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BUSINESS ACTIVITY REPORT FOR 1Q 2015
FHB: Saipan sales volume up 4.30 percent
First Hawaiian Bank’s 2015 first quarter Business Activity Report (BAR) for Saipan showed a 4.30-percent increase for “same store sales” in the same period in 2014, according to Laura Dacanay, First Hawaiian Bank senior vice president and CNMI region manager. This was the fourteenth consecutive quarter of overall positive growth since fourth quarter 2011.
“Seven of the 11 sectors made positive gains in first quarter 2015 with Hotels topping the list for the second consecutive quarter,” said Dacanay. “Three sectors posting double-digit growth were hotels with 24.47 percent, utilities with 23.30 percent, and supermarkets with 15.21 percent. We remain optimistic that this level of modest growth will continue throughout 2015.”
The BAR tracks card sales activity in 11 different industry sectors including retail, hotels, home improvement, restaurants, shipping and travel activities, among others.
First Hawaiian is a major card processor of debit and credit sales transactions. In 2014, the bank processed over $4.7 billion worth of customer credit and debit sales transactions. The bank provides merchant services to nearly 7,000 First Hawaiian Bank merchant locations throughout Hawaii, Guam, CNMI, and the U.S. mainland.
First Hawaiian Bank (fhb.com) with total assets of $18.7 billion was founded in 1858 and has been serving the CNMI region for over 17 years. The bank processes all major U.S. credit cards as well as JCB, China Union Pay, and BC Global Card. (FHB)
