Well, folks, the day has finally come. The former Walgreens at Westheimer and Highway 6 has reopened. This will mark the building’s first permanent retail tenant since closing as a pharmacy around 2017. Now and Forever also marks the return of a gas station to this intersection. Before the most recent expansion of Highway 6, every corner of the intersection, except the mall, hosted a gas station. This gas station, however, aims to be a bit different. The space is huge, and while some area was built out around the checkout, I would wager that 3/4 of the former Walgreens …
Keep readingCategory: News
Sears Willowbrook fills out their space, and how did it end up a Hometown any way?
Howdy, folks, and welcome to Houston Historic Retail! Today we’re back at everyone’s least favorite stomping grounds… Zombie Sears! With the recent closure of failed Pasadena Hometown Sears Conversion still looming over its head, things look somewhat bleak for a company that continues to close stores only months after opening. Despite all the tears shed for other locations of a retailer, which probably could have survived had they not “merged” with Kmart back in 2005. Let’s take a look back at one of the last real good ideas from before the merger, the Sears Grand concept. While Sears had started …
Keep readingRetail News: James Coney closes final inner-loop location, and provides some thoughts on the future
James Coney Island’s final inner-loop store shut down earlier this week. The news of the closure was quiet but shouldn’t come as a huge surprise for anyone who has been following the slow death of the chain. While JCI managed to hang on past the Millennium, it seems very little has been invested in the hot dog seller over the past 20 years. With locations stagnant and sales slipping, a 2018 initiative to push the chain away from Hot Dogs began. Local chef, Matt Marcus, was brought on board to help reimagine non-hot dog menu items, and a new name …
Keep readingRetail News: Ollie’s Bargain Outlet starts to emerge in Friendswood
Deep Discounter, Ollie’s Bargain Outlet first laid its eyes on the Texas market in 2018 with the opening of a distribution center. The next few years saw Ollie’s popping up mostly in former Toys ‘R Us locations throughout the country, a few in Texas. By early 2021, the retailer had already opened a branch in Clute and was starting work on their first location in Houston. The Jones Road Ollie’s would open in November of last year to a warm, somewhat quiet reception. The new store is receiving a bit more attention thanks to its prominent location in a former …
Keep readingNow & Taking Forever, who’s behind the new Walgreen’s Gas Station on Highway 6?
Update 7/17/22: Over 2 weeks later, I realized that a draft version of this was published, well the full thing is here now! Anyone whose driven near West Oaks Mall recently has probably seen the work being done to a former Walgreens building at the corner of Westheimer and Highway 6. If you’ve been following this blog for a while you may have seen the building before. We checked it out in 2019 as a Spirit Halloween, and more recently when the pumps were installed last year. If you don’t know Now & Forever they about 10 stores throughout the …
Keep readingTennis Express to move from old Westheimer Handy Dan to Combo Office-Warehosue
Tennis Express, Houston’s largest Tennis Specialty Store is soon to be on the move, although it won’t be relocating far from its current Westchase digs. The new facility is located a former C&J Energy Services Building. The new salesfloor will take over the former offices on the first floor, with second-story office space going untouched. The sales floor will likely be slightly smaller than their Westheimer location, with the biggest upgrade going to Tennis Express’ warehouse. In the past few years, the company has secured itself as a leading online retailer of Tennis supplies and gear. In 2021 Tennis Express …
Keep readingRetail News: Living Spaces, to take over former HEB spot at Westheimer & Fountain View
For the past 7 years, a prime piece of real estate just west of the Galleria. The former HEB at Westheimer and Fountain View shut their doors in early 2015, after a replacement location opened on San Felipe. As a grocery store, this location was notable as it was Houston’s first full-line HEB location, replacing the Pantry Foods concept. After shutting its doors 7 years ago, the space has temporarily reopened for pop-ups like Spirit Halloween. The first permanent tenant to secure the space is furniture retailer Living Spaces. The new furniture retailer had its start in California in 2008 …
Keep readingRetail News: Tim Horton’s Expansion Plans go beyond Katy
Tim Horton’s is on the brink of arriving in Houston. The Canadian Coffee and Donut Shop marks one of many chain doughnut shops trying their hand in Houston at the present time. Dunkin’ and Krispy Kreme still fall second in terms of notoriety to local chain Shipley’s. At this point, Timmy’s has filed permits for three locations in Texas, all located within the Houston area. These stores represent the chain’s furthest Southern stores, outside of a failed attempt at expanding to Flordia in the 1980s. According to an interview with the Houston Chronicle, the new stores are coming to town …
Keep readingRetail News: Gordon Foods takes Belden’s spot in Braeswood Square, and Ollie’s plans for Katy
Gordon Foods will become the “National Grocer” in Braeswood Square HHR was able to break the news a few weeks ago, that a national grocer was making its way back to Braeswood Square. It would mark the first time in nearly 35 years that a national chain had held occupied that space, which most recently served as Belden’s until early 2020. Based on permits filed by the new grocer, it seems that Gordon Food Service Stores will become the national grocer in Braeswood Square. GFS stores are not traditional Supermarkets. Rather, they’re hybrid Food Service/Grocery Stores that don’t require a …
Keep readingRetail News: Work underway on transforming 3 former JCI locations to Cabo Bob’s
The former JCI at 1960 and Cutten Road is a bit further along than the Meadows Place location, but Mason will likely open first. Cabo Bob’s the Austin-based California-styled burrito restaurant, opened its first Houston location quietly towards the end of 2019 at Fountain View and San Felipe. The chain’s expansion, however, comes with much more fanfare. Cabo Bob’s first announced these new stores back in April, only a couple of weeks after James Coney Island shuttered the Meadows location with the other two closing about a month prior. While I think JCI will be around for a bit longer, …
Keep readingHow To Get in Touch
Recent Comments