Boo! And welcome to Houston Historic Retail! Today, we’re celebrating Halloween by checking out four costume conversions in what is HHR’s longest-running theme post dating back to 2018. Man, I was really playing to an empty room back then, but thankfully my fan base has grown substantially there are dozens of you now! Ever since the 2019 debut of Costume Conversions, the series has always been a favorite of mine. It’s always fun to get back into a dead retailer and see what got left behind. This year, we have the privilege of visiting a chain never seen as a …
Keep readingMonth: October 2022
Part 3: A final look at the afterlife of Auchan
Editor’s Note: This is Part 1 of a three-part series, be sure to check out Part 1 and Part 2 as well! Bonjour, folks, and welcome back to Houston Historic Retail for one final installment at our beloved former Auchan. In our first installment, we talked mostly about the history of Auchan and how they ended up in Houston. Our second session touched on the experience of Auchan and their reach in our community. For our final installment, we’ll talk about what happened to our own Hypermaché and what the building has been used for since. As a true-to-form Hypermarket, …
Keep readingReturn to Krogerstons Express, aka Kwik Stop’s lost cousin!
Howdy folks, and welcome back to Houston Historic Retail! Today we’re taking a look at a Krogerstons Express! For those unaware, a Krogerstons, is a Kroger in a former Albertsons, which we have plenty of in the Houston area. While Albertsons did re-enter some former store spaces when purchasing Safeway (including Randall’s), they stand to reenter a large number of former stores depending on the outcome of their planned merger. When Albertsons exited Houston in 2002, they left behind plenty of modern and up-to-date stores. Their issue was not necessarily low sales but rather over-expansion. With the odds stacked against …
Keep readingRetail News: Ollie’s Bargain Outlet opens in Katy on October 26th
The newest Ollie’s Bargain Outlet in the Houston area is scheduled to open this Wednesday, October 26th. The new store, located at 1747 N Fry Rd, Katy, TX 77449, takes the place of a former Stein Mart and will be the second Ollie’s on Houston’s westside and the third overall in the area. The replacement of Stein Mart with Ollie’s sees a return to full tenancy for The Crossing at Fry, which has suffered with vacancies, such as Kroger in 2016. Another vacant spot in the same shopping center, a former Dry Cleaning Shop, will soon play host to Voodoo …
Keep readingPart 2: Auchan tries to build roots, then along comes Food Town
Editor’s Note: This is Part 1 of a three-part series, be sure to check out Part 1 and Part 3 as well! Howdy folks, and welcome back to Houston Historic Retail. Today we’re continuing with Part 2 of a three-part series covering Auchan. Last time, we left off right at the start of Auchan in Houston while taking a look at the mall portion. Today we’ll continue the story and take a look at the grocery side of the store, which is still serving its intended purpose over 30 years later. The fanfare around the arrival (scroll up for a …
Keep readingThe Kroger-Albertsons Merger, and what it could mean for Houston
Howdy folks, and welcome back to Houston Historic Retail. Today we’ll be discussing the Kroger and Albertsons merger/buyout announced last week and what it could mean for Houston. So I’m not accused of burying the lead here, the short answer is we don’t know the exact impact yet. The long answer, however, is we know enough that we can make some predictions. For those out of the loop, Kroger has officially agreed to acquire Albertsons for $24.6 Billion. In Houston, Albertsons is represented by Randall’s, which was acquired along with the rest of Safeway back in 2015. Kroger, on the …
Keep readingRetail News: James Coney Island continues to shrink as Westheimer location closes
James Coney Island closed another location earlier this month, this time, it was their Galleria outpost at 5745 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77057. This leaves Houston’s oldest restaurant chain with a paltry 10 locations. The chain had about 20 locations as of 2020. So far, most locations that have closed have been redeveloped. The Westheimer location is no exception, with permits filed by Artisan’s Restaurant to demolish the building. The structure is actually original to Steak ‘n Shake, which operated from 1976-1978 before selling most of its locations to Grandy’s. JCI would move in here in 1983 and become a …
Keep readingLayne’s in Cinco Ranch gets a new neighbor, Halal Guys!
Howdy folks, and welcome back to Houston Historic Retail. Today, we’re back in the Cinco Ranch area, visiting the former PDQ once again. For those who don’t remember, PDQ was a purveyor of all things Chicken. The company, which expanded out of Florida, was similar to Chick-Fil-A but a bit more ‘homemade.’ The large multitude of sauces were all prepared on-site and delivered in hand-sealed plastic containers, the chicken was very lightly breaded, and you could also get Cheerwine. Houston received our locations, a combo of franchised and corporate-owned stores, in 2015. The expansion into Texas consisted of six stores, …
Keep readingPart 1: Auchan comes to Texas and brings a Mall
Editor’s Note: This is Part 1 of a three-part series, be sure to check out Part 2 and Part 3 as well! Bonjour folks, and welcome back to Houston Historic Retail. Today we begin part one of a three-part series on Auchan! Why now you ask? Well tomorrow is the 34th anniversary of Auchan Day as declared by Mayor Kathy Whitmire in 1988! For those not in the know, Auchan is a family-owned French company that operates Supermarkets, Convenience Stores, and Hypermarkets all throughout the world. While Sam Walton would be the first to introduce true Hypermarkets to Texas and, …
Keep readingRetail News: Half Price Books Kirkwood sets moving date
Half Price Book’s latest Houston development, a move from their Kirkwood location up Westheimer into the former Westchase Mall, now has a timeline. According to signs posted in the store, the move is to be completed by early November, with the old store closing on the 3rd and the new location presumably opening the next day or shortly thereafter. When HHR first reported this back in May, HPB staff was unable to confirm the move. The new store’s address is 10915 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77042. Located in between Target and Whole Foods. The discount bookstore has six locations in …
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