Hawaii considers splitting contracts

(14-Feb-2003) - By editor-in-chief Dermot Davitt

(1-Feb-2002) - US. A new bill before Hawaii?s state legislature could pave the way for operators to walk away from demanding airport contracts without penalty, if the State Department of Transportation offers no further rent relief in the next two months. The region?s retailers, including DFS Hawaii, have suffered badly since September, as Asian travel slumped by over 60%. DFS and many other local operators support the bill.

(28-Jun-2003) - HAWAII. Governor Linda Lingle has followed the example of her predecessor by vetoing a bill that would offer beleaguered airport retailers rent relief during hard times.

(11-Mar-2003) - An announcement last week by DFS Group that it has repaid more than $100m to majority shareholder Moet Hennessy-Louis Vuitton (LVMH) in the last year may have put the proposed Hawaii rent relief bill in jeopardy

(6-Sep-2003) - Sales results show exactly why the retailer has had to struggle so hard in Hawaii.