Weekly Perl: A Commercial Real Estate News Recap
Sam’s Club in big store remodeling and expansion move
Sam’s Club is ramping up its expansion along with its investments in existing stores.
Activist Investor Sardar Biglari Wants to Buy El Pollo Loco
Steak ‘n Shake owner Sardar Biglari wants to buy El Pollo Loco.
The activist investor, who already owns 15.1 percent of El Pollo Loco through his investment firm Biglari Capital Corp., sent an unsolicited, non-binding indication of interest to buy the rest of the shares it doesn’t already own. If successful, the deal would give Biglari full control of El Pollo Loco and likely result in the company going private.
Santa Monica Council OKs measures to boost downtown business
The Santa Monica City Council unanimously approved zoning amendments at their last meeting aimed at revitalizing the city's downtown business district by easing restrictions on community spaces and standardizing digital signage rules.
L.A.’s ‘Mansion Tax’ Causes Steep Drop in Commercial Sales: UCLA
Los Angeles’ controversial “mansion tax” has generated far less revenue than predicted largely because it’s also driving a serious decline in sales volume across the city, according to a new study by the University of California Los Angeles.
New managers for Santa Monica Place, Prism Places, hopes to shine a positive light on troubled property
Prism Places, a commercial real estate management firm with $2.8 billion in assets under management, has been appointed to manage the struggling Santa Monica Place shopping center, the company announced Thursday.
Walgreens shutters over a dozen stores in San Francisco Bay Area
March was another big month for dollar stores across the U.S., with Dollar General again leading the pack opening 60 new locations, according to the monthly Supermarket News store map.
Zara Bets Big on Union Square With New Flagship Store
Zara will shut its current Union Square location and open a new flagship at 400 Post St.—twice the size—reviving the area’s retail scene.
Big Lots Begins Reopening Spree With 9 Stores in 6 States
Variety Wholesalers is relaunching the first of 219 Big Lots stores this week, marking the start of a major retail comeback after the chain’s 2024 bankruptcy.
This Expert Thinks CRE Will Be a Safe Harbor Amid Tariff Turmoil
In the wake of the sweeping tariffs announced by the Trump Administration on April 2, commercial real estate may emerge as a safe harbor for investors navigating an increasingly volatile economic landscape. Manus Clancy, head of data strategy at LightBox, makes a compelling case for why CRE could outperform other asset classes during this period of uncertainty. His analysis, coupled with recent data from LightBox’s CRE Activity Index, paints a picture of resilience within the sector.
Aldi, Dollar General shoppers spend more at store than Dollar Tree
Shoppers at Aldi and Dollar General spend twice as much as those who frequent Dollar Tree, according to the latest data from Numerator.
Even though consumers spend more at Dollar General and Aldi, 79% of U.S. shoppers shop at Dollar Tree, compared to 60% at Dollar General and 47% at Aldi, Numerator’s Retailer, Restaurant & Brand Snapshots report found. 
New wave of tariffs expected to rock US retail
President Donald Trump accelerated a global trade war this week in a move that's expected to dramatically disrupt the U.S. retail industry, a major user of commercial real estate.
