Retail Roundup: Sawgrass Mills rolls out freebies for National Outlet Shopping Day; Chipotle giving free burritos for Finals three-pointers
July 7 is World Chocolate Day. Aug. 9 is Book Lover Day. The Saturday after Thanksgiving is Small Business Saturday. And you know Record Store Day happens in mid-April.
Hither comes National Outlet Shopping Day, when stores built to sell discounted goods promise even deeper discounts.
The event debuted a year ago, and its apparent success has prompted a second annual version taking place on Saturday, June 10 and Sunday, June 11. (Yeah, that’s two days. Perhaps next year’s event should be called National Outlet Shopping Weekend.)
Participating outlet malls include Sawgrass Mills & The Colonnade Outlets in Sunrise.
More than 120 retailers will be offering up to 65% savings on top luxury and designer brands and household goods, according to a news release.
Examples of savings include an additional 20% off at Cole Haan Outlet, a footwear retailer, 20% off an entire purchase at Under Armour active wear retailer, 15% off entire purchases at Converse footwear store, and 25% off purchases of $125 or more at Calvin Klein.
On Saturday, the popular retail emporium is offering $50 gift cards to the first 100 shoppers who arrive at the Selfie Station near Rainforest Cafe by 10 a.m. The gift cards will be redeemable at a selection of outlet retailers, including Nike Factory Store, Polo Ralph Lauren, Tory Burch, Michael Kors and Forever 21.
Free tote bags will also be given away at Rainforest Cafe, Adidas and J. Crew. Sawgrass Mills is located at 12801 W. Sunrise Blvd., Sunrise.
Chipotle giving away free food for NBA Finals three-pointers
Fast-casual Chipotle Mexican Grill is giving away free burrito entrees whenever the Miami Heat or Denver Nuggets hit a three-point shot in the NBA Finals starting Thursday. But like the Heat and Nuggets players, you’ll have to be quick to score some.
When a player hits a three-pointer, Chipotle will tweet a text-to-win code from its Twitter account @ChipotleTweets. The first 300 fans to text the designated code to 888222 will receive a code for a free burrito entree. Codes will be valid through June 30.
The chain expects to give away 10,500 burritos per Finals game, the company said in a news release.
Sprouts opening Delray Beach store
Sprouts Farmers Market is planning to open its newest South Florida store on Friday, June 9. This one is in the Delray Commons, 5030 W. Atlantic Ave., in Delray Beach.
Doors will open to the public at 7 a.m., just after a 6:45 a.m. ribbon cutting. The store will be open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Sprouts has evolved into a specialty grocer with an emphasis on organics. It also sells products targeted to people on alternative diets, including paleo, ketogenic, vegan and gluten-free.
Special events at the Delray Beach store will last through Sunday, June 11 and feature kids’ games, music and prize giveaways, plus product sampling outside and inside the store.
Other grand opening events will include:
The first 200 shoppers on Friday and Saturday will receive free reusable goodie bags filled with special products and samples.
Dog treats from Bundle X Joy will be given away on Sunday
Sunday will feature an in-store scavenger hunt.
Customers who text “DELRAY” to 777-688 will get 20% off their purchase when they scan their app account barcode at checkout. The discount will be applied no matter how many times they shop through the weekend.
Meanwhile, Sprouts is hosting “hiring events” on June 9 and 10 in all 39 of its stores in Florida. Specific openings will vary by location, the company said. On-site interviews will take place from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on both days. Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments can be scheduled by texting “Sprouts” to 98199.
Sprouts’ other South Florida stores are in Deerfield Beach, Jupiter, Miramar, Boynton Beach, Oakland Park, Dania Beach, West Kendall, West Palm Beach and Homestead. A new store in West Boca is scheduled to open on July 28, the company’s website, Sprouts.com, shows.
Pet Supplies Plus opens in Boynton Beach
Founded by South Florida entrepreneurs Ron Katz and Jerry Kaye, Pet Supplies Plus has opened its newest local store at 4880 Woolbright Road in Boynton Beach.
Stores feature wide selections of natural pet foods and other supplies, plus team members trained to give advice in the areas of natural and holistic foods and other topics about dogs, cats, birds, reptiles and fish. The company offers a rewards program that provides monthly specials and coupons for frequently purchased products. Curbside pickup, same-day delivery and automatic shipping is available when ordering online at petsuppliesplus.com.
Grand opening events kick off Friday, June 2 with a ribbon cutting at 10:30 a.m. Festivities will include:
Complimentary nail trims and dog washes on June 3 and June 4.
Mystery scratch cards worth $5 to $10 will be given away on June 3.
The first 100 customers through the doors on June 4 will receive a free small bag of dog food or cat food.
In addition, customers can get a $10 off coupon (with a $30 minimum purchase) and register to win a year-long supply of Redford Naturals pet food by visiting psprewards.com/boyntonbeach.
Pet Supplies Plus operates nearly 700 locations in 42 states. Other South Florida stores are in Coconut Creek, Hollywood, Delray Beach, Miramar, Royal Palm Beach, and Lake Park. Visit the chain’s website at petsuppliesplus.com.
The Boynton Beach store will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays.
Rumble Boxing studio hits Hollywood
Natalie Lambert, a 23-year-old local woman, has opened Rumble Boxing, a “boutique fitness concept delivering a mix of boxing-inspired circuits,” at 2341 Hollywood Blvd., according to a news release.
Lambert, who has long been passionate about boxing and mixed martial arts, graduated from Auburn University last May and decided to invest in a franchise after discovering that Rumble was a “perfect match for her personal interests,” the release said.
“I fell in love with Rumble when I tried it out at one of the New York locations in 2018,” she said in the release. “I loved the workout and the overall concept itself. Most of all, I loved that the studio was a judgment-free zone. Working out isn’t always the most fun, but Rumble is the only workout where I’ve found myself smiling.”
Rumble Boxing offers 45-minute, 10-round full-body strength and cardio workouts utilizing specially designed, water-filled, teardrop-style boxing bags. For more information about the Hollywood location, go to rumbleboxinggym.com/location/north-central-hollywood.
Longtime Boca chocolate shop reopens with new owners
Chocolates By Mr. Roberts, a Boca Raton destination since 1982, has reopened in the city under the new ownership of Matt and Lisa Schwartz. It’s located in Winfield Plaza, 500 NE 20th St.
The couple has lived in the city for more than 30 years and frequently took visiting friends and family members to the shop to sample its Old World-style truffles, barks, caramels, toffees and other chocolate treats, a news release about the reopening explained.
“When we found out the shop was for sale earlier this year, we knew we had the perfect opportunity to keep the legacy of Chocolates By Mr. Roberts going for generations to come,” Matt Schwartz said in the release.
They’re continuing to make the shop’s traditional favorites, including dark chocolate cherry cordials and chocolate-covered Oreos. But they also plan to introduce a line of raw, organic, vegan, gluten- and sugar-free chocolates.
The original Mr. Roberts, Heinz Robert Goldschneider, was born in Vienna, Austria, where his mother taught him to make chocolates when he was a young boy. The family fled the Nazis during World War II, initially moving to South America.
After working various jobs in Chile and Uruguay, Goldschneider moved to New York City in the 1950s and never forgot his love for making chocolate. He briefly moved to Switzerland and apprenticed at a chocolate factory. He moved back to New York, then opened his first chocolate shop in the rear of a tailor shop he owned for 20 years on the Upper East Side. His confections won international awards and six Top-10 Chocolates of the Year awards by New York Magazine, the release said.
Goldschneider operated Chocolates by Mr. Roberts for more than 20 years before selling it to Steve and Michele Zander in 2006. The Zanders sold it to Bill Hogan, who ran it from 2021 to 2023 before selling it to the Schwartzes.
Ron Hurtibise covers business and consumer issues for the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Send him your retail news at rhurtibise@sun-sentinel.com. Make sure to type Retail Roundup in the subject line of your email.
