Houston Historic Retail

Work on Houston’s first Primark store is showing progress at Katy Mills Mall. The Irish department store first filed permits to build the location last year. It will be located in the former Bed, Bath & Beyond Outlet, which was previously the Restoration Hardware Outlet. The chain is known for selling its merchandise at extremely low price points. Work on another Primark location is currently underway at part of the former Sears in Willowbrook Mall. …

Trader Joe’s has been expanding across the Houston area lately. Specifically hitting up the suburbs for new locations. Earlier this year, HHR identified two new locations headed to the north of Houston. One headed to the former Kingwood, Randalls, and the other was destined somewhere for the Cypress Masterplanned community of Towne Lake. The details of the Towne Lake location were debated, with residents of the neighborhood questioning whether the address provided on the permits …

Sprouts Farmers Market is once again expanding in Houston. Three new locations are planned: one in Richmond’s Waterview Town Center, another in a former HEB/Albertsons in Kingwood, and one in a former Randalls in The Woodlands. The move is a reversal from two years ago, when Sprouts closed three locations. When those stores closed, Sprout’s said the locations were oversized for their needs and were part of broader cuts. Based on comparing these new locations …

Joann Fabrics is reaching the end of a months-long liquidation sale. After exiting restructuring last year, the ailing fabric chain filed for bankruptcy again in January. The chain failed to find a buyer and had been slowly liquidating operations. The final day for most stores in Houston will be May 25th. According to employees, there is a possibility that some locations may stay open until the 28th to sell remaining fixtures. During the liquidation sale, …

According to reader reports (thanks, Jake!), local grocer Harvest Market is now down to one location from a peak of four. Reports are that the Sienna Plantation location shut its doors about a week ago. Harvest Market has been shrouded in mystery since its debut in 2015. The concept was to combine a full-service restaurant with a grocery store. Harvest Market achieved this by creating a dedicated food court space in its grocery stores. The …

Luxury furniture store Worth & Co. is closing its sole location in Houston. The store, which sits at 4500 San Felipe, in the heart of Uptown, was a concept developed by the Dufresne Spencer Group. The company licenses and operates the Ashley Furniture chain across the U.S., including the Houston area locations. The store was an upmarket competitor to Ashley, featuring shopping amenities like a cafe serving beer and live music. The closing of Worth …

Rite Aid is in the throes of what will very likely be its final days. After entering bankruptcy for the second time, unless a miracle happens, the chain is likely doomed. While the drugstore has never operated in Houston directly, a move they made that impacted our market nearly 5 years ago. First, here is some background: Rite Aid was the nation’s third-largest pharmacy chain behind Walgreens and CVS for years. The company grew through …

Houston-based national restaurant supplier Sysco has opened its first retail store. The location at 10515 Katy Fwy, Houston, TX 77024, opened last week (April 30th) and will hold its grand opening today. The store, which occupies a former Bed Bath & Beyond, is the first of two planned locations in Houston. The store offers a mix of Sysco and mainline brands, primarily for sale by the case. The business is marketed as a wholesale restaurant …

According to the company, Joann Fabrics will wrap up its liquidation sales and cease operations by the end of May. The company is down to seven locations in Houston, with the closing of the Copperfield location at 15520 FM 529, Houston, TX 77095, about two weeks ago. The original plan was for Joann to close four Houston stores in February while seeking a buyer. However, when a buyer was not found, Joann chose to close …

Fast-fashion retailer Forever 21 has started closing stores across the Houston area. The closings are not unexpected and were part of the company’s second bankruptcy last March. While Forever 21 has pointed to Shein and Temu as a primary reason for its downfall, the problems are rooted a bit deeper. The company originally filed for bankruptcy in 2019 and was bailed out by mall owners Simon and Brookfield. The plan was to give the company …