Guest Experience Associate - CocoNene International Market Place (Full-Time)

About the role

We are hiring a Guest Experience Associate for our flagship CocoNene location at International Market Place in the heart of Waikk — one of the busiest, highest-energy stores in our company.

This is not typical retail. Our team blends hospitality, product knowledge, and focused guest service while having fun. We’re here to guide guests to meaningful, locally made products and to help share the work of Hawai‘i artists in a warm, efficient, and professional way. You’ll connect with guests genuinely while staying on task in a fast-paced environment. If you take pride in representing Made in Hawai‘i products and enjoy helping guests find something special, you’ll thrive here.

Pay: $18–$22+ per hour (base + bonus)
Full-Time Benefits: Medical, 401k, PTO, employee discount across all sister brands

What you'll do

As a Guest Experience Associate, you will:

• Welcome guests with warmth and aloha
• Share product knowledge authentically (not scripted)
• Represent our local artists and Hawai‘i-made process
• Help guests personalize gifts and find meaningful items
• Maintain a clean, inviting store environment
• Operate the register, handle cash, opening/closing duties, and restock products
• Contribute to team sales goals through great service
• Support your team and uphold a positive, collaborative culture
• Taking on other tasks that help our team and guests

This is a role for someone who enjoys engaging with people, not just ringing transactions.

Qualifications

What We’re Looking For

Must-have:

• Warm, friendly, and reliable, with genuine pride in providing great service
• Someone who loves Hawai‘i and understands the importance of supporting locally made products
• A team player who thrives in a fast-paced, high-volume environment
• Strong communication skills and a positive, solution-oriented attitude
• Willingness to learn our products, processes, and local artist stories
• Consistently looks for ways to improve, work smarter, and support the team
• Growth-minded and motivated by hitting goals and improving performance
• Ability to work nights, weekends, holidays, and late hours (International Market Place is open 365 days, shifts start as early as 8am, and end as late as 10pm)
• High school graduate or equivalent

Nice-to-have:

• Customer service experience
• Cash handling or POS experience
• Conversational Japanese (helpful but not required)
• Experience in a hospitality or guest-facing environment

Why Join Us?

• You’ll be part of a local team that works together, uplifts each other, and takes pride in what we do
• You directly impact guest memories during their time in Hawai‘i
• Your work supports Hawai‘i artists, creatives, and diverse local jobs
• You’ll build skills in service, communication, storytelling, teamwork, and retail operations
• There are real opportunities for growth — many of our leaders started in this role