{"id":249625,"date":"2015-12-18T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-12-18T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sdnews.com\/smart-final-extra-concept-explained\/"},"modified":"2015-12-18T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2015-12-18T08:00:00","slug":"smart-final-extra-concept-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/smart-final-extra-concept-explained\/","title":{"rendered":"Smart & Final Extra! concept explained"},"content":{"rendered":"

Por Ken Williams | Editor<\/p>\n

Smart & Final\u2019s successful bid in bankruptcy court to take over the Haggen supermarket in North Park has spurred a lively debate on Nextdoor.com about whether the warehouse store would be welcomed with open arms.<\/p>\n

Paul Greshko\u2019s initial posting on Nov. 11 via the hyper-local private social network asked if there was a way to stop Smart & Final from opening and suggested community members pack the next North Park Planning Committee meeting to voice their objections. His posting unleashed dozens and dozens of responses online, crossing the entire spectrum from full support to total opposition, and everything in between.<\/p>\n

\"Store<\/a>
A Smart & Final Extra! store \u2014 similar to this one that opened last year in Upland, California \u2014 is coming to North Park next year. (Courtesy of Smart & Final)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Vicki Granowitz, chair of the North Park Planning Committee, said last week that she spoke to Smart & Final officials and offered to broker a meeting between the warehouse store, the city and the community.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t want to become like South Park,\u201d Granowitz said in reference to the brouhaha that erupted over Target Express.<\/p>\n

Marisol Marks, the director of publicity for the Smart & Final company which is based in Commerce, California, explained that the North Park location would be a Smart & Final Extra! \u2014 a more upscale version of their traditional warehouse store.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Extra! store concept was introduced seven years ago,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

In her interview with San Diego Uptown News, Marks echoed the company website description of the Extra! brand:<\/p>\n

\u201cSmart & Final Extra!, one of the company\u2019s newest store concepts, is designed to enhance the household consumer\u2019s shopping experience and also includes changes to benefit business customers. Smart & Final Extra! stores are much larger than a typical Smart & Final warehouse store and full of extra features. The stores carry a greatly expanded selection of products in key categories like produce, fresh meat, frozen foods, dairy, deli and grocery basics like cereal, yogurt, bread and snacks. Smart & Final Extra! combines the high quality fresh produce of a farmers market, the low prices of a discount grocer and the large club size products of a traditional club store. But you don\u2019t need to buy in bulk when you shop at Smart & Final Extra! We also carry thousands of items in smaller, convenient sizes. In addition we have everything that small businesses, clubs and organizations need on a daily basis.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marks said the North Park location would employ \u201c50 associates, although that number could be higher, depending on services offered.\u201d The jobs will be non-union, she added.<\/p>\n

Smart & Final is aware of the initial community reaction, she said, and as a result the company will be seeking community input about what residents want to see in the store.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe try to look at each community differently and individually,\u201d Marks said, noting that a downtown Los Angeles store had a coffee shop, which is not a typical service offered at Smart & Final. \u201cWe are open to feedback.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marks recommended community members send comments to customer.relations@smartandfinal.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The North Park store is expected to open by the end of June 2016, she said. Current plans do not include an on-site bakery, deli or butcher shop, although Marks said there would be meat-cutting on the premises.<\/p>\n

Smart & Final will brand the North Park location with its Extra! signage, but Marks didn\u2019t anticipate major changes to the exterior of the current building.<\/p>\n

Uptown News asked Marks about two problems that bedeviled Haggen and Albertsons before that: shoplifters and the homeless. Marks said Smart & Final employs a loss-prevention team to tackle shoplifting problems and would look into the situation involving the homeless.<\/p>\n

\u201cSmart & Final is ultimately about making our customers feel safe, and that\u2019s our No. 1 focus,\u201d she said. \u201cWe will work with community leaders about what can get done about the homeless situation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marks asked the North Park community to give the Extra! brand a chance before passing judgment, alluding to the criticism via Nextdoor.com.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur brand resonates with people in every community we serve,\u201d she said. The Smart & Final brands \u2014 Smart & Final, Smart & Final Extra! and Cash&Carry Smart Foodservice \u2014 can be found in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona and northern Mexico.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are excited to be coming to North Park,\u201d Marks said. \u201cOnce they see the Extra! brand, they will be pleasantly surprised by the expanded products. They won\u2019t have to buy in bulk, although that will be offered. There are quite a few household products from national brands that are offered in individual sizes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although Granowitz described Smart & Final Extra! as a \u201cdown-market Costco,\u201d there is a major difference between the two warehouse concepts: Smart & Final does not charge a membership fee. Purchases can be made by cash, check, credit or debit.<\/p>\n

The warehouse store is also known for offering office products, cleaning supplies, and bulk food services for restaurants and nonprofits.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt feels like a grocery store,\u201d Marks said. \u201cOne stop shopping for household or business.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs our CEO says, value is the new normal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014Ken Williams es editor de Uptown News y Mission Valley News y puede ser contactado en <\/em>ken@sdcnn.com<\/em><\/a> or at 619-961-1952. Follow him on Twitter at @KenSanDiego, Instagram at @KenSD or Facebook at KenWilliamsSanDiego.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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