Where to buy groceries in Kihei: a guide for condo guests

For most South Maui stays, one trip to one of the grocery stores in Kihei after check-in covers what you’ll need to eat-in (and counting when you’ll eat out). Safeway on Piʻikea Avenue is open 24 hours, so it works for any arrival time, and Times Supermarket on South Kihei Road is close by as well. If you’re staying in Wailea, Island Gourmet Markets at

The Shops at Wailea is right in the neighborhood for a first-night store run. Families settling in for a week may want to add a Costco stop near the airport in Kahului on the drive down.

Kihei has the everyday basics a condo stay runs on, from major grocery stores to a post office, and it’s one of the reasons we love Kihei. Here’s how the options compare, when the Costco detour is worth it, and what to buy for your first night.

Grocery stores in Kihei and Wailea at a glance

Each store name links to its Google Maps listing, where you’ll find current hours and directions.

Store	Area	Good for	Keep in mind
Safeway	Kihei, Piʻikea Ave	Full grocery runs, deli and ready-made meals, bakery, Starbucks	Open 24 hours; curbside pickup and delivery through the Safeway app
Times Supermarket	Kihei, S. Kihei Rd	Full grocery runs, poke, sushi, hot plates, in-store bakery	Long daily hours, but closes overnight
Island Gourmet Markets	Wailea, The Shops at Wailea	Produce, meat and seafood, deli plate lunches and sandwiches, sushi, wine	Deli and fresh counters close earlier than the store
Costco Wholesale	Kahului, near the airport	Bulk water, snacks, drinks, meat, and paper goods for the week	Membership required to shop in person; non-members can order through Instacart

When a Costco stop near the airport makes sense

Costco’s Maui warehouse is in Kahului, which is close to the airport. A stop there fits perfectly between landing and the driving south to Kihei or Wailea. It’s worth the time if you’re a family or group staying around a week and planning to cook most of your meals, since bulk food, drinks, snacks, and paper goods for several meals all get used up over that stretch.

If you go to Costco, check out our list of 17 must-buy goodies at Costco in Hawaii, which highlights some local products worth buying. You’ll need a membership to shop in the warehouse, but non-members can still order Costco items for delivery through Instacart.

A Kihei store makes more sense for couples and shorter stays. On a three- or four-night trip, Costco-size packages tend to outlast the vacation, and a neighborhood store lets you buy only what you’ll use. That leaves room to eat some meals out or pick up dinner ready-made. Times and Tamura’s have a poke counter, and grabbing poke at the grocery store is part of everyday life on Maui (our Maui poke guide covers where else to find it). If you land in the evening, skipping Costco and heading straight to Kihei is the easier way to go.

If you’re staying in Wailea

Island Gourmet Markets, inside The Shops at Wailea, carries produce, a meat and seafood counter, a deli with plate lunches and sandwiches, sushi, and wine and spirits, along with beach supplies. That’s plenty to choose from for a first-night dinner, breakfast, and top-ups through the week. The deli and fresh counters close earlier than the store itself, so check the listing if you’re shopping late in the day.

For a larger weekly shop, Safeway and Times are a drive north in Kihei. If this is your first stay in the neighborhood, check out 8 reasons why we love Wailea.

A simple arrival-day plan

1. Decide on Costco before you leave the airport. If you’re stocking up for a week and land during the day, stop in Kahului on the way south. Otherwise, head straight to your rental.
2. Check in and look over the kitchen. See what’s already there before you shop (more on that below).
3. Make one short run to the nearest store for dinner and breakfast.
4. Do the bigger shop the next morning, once you know what the kitchen has and what you plan to cook.

Arriving late? As mentioned earlier, Safeway is open 24 hours, so the arrival-day plan still works at night. Keep that first trip to dinner and breakfast and save the rest for morning.

Your first-day shop

Keep your first grocery run small, and considering trying something local. Dinner can be a poke bowl or a hot plate from Times or Island Gourmet, or a rotisserie chicken from Safeway with a salad on the side. Eat outside on your lanai, or carry it down to the beach for sunset. South Maui faces west, so the sun goes down over the water for legendary sunsets.

For breakfast, look for local papaya (best with a squeeze of Tahitian lime), apple bananas (they’re shorter than the bananas back home), and Maui Gold pineapple grown on the slopes of Haleakalā. Add some eggs, a loaf of Hawaiian sweet bread for toast, and a bag of Hawaii-grown coffee, and your first morning is good to go.

Also grab a few drinks or snacks for the beach and something cold for the evening. Bulk staples can wait for the main shop, once you know how your week is shaping up.

See what your kitchen already has

Your rental’s amenities list or arrival information shows which appliances, cookware, and pantry basics are included. Before heading to the store, a quick glance at what’s stocked saves you from doubling up on stuff like coffee filters or cooking oil, and tells you whether there’s a cooler for carrying food and drinks to the beach.

Grocery pickup and delivery

If you’d rather spend your arrival day in the water than in the aisles of the grocery store (who can blame you?) — let someone else do the shopping. The Safeway app offers DriveUp & Go curbside pickup and delivery from the Kihei store, and Instacart delivers from Costco (no membership needed), Safeway and Whole Foods. Coverage can vary by address, so enter your rental’s address in the app before you get started.

However you stock the fridge, the rest of the week belongs to the beach and sightseeing. And when you start dreaming up the next trip, our South Maui vacation rentals are a good place to begin.