Hawaiian lei are back in abundance in Seattle

A prized Hawaiian tradition may be a unique economic indicator in Seattle, as businesses welcome more customers and stock back to their stores.

Lei are here in abundance.

One shopkeeper estimates this June's haul is at least three times greater than it was in June 2020.

Hawai'i General Store manager Dina Manatad oversees lei orders and says demand has quadrupled since last summer.

"During Covid... we didn't anticipate anything, but we did pretty good. We probably did maybe about 5,000 [lei] for the month of June," she says. "This year, we are exceeding that, I would say, by about triple or maybe more. And I am not kidding — I know the numbers!"

The store even had to temporarily shut down a website it was using to take orders, Manatad added — they just couldn't keep up.

That's because folks are especially excited this year, when the giving of lei during special events, like graduations, can be observed with family and a traditional embrace.

Jack Hannah was there to get lei for his daughter's high school graduation — a big day in their lives that was all the more important this year.

"She had a real tough [year]. She just beat cancer and her mom just died, so - yeah, it's been a tough year," he says, his voice wavering.

"This lei gonna be real special then," says KUOW's Stephen Gomes, a member of the local Hawaiian community who knows firsthand how powerful the tradition is for families.

"Yeah," Hannah responds, still audibly emotional. "For sure."

Hannah, and the other shoppers who showed up at the Hawai'i General Store over the weekend were examples of those in the community who are ready to put the pandemic behind them — whatever the cost.

Customer Malo Sua says she ordered lei from Hawaii, but the shipment didn't have the specific flowers she wanted, like pakalana, a vine with heart-shaped leaves that blooms with small yellow flowers.

Hawaii may not have been able to deliver, but the Hawai'i General Store did — for a price, of course.

"[They were] $79 each - that's a great deal," Sua says.

High school and college graduations make the early summer a busy season for lei — typically. But there was dip in the projected lei demand in 2020, meaning fewer flowers were planted, and a shortage quickly followed.

As Sua's experience shows, some suppliers are still running low.

"We even have people from Honolulu, from the florists, calling us to send [lei] back to Hawaii," Dina Manatad says. "But we need it here more than they do."

The Hawai'i General Store owners tapped into connections in Thailand to prepare for this year, she explains, working early to keep up with what they knew would be a busy season.

If you missed out this weekend, don't worry: There's still time to get your lei.

Competition is stiff this year, though.

So, heed Manatad's advice and "get your orders in!"