Red Bamboo has been open for nearly two years, and owner Carole Jacobs credits the store’s success to her staff’s consideration for customers. “In these economic times, if you walk into a store and people aren’t paying attention to you, something’s wrong.”

Owner Carole Jacobs decided to open Red Bamboo after a shopping trip with her girlfriends to Bali. “I was so overwhelmed by the beauty of the products we were seeing,” she says. Originally intending to buy items for a garden party, she ended up filling a 40-foot container.

The idea to open her store came at a perfect time. When Jacobs returned to Hawaii, she found that a storefront had become available, so she took the opportunity to branch into retail.

The name Red Bamboo? “I have red hair,” she says. “When we first opened, I had a partner, and she had red hair, too.” Inspiration also came from a painting of red bamboo Jacobs acquired on that pivotal trip to Bali.

Red Bamboo has evolved to offer unique services and products. Providing custom service and promoting local vendors, the staff at Red Bamboo understands customers’ needs and adapts to them. “If we don’t have what you want, we’ll make it for you,” Jacobs says.

Red Bamboo redbamboohawaii.com 602 Kailua Road, Suite 101 Open: 7 days a week, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. 263-3174

You name it, they probably do it: custom paintings, bridal registry, home staging, furniture accessorizing and even special events. Their delivery service? More than you’d expect. “[Our delivery man] is good at home staging. He’ll rearrange furniture if you need it,” she says.

The bottom line? “We put in the extra effort to help our customers,” says Jacobs.