Opened in the spring of 2005 and located on the first floor of Ward Centre near Borders Books and Music, Welcome to The Islands offers consumers an affordable selection of high-quality Island-themed merchandise. Designed to appeal to visitors and residents alike, the store has everything from elegant porcelain dinnerware sets and etched glassware items to a collection of bath and body products and gourmet jams and jellies.

Actually, it's surprising that the ever-expanding Madden Corporation had not launched a store that showcases their original product lines until now. After all, Madden is Hawai'i's largest product development company, in business more than 25 years and employing more than 175 people across the state.

"The Madden Corporation entered the retail market primarily to brand its two newest divisions--Island Plantations [launched July 2003] and Island Bath & Body [January 2004]. We're excited to offer a beautiful line of island-themed products to the people of Hawai'i through our first retail location," says Madden's vice president of sales and marketing, Theresia Howe. "Welcome to The Islands will feature the elegant Island Plantations, Island Bath & Body, and Island Heritage Collection products in a setting designed to reflect an Island-inspired lifestyle. Ward Centre provided the right atmosphere to showcase our island-themed products for the sophisticated shopper."

Nestled between Successories and Paper Roses just inside the entrance to the center, Welcome to The Islands is a bright, contemporary space, incorporating clean lines and simple displays into its understated design. "It reflects the Island elegance of our Island Bath & Body, Island Plantations, and Island Heritage Collection products," says Julie Funasaki, marketing manager for The Madden Corporation. "With its glass shelving, light carpeting, and attractive displays, Welcome to The Islands is relaxing, inviting, and designed to make customers feel truly at home."

The store's home décor items include hand-painted keepsake boxes, handcrafted linen paper frames, and a variety of photo albums bound with tropical-patterned covers showing hibiscus flowers, banana blossoms, or coconut palms. Silhouette tea light holders produce a warm glow behind designs of art deco palm trees, bamboo stalks, or pendula heliconia.

The wide selection of colorful Island Plantations pillar candles are scented and have wonderful names like Coconut Grove, Tropical Jungle, or Floral Paradise and some are wrapped with decals of bird of paradise or bamboo while others have trees and flowers of Hawai'i sculpted into their sides. They all have warm, tropical aromas and each comes in an attractive coordinating gift box.

What makes the Welcome to The Islands store truly outstanding and different from others is that in addition to all of the items for the home, it boasts an unusually large assortment of spa-quality bath and body products. There is a vast selection of body scrubs, shower gels, French-milled soaps, exfoliating bars, and massage oils. All are available in the four signature Island Bath & Body fusion fragrances: Mango Melon, Lavender Gardenia, Plumeria Vanilla, and Pikake Jasmine. "The four fragrances of our Island Bath & Body line will appeal to all ages," states Funasaki.

People looking to add some style to their kitchens will also find plenty of Island-themed dinnerware and stoneware along with oven mitts, potholders, placemats, and napkins adorned with signature Island Plantations patterns. The dinnerware sets include two dinner plates, two salad plates, two soup bowls, two cups, and two saucers, and have names like Pineapple Harvest, Orchid Spray, and Monstera Charm.

The Welcome to The Islands store ships to national and international locations and is able to process large special orders. "We also offer gift trays that feature an array of gourmet Island Plantations food products attractively wrapped with our ceramic stoneware. The quality and style of our hand-etched vases infused with tones of apricot, cobalt, and emerald hues are unmatched."