News Briefs

Chick-fil-A is accelerating its growth in Puerto Rico. 

The quick-service restaurant will expand its footprint on the island from five to 20-25 restaurants by 2030. Chick-fil-A opened its first location in Puerto Rico in 2022.

“Chick-fil-A’s growth in Puerto Rico creates a tremendous opportunity not only for our business, but for economic development and local community impact across the Island,” said Paul Trotti, VP, international, Chick-fil-A. “We’re pleased to bring our authentic Chick-fil-A experience to more people across Puerto Rico, while also serving local communities and living out our commitment to having a positive influence on all we come into contact with.”

Chick-fil-A has more than 3,000 restaurants across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. In 2023, the company said it planned to expand by 2030 into Europe and Asia. Chick-fil-A expects to launch in the U.K. in early 2025, aiming to open five locally owned and operated restaurants in the first two years.

[READ MORE: Chick-fil-A opens its first-ever mobile pickup-only restaurant]

The company’s planned expansion in Puerto Rico is supported by a government tax decree allowing Chick-fil-A to build restaurants in “qualified opportunity zones.” 

“It is our duty to support the growth of companies like Chick-fil-A, which contribute to economic development by creating jobs and social wellbeing, demonstrating with philanthropic actions a high sense of solidarity with others and community commitment,” said Manuel Cidre, secretary of the Department of Economic Development and Commerce. “… they [Chick-fil-A] have proven to provide high-quality products and services, which has allowed them to achieve success in such a short time in Puerto Rico."

CBRE has secured $69.4 million in financing for SJC Ventures to build an 83,000-sq.-ft. grocery anchored center on a busy intersection in Doral, Fla.

Doral Marketplace will be located approximately 14 miles west of downtown Miami on a 10-acre site at the intersection of Northwest 41st Street and Northwest 107th Avenue. The Doral Park Centre mall and several sit-down restaurants and QSRs are found at the crossing. 

The planned center—already 69% pre-leased to 12 tenants--will be anchored by a national organic grocery brand and will contain five buildings in total.

“This is a really special piece of real estate, and we are very proud to have worked with the SJC team on this project,” said CBR senior VP Richard Henry.. “SJC Ventures is an exceptional developer and Doral Marketplace will make a perfect addition to the neighborhood.”

The Atlanta-based SJC has completed 60 mixed-use, grocery-anchored, and multifamily projects totaling 4.5 million sq. ft.in nine states. Most of its similarly sized centers are anchored by Whole Foods. 

Macy’s has promoted Sabina Israelian-Garcia to senior VP, general merchandising manager of home, foods and toys. 

In her new role, she will be responsible for leading and driving the merchandise organization of the three categories, with a focus on diversifying product assortment and strengthening brand partnerships. Macy’s has made a major commitment to toys via its partnership with WHP Global, parent company of Toys”R”Us, which has rolled out in-store shops across Macy’s stores nationwide.

Israelian-Garcia, who most recently served as Macy’s VP divisional business manager of “Big Ticket” merchandise, joined the company in 2023 from Texas grocer H-E-B, where she was group VP of merchandise, drug store and beauty.

Prior to H-E-B, Israelian-Garcia spent nearly 12 years at Macy’s, including serving as group VP, divisional business manager, intimate apparel, sleepwear & hosiery from 2017 to 2020. Earlier in her career, she was a manager of strategic planning at West Elm and a merchandise planner at Bloomingdale’s.

[READ MORE: Macy’s to close 150 nameplate stores; expand off-mall and luxury formats]

"Sabina's strategic vision and leadership, coupled with her experience in managing the business holistically from operations to product, will advance our merchandising initiatives as part of our company’s Bold New Chapter strategy," stated Nata Dvir, Macy’s chief merchandising officer. "Her deep product knowledge and commitment to cultivating a results-oriented, positive culture are key to driving growth within our home, food, and toys categories."

Save A Lot is expanding its delivery options through a new partnership with DoorDash.

The Missouri-based discount grocer will now have more than 400 stores on DoorDash Marketplace, giving shoppers same-day delivery access to items throughout the store. In addition, participating Save A Lot stores will support SNAP/EBT payment capabilities on DoorDash later this year for on-demand delivery of SNAP-eligible groceries.

“For nearly 50 years, Save A Lot has remained true to its mission of being a hometown grocer, offering quality and value to local communities seeking significant savings on their grocery spend,” said the retailer. “This partnership brings fresh produce, quality products and fresh-cut meat to more shoppers and provides an affordable and convenient solution for customers with a range of circumstances, such as those with limited transportation options or individuals looking to save a trip to the store during a busy day.”

To celebrate the new partnership, starting July 26 through Sept. 30, new consumers to Save A Lot can enjoy 30% off all eligible orders of $50 or more (up to $20), at all participating Save A Lot locations using promo code SAL30.

[READ MORE: Save A Lot, Uber Eats enter delivery partnership]

Founded in 2013, DoorDash provides consumers access to everything in their neighborhoods, including groceries, retail, flowers, food, and more, with over 500,000 local merchants on the platform.

Founded in 1977, Save A Lot operates more than 750 stores in 32 states.

Consumers will soon need an appointment to shop in the Saks Fifth Avenue store on Post Street in San Francisco’s Union Square. 

The news was confirmed in a report by The San Francisco Examiner, which said that the move to appointment-only shopping is set to start on Aug. 28.

 “We’re always looking for innovative ways to optimize our store experience to match luxury consumers’ evolving expectations, including meeting our customers where and how they want to shop with us,” a spokesperson for the luxury retailer told the Examiner in a statement.

“We look forward to serving our San Francisco customers with this new experience,” the spokesperson said, adding that the switch is “enabling associates to offer customers more refined services tailored to their preferences.”

[READ MORE: Closures take S.F. retail vacancies to a record high in Q1]

The move comes as a host of different retailers — from Nordstrom to Anthropologie — have closed stores in the downtown area amid declining customer traffic and reports of crime. The Union Square area has a 20.6% retail vacancy rate, according to the Examiner.

People who purchase a new appliance primarily because of the price are far less satisfied than those who purchase for long-term benefits such as energy savings or a product guarantee/warranty.

That’s according to the J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Appliance Satisfaction Study which found that consumers who purchased for short-term savings because of a sale have an overall satisfaction of 714 (on a 1,000-point scale) and those who purchased because the product was environmentally friendly or had a warranty or guarantee have an overall satisfaction of 777 and 770, respectively. 

Additionally, only 38% of those who purchased for price say they “definitely will” purchase the same brand again compared to 56% for those who purchased because the appliance was environmentally friendly.

When it comes to retailers, Costco (718) ranks highest in customer satisfaction among appliance retailers, followed by The Home Depot (716) and P.C. Richard & Son (709).

“Buying a home appliance based on price is similar to purchasing a plane ticket,” said Michael Taylor, senior managing director of retail intelligence practice at J.D. Power. “When people purchase on a discount or at low-end prices, it does not guarantee high satisfaction. Saving a buck on a durable good purchase today often comes at the expense of long-term satisfaction when buying a home appliance.”

Samsung led all other brands in the appliance categories, including cooktops, freestanding range; wall over-the-range microwave, front-load as well as top-load clothes washers; clothes dryers and refrigerators. KitchenAid ranked highest in customer satisfaction among dishwashers.

The 2024 Appliance Satisfaction Study is based on 15,917 evaluations from customers who purchased home appliances during the past 12 months. The study was fielded from January through March 2024.