, in-store only; up to 15% bulk discounts for chefs and teachers placing orders for events; special-pricing SKUs where the store absorbs cost increases or reduces markup; and dual e-gift cards (in-store and online) in $5–$1,000 denominations. The primary customer base consists of local Hilo-area residents, with secondary segments comprising SNAP/EBT recipients, seniors, chefs/caterers, teachers, and tourists seeking authentic Hawaiian gifts. Founded in 2010 as the Koa'e Farmers' Collective and operating as The Locavore Store since August 2013, the business has survived two forced relocations (Pahoa to Hilo in 2014 after the Kīlauea eruption, then to its current Ben Franklin Hilo Center location in 2023) and remains bootstrapped with no external investors, parent company, or subsidiaries disclosed.

Name

The Locavore Store

Legal name

The Locavore Store

Website

https://bigislandlocavorestore.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Locavore Store is a Hilo, Hawaii-based independent retailer that sells 100% locally sourced Hawaiian groceries, packaged foods, and gifts through one brick-and-mortar storefront and a continental-US-shipping e-commerce site, sourcing from a network of 200+ local farms and makers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Local Grocery Retail

NAICS

Supermarkets and Other Grocery Retailers (except Convenience Retailers) (44511), Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529)

SIC

Retail-Grocery Stores (5411)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYCRAHAMAM

Bulk Food Buying Clubs & Cooperative Bulk Programs

Consumer Products & Retail/Grocery & Food Retail/Wholesale-to-Consumer & Bulk Food Stores

Keywords

• Local grocery retail
• Hawaiian food products
• Farm-to-consumer goods
• Specialty food store
• Artisanal local goods

Headquarters

HQ city

Hilo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Retail Sales - In-Store: Physical storefront sales of locally sourced groceries, produce, packaged foods, apparel, bath & body products, household items, health & wellness products, prints & stationery, and accessories. Accepts cash, SNAP/EBT, and major credit cards.
2. Online Sales: E-commerce sales through their website with shipping options for interisland and domestic delivery. Fresh produce, bread, and refrigerated/frozen items available for in-store pickup only.
3. Gift Cards: Electronic gift cards sold in-store and online with values between $5 and $1,000. Two options: in-store e-gift cards redeemable at physical Hilo location, and online e-gift cards redeemable in their online store.
4. Bulk Orders: Bulk purchasing for chefs and teachers (up to 15% discount for events and occasions) and general bulk orders evaluated individually.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Locavore Store is a Hilo, Hawaii-based specialty retailer that sells 100% locally sourced Hawaiian products — packaged foods, fresh produce, meat, dairy, eggs, apparel, bath & body, household, health & wellness, prints & stationery, and accessories — through a downtown Hilo brick-and-mortar store and an e-commerce website that ships across Hawaii and the continental U.S. The assortment is curated exclusively from 200+ local farms, families, and makers, with no mainland or imported goods.

Product overview

The Locavore Store is a local Hawaiian grocery market and food hub that operates both a physical storefront in Hilo, HI and an online e-commerce shop. The business connects consumers with over 200 local farms, families, and makers, offering 100% locally-sourced products including Packaged Foods, Produce, Meat/Dairy/Eggs, Apparel, Bath & Body, Household items, Health & Wellness products, Prints & Stationery, and Accessories. The online store extends their selection across the Hawaii pae'āina (archipelago) and continental U.S. through shipping, while the brick-and-mortar location offers in-store pickup, curb-side pickup, and accepts SNAP/EBT, cash, and credit cards. Gift Cards (both online and in-store e-gift card variants) are also offered as a product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Packaged Foods Locally-sourced packaged food products including baked goods & pasta, beverages, coffee & tea, condiments & mixers, chocolate & cacao, dried fruit, jams & butters, flours & oils, frozen desserts, frozen ready-to-cook, honey & pollen, macadamia nuts, pickles & ferments, salts & spices, and snacks. For Hawaii residents and visitors seeking 100% locally-made pantry items.
• Produce Fresh local produce including fruit, greens & herbs, and vegetables & roots sourced from Hawaii farms and growers. Sold in-store and via in-store pickup; not available for shipping.
• Meat, Dairy & Eggs Fresh meats, cheese, dairy, and eggs from local Hawaiian producers for in-store and pickup customers.
• Apparel Locally-made clothing and apparel items from Hawaii-based creators.
• Bath & Body Personal care products including bath, face, hair, lotions & butters, sun care, first aid, deodorant & natural fragrance, and pain relief items made by local Hawaiian makers.
• Household Locally-made household items including candles, cleaning products, kitchen items, and wrapping paper.
• Health & Wellness Locally-produced health and wellness products for Hawaii consumers.
• Prints & Stationery

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• WixcoreTechnology or IntegrationWix is used as the website hosting platform for The Locavore Store's website (www.bigislandlocavorestore.com).
• EcwidcoreTechnology or IntegrationEcwid powers The Locavore Store's online store functionality, enabling e-commerce capabilities including product listings, shopping cart, and checkout.
• SquarecoreTechnology or IntegrationSquare processes all payment transactions for the store, including credit/debit card payments and in-store purchases.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Misfits Market: Online DTC grocery delivering surplus and specialty food items directly to consumers nationwide. Comparable as a mission-driven curated food seller using producer-direct sourcing to differentiate, though operating without a brick-and-mortar retail footprint.
• Imperfect Foods: Online DTC grocer focused on surplus produce and pantry items with an emphasis on reducing food waste. Comparable in curating producer-direct items for a values-driven consumer base and operating a DTC channel that competes for the same locavore-minded shoppers.
• Natural Grocers: Multi-state natural and organic grocery chain with strong supply-chain storytelling around local and small producers. Comparable as a specialty natural grocery retailer built on curated assortment and producer transparency rather than full-line conventional assortment.
• Down to Earth Organic & Natural: Former Hawaii-based organic and natural foods grocery chain that operated multiple island locations until 2023. Highly comparable as a specialty natural/organic grocer in Hawaii with curated local-produce assortments and a similar community-focused mission.
• Sprouts Farmers Market: Specialty natural-grocery chain emphasizing fresh, organic, and local-sourced products at competitive prices. Comparable as a specialty-focused grocer built around fresh, local, and health-forward SKUs and bulk-discount programming.
• KTA Super Stores: Big Island, Hawaii-based grocery chain operating multiple supermarkets around Hilo and surrounding communities. Directly comparable as a Hawaiian grocery retailer serving the same Hilo customer base with both local and mainland products.
• Sack N Save (Foodland): Discount-banner small-format grocery chain operated by Foodland in Hawaii. Comparable as a Hawaii local grocery serving budget-conscious shoppers with a mix of local and mainland products in similar small-store formats.
• Foodland Hawaii: Hawaii's largest locally owned grocery chain operating stores across the islands under the Foodland, Sack N Save, and Foodland Farms banners. Comparable as a Hawaii-tailored grocery retailer with strong local-produce emphasis and community-store positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Whole Foods Market: National premium natural/organic grocery chain operating several Hawaii locations. Comparable as a larger incumbent offering organic, natural, and local Hawaiian products through multiple channels, but competing on scale and breadth rather than 100%-local curation.

Regional players

• New Seasons Market: Pacific Northwest specialty grocer emphasizing local/sustainable producers and community relationships. Comparable as a regionally focused specialty grocer with strong producer-relationship storytelling, though operating in Oregon/Washington rather than Hawaii.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/harvestpunamakai
• Instagraminstagram.com/thelocavorestore

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Locavore Store