When I'm traveling, I always make a point of visiting local retailers, not only to observe new retail concepts, but also to see different merchandising ideas and products (and to shop, of course!). On the the island of Oahu, Waikiki Beach is known for its shopping—in addition to the fabulous beaches. The shops are open an average of fourteen hours a day (imagine how much the retailers spend for staffing!), but it's well worth it because tourists spend at least $10 billion shopping every year in Hawaii.

There is a little shopping area called the International Marketplace that I enjoyed visiting. The interesting thing about the cart program is that of the 40 or so vendors, about 30 of them sell the exact same thing! It proves that with the right location, right products and right staffing you can still be successful, regardless of competition.