Wherever your business is located, you will find doing business in Puerto Rico easier than you think. Puerto Rico has been a part of the United States since 1898. Spanish and English are both official languages. Here are some other facts about doing business in Puerto Rico.

• Currency: U.S. Dollar
• Weights and Measures: U.S. system with limited use of the Metric system
• Legal: Puerto Rico is a U.S. Territory, thus U.S. federal courts adjudicate civil and criminal matters within the province of federal law. All other proceedings are handled by the state courts.
• Government: A democratic system similar to a U.S. state, with a governor, two-house legislature and a judicial branch.
• Citizenship: Native born Puerto Ricans are citizens of the United States.
• Time Zone: Atlantic Standard Time (EST without daylight savings)
• Shipping: served by all major shipping carriers, including the U.S. Postal Service. Puerto Rico has 8 major ports. Overnight delivery services are available.
• Retail Hours: in shopping centers are generally 9 AM to 9 PM.
• Travel: An international airport in San Juan with more than 30 U.S. and international airlines.

Customs: Puerto Rico is a part of the U.S. Customs Territory; if you are a U.S. citizen coming from the U.S., no passport is required.

Plaza Las Américas: The Dominant Shopping Venue in Puerto Rico

 Super regional shopping center, Plaza Las Américas has served generations of Puerto Ricans and visitors from around the world. Located in the heart of San Juan, Plaza Las Américas is situated at the epicenter of a 1.2 million person market. 

Referred to, simply, as "PLAZA" by its thousands of weekly customers, the Center is not only the preferred shopping experience in Puerto Rico, but along with its sister center, Plaza Del Caribe, strategically located in the Ponce market, retailers can effectively reach more than 70% of the total population of the Island. 

Uniquely situated at the crossroads of the most highly trafficked highways in Puerto Rico, Plaza Las Américas is highly accessible for its customer base plus other key traffic-producing groups such as: within 5 minutes of San Juan's busy financial district, within 15 minutes of the region's first-class hotels, and 20 minutes from the San Juan Ports Authority and the Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport which is the only location on the Island having a larger permanent taxi stand than PLAZA. 

Reinvestment and “first-to-market” concepts have produced and continue to enhance PLAZA’s annual traffic for the stores, restaurants and services that call "PLAZA" home. From its opening in 1968, PLAZA has built its brand as "The Center of it All" with three expansions and multiple full and partial renovations and additions. 

Plaza Las Américas lives up to its reputation as a prime retail location with a top-notch list of stores and services, often with sales at or near the top of their companies. In addition, "The Center of it All" is enhanced through a combination of stellar events with Island-wide appeal and an on-going involvement in the community and culture of Puerto Rico. 

Here are the facts: 

- Puerto Rico’s population of 3.2 million persons(2) with 75% of PLAZA’s traffic coming from an area comprising 1.2 million customers and an estimated number of total customer visits at 15 million annually. - Plaza Las Americas houses more than 250 retailers and Macy’s, JCPenney, Sears, and Marshalls department stores in just under two million square feet with plenty of parking spaces. 

- In addition, an immediately adjacent, wholly-owned center of 325,000 square feet adds grocery and box retailing which enhances the magnetic retail hub and daily traffic produced by PLAZA. 

- With its numerous amenities and scale, thousands of full and part-time employees working in its stores, services, and the PLAZA Office Tower accessed from inside the center, Plaza Las Américas is a City within a City. 

- PLAZA’s customers for 2023 were split between 60% female and 40% male, with an Average Household Income 63% higher than the annual HH Income for the Island.(3) 

- Customers come to PLAZA an average of 3 times per month, staying a healthy 86.5 minutes, visiting stores and averaging a spend of $125.77 per trip creating an average monthly spend per person of $377.31 (3) 

- In addition to the wide merchandise assortment in PLAZA department stores, PLAZA leads the market in selection for shoppers with 42 stores carrying woman’s clothing, 19 stores with shoes in addition to those in PLAZA's 11 stores carrying sporting goods, 13 stores with fine and costume jewelry, ranging from Pandora to David Yurman, plus these important extras that customers need and appreciate for one-stop shopping: 

- 8% (3) of trips to PLAZA are initiated because of dining; PLAZA has 50 different places to choose a snack or a meal including such favorites The Cheesecake Factory, P.F. Chang’s, Olive Garden, and Dave & Buster's as well as 2 Starbuck’s, among others; the total includes many local favorites as well as a farmer's market, and La Terraza, a 21-stall food hall. 

- In 2023, in addition to its current 15-screen cinema complex and other options.  

- Another 10% (3) of traffic initially comes to PLAZA to utilize one of the major banks, go to the U.S. Post or Passport Office, or visit the 9 story office and medical tower containing 20+ businesses. 

- PLAZA draws customers during major selling periods from well beyond its primary market. During key annual shopping periods, 90% of the PLAZA traffic draws from an expanded market of 2,000,000+ persons.(1)

1. 2023 Alexander Babbage 

2. U.S. Census, 2019 update 

3. Alexander Babbage 2023 MAXtrak® Shopper Exit Surveys, conducted onsite by independent fielding firm