Lahaina Gateway shopping center, a Maui mall set to open next year, will be the first Hawai'i location for Oakland, Calif.-based Cost Plus World Market.

Cost Plus World Market, which has 272 stores in 34 states and $970 million in annual sales, describes itself as a modern-day bazaar or world marketplace, with items imported from more than 50 countries.

The mall will also be home to the first Ohana Farms, a new grocery concept by the owner of Foodland Super Market Ltd.

Cost Plus World Market and Ohana Farms will be anchor tenants at the center, which plans to open in the first quarter of next year. The center previously announced Barnes & Noble Booksellers as its other anchor.

Cost Plus World Market merchandise includes casual home furnishings, housewares, gourmet foods and beverages such as bottled water and microbrewed beer.

"Our buyers travel the world visiting remote villages, centuries-old factories and foreign bazaars searching for unique products," the company states on its Web site.

The company, now commonly called World Market, was started in 1958 with a store in San Francisco opened by a businessman who initially sold a shipload of imported wicker items off a pier at Fisherman's Wharf.

Barry Feld, Cost Plus Inc. chief executive officer, said in a statement that the retailer had been planning its expansion to Hawai'i over the past few years.

"We strongly believe the residents of Hawai'i will find a shopping experience at World Market unlike any other," Feld said.

Katie Cvitovich, a World Market spokeswoman, said the company plans to open more stores in Hawai'i, including "multiple stores" on O'ahu.

Cvitovich said she could not discuss specific possible expansion sites because the company does not comment on prospects until new store locations are certain.

In recent years, representatives of O'ahu's second- and third-largest retail complexes Pearlridge Center and Ward Centers have confirmed talks with World Market.

Ohana Farms is a creation of the Sullivan Family of Cos., kama'aina operator of about 35 grocery stores under names including Foodland, Sack 'N Save Foods, Malama Market and Food Pantry.

Ohana Farms is designed to highlight organic, natural and local foods "in a store atmosphere that speaks to health and well-being," according to Roger Wall, Sullivan Cos. vice chairman.

Other elements of the store are an extensive selection of bulk spices, grains and coffees, as well as a variety of vitamin supplements, herbs and homeopathic remedies.

A Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf kiosk with seating area, hot and cold prepared foods, and a refined selection of best-selling conventional grocer items also will be in the store, which at 14,645 square feet will be half the size of an average Foodland.

"There are currently no other stores like Ohana Farms in the Islands, and we know locals and visitors alike will be excited by what we have to offer," Wall said in a statement.

Sullivan Cos. spokeswoman Sheryl Toda said there are no certain plans for more Ohana Farms stores, but there is a possibility.

"We're going to use this store as a test to determine if we should open more Ohana Farm stores in the future," she said.

Larry Caster, a principal with Lahaina Gateway developer Bilarjo LLC, said the $47 million project was designed to be a "lifestyle center" with innovative specialty shops and services in one- and two-story buildings with architecture reminiscent of old Lahaina Town.

"It will be unlike any other retail center on Maui," Caster said in a statement.

The project recently began construction on 11 acres across the street from the Lahaina Cannery Mall.

With 137,229 square feet of leasable store space, Lahaina Gateway will be the largest retail center in West Maui. Other tenants are expected to include three full-service restaurants and Central Pacific Bank.

Reach Andrew Gomes at agomes@honoluluadvertiser.com.