How Buy Hawaiian Lei Preserves the Art of Lei Making

In this interview, we connect with Minky Cheung, the passionate owner of Buy Hawaiian Lei. Minky’s dedication to preserving the cultural significance of Hawaiian leis shines through in her handcrafted creations, which celebrate the rich traditions of the islands. With a focus on quality and authenticity, Minky has successfully carved out a niche in the market, providing beautiful leis for various occasions. Join us as we explore her journey, insights, and the heartfelt mission behind Buy Hawaiian Lei.

Finding Inspiration

SBS – What inspired you to start a business focused on Hawaiian leis, and how did you identify this niche market?

Minky – We started Buy Hawaiian Lei because we wanted to do something that brought smiles to people’s faces that was unique and embodied the aloha spirit. I thought back and remembered how surprised and happy I was when I received my first lei upon arriving in Hawai’i. Since not everyone can visit Hawaii, we wanted to send Hawaii to them. We thought — why not open an ecommerce business that does just that? This was the start of our business, and we are now blessed to be the most-reviewed lei shop in Hawaii.

Material Sourcing

SBS – Can you walk us through the process of sourcing and selecting the materials for your leis?

Minky – We work with environmentally conscious suppliers from around the world. This is to ensure that they don’t overharvest just for profit and can sustain this beautiful tradition for future generations. Some of our customers do paddle outs or burials at sea, and we didn’t want to have a negative impact on the ecosystem in the ocean, as most times our customers toss their leis into the water. Our team uses a biodegradable string for these leis to be eco-friendly.

Building Relationships

SBS – What are the key factors to consider when establishing relationships with local Hawaiian suppliers and artisans?

Minky – Some key factors we consider are the quality and consistency of the materials required to make stunning lei or haku for our customers. As much as possible, we try to work with locals to support our neighbors and surrounding communities.

Cultural Significance

SBS – How do you ensure the authenticity and cultural significance of the leis you offer?

Minky – Lei making is a proud tradition passed down from generation to generation from ancient Hawaiian times. We do our best to honor the rich Hawaiian culture with modern practices to ensure that our customers are receiving authentic Hawaiian leis. It’s not as common to use feathers to make lei as this practice has been replaced with readily available materials. Nonetheless, each lei is made with much aloha so that the recipients of the lei feel the love, honor, respect, and celebration.

Overcoming Challenges

SBS – What challenges did you face in the initial setup of your business, and how did you overcome them?

Minky – The largest challenge was finding materials to ensure the leis arrived as fresh as possible from Hawaii. Each package must journey across the Pacific Ocean to its destination. We tested a myriad of materials in all possible conditions before finalizing what our shop would use to transport lei to our customers. Our shop invested in custom materials so that our customers have the best opportunity to receive fresh lei from Hawaii.

Another challenge working with perishable goods was that we had to find sturdy species of flowers that could survive the long journey from Hawaii. It took some trial and error, but we feel that we have narrowed down the flowers that arrive in the best possible condition after a long commute.

Marketing Strategies

SBS – What strategies have you used to market your leis effectively and attract customers?

Minky – In a review-based society, we have worked hard to build a good reputation with our customers. Thanks to selling platforms, Yelp, and Google, our customers can review us and provide prospective customers confidence working with our shop for their lei needs. We are also utilizing social media platforms to assist in marketing our lei to customers.

Physical vs. Online Presence

SBS – How important is it to have a physical presence (like a store) versus solely operating online, especially in this niche?

Minky – Having a physical location is important for our customers who want to pick up locally. Our shop only offers this service for bulk orders as our business model primarily deals with online sales. We are not a traditional lei shop, but we are the best lei shipping company. Traditionally, people go to a lei shop to purchase lei, but as more people are ordering online, we focus on that trend so we can maximize our efforts to share lei across the US. We are the pioneers of this business model, which makes us a niche of this niche.

Managing Inventory

SBS – Can you share any insights on managing inventory and ensuring you have the right stock for seasonal or high-demand periods?

Minky – Working with perishable goods provided by Mother Nature has its challenges with seasons, weather, and inspections of imported flowers by the Department of Agriculture. We order the most popular flowers in excess quantities during high-demand periods. This is so we have them available for last-minute orders. Our shop packs all orders chronologically from when they are placed, and we do our best to fulfill each order as ordered. If an item or items are not available, then we substitute with something similar that is equal or greater in value.

Handling Logistics

SBS – How do you handle the logistics of shipping leis, especially considering their perishable nature?

Minky – We have invested time and resources in finding the best practices in shipping lei to ensure our customers receive them as fresh as possible from Hawaii. We do ship lei in high volume, so our shipping partners offer us a discount on shipping which we extend to our customers as shipping lei from Hawaii is not inexpensive.

Popular Leis and Trends

SBS – What are the most popular leis or designs you offer, and what trends have you noticed in customer preferences?

Minky – Our purple single orchid lei is the most popular as it’s the most recognized Hawaiian lei worldwide. In recent years, the double/triple orchid leis have been extremely popular with graduations. Customers tell us that they like how vibrant and full they are. One trend has been that certain lei or haku are unisex now, and we see everyone proudly wearing our lei or haku.

Reflecting on the Journey

SBS – Looking back, what is one thing you wish you had known before starting your business that could have made the process easier?

Minky – Nothing worthwhile doing is easy, and we feel extremely blessed to be where we are today. Everything happened as it had, and we look back feeling grateful for how far we have come from the very beginning. If we must name one thing, I would say I wish that I had plans for the unexpected. We started our business right before COVID-19, and when the world shut down, that made all aspects of this process challenging. As the world is recovering, we look forward to what the future brings our way.

Entrepreneurial Advice

SBS – What advice would you give someone looking to start a similar business?

Minky – Expect the unexpected and be patient because every day, you learn something new. Working with perishable goods is challenging, and lots of moving parts must work out perfectly to achieve the perfect result, so learn to pivot and make the best out of what you have in front of you.