tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8028753244746628643.post9150125788080752230..comments2024-03-27T02:22:35.327-05:00Comments on The Louisiana and Texas Retail Blogspot: Hastings Lake Jackson TexasUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger196125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8028753244746628643.post-31985424598741968222018-04-18T23:14:46.619-05:002018-04-18T23:14:46.619-05:00This post is getting close to the 200 reply mark t...This post is getting close to the 200 reply mark that might cause technical problems. I'll post my reply in the new West Oaks Macy's post.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8028753244746628643.post-48068595961834379732018-04-18T18:29:03.063-05:002018-04-18T18:29:03.063-05:00I hope Deerbrook lasts as long as possible, but De...I hope Deerbrook lasts as long as possible, but Deerbrook is a very busy mall so another retailer will probably want the space. It would not be Bon Ton since they are about to liquidate. <br /><br />I did not hear about the plans to open Ashley stores. The store at San Jacinto looks like it will not be there very long. I guess they will be there until Spirit Halloween comes back. Even the strongest part of Greenspoint Mall is failing. The food court has lost most of the food outlets. Just 5 years ago, the food court was full.<br /><br />Walmart is becoming very generic. I guess they want to have the appearance of being a simple, easy place to shop. <br /><br />I got some photos today of the Sears store. Only one side has been worked on so far, but part of an old labelscar is now showing behind the trees.<br /><br />You have to strike while the iron is hot. I had an excellent haul one time at HPB, but I guess it was a one time thing. jehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08642257521152353045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8028753244746628643.post-92111630740675794522018-04-18T00:39:57.904-05:002018-04-18T00:39:57.904-05:00I agree that it is a strong possibility that Houst...I agree that it is a strong possibility that Houston might be down to just a few Sears stores soon. Even then, stores like Willowbrook Mall, N. Shepherd, and Memorial City Mall might get downsized or sold due to their value. I suspect that Sears will try to lease back the Pasadena store, but the new buyers of the Deerbrook Mall store will probably want to do something else with the property than have Sears take up all of it. We'll see. Hopefully the Deerbrook Sears can at least make it another year at least.<br /><br />Ashley Furniture said they were going to open some temporary stores in Houston due to the demand caused by Harvey. The San Jacinto Mall store might be one of those (I believe the Dickinson store is temporary). Of course, if these stores do well, maybe they'll keep them around. San Jacinto Mall will be turned into retail space even if the mall goes, but I really doubt the same can be said about Greenspoint Mall. I think that location is just too toxic for retail now except for some class D type stores that really don't have much of a retail pull at all. It's really sad to see that mall die slowly like it has without much hope of things improving.<br /><br />That is sad that some Walmarts are losing their floors. Of course, some Walmarts in this area already have concrete floors, but not all of them. The fake wood does look better than the concrete, hopefully they will use a lot of that in the actual departments. We'll see. I'm not a fan of the exterior designs that Walmart uses now. It looks really cheap. I wonder if Walmart purposely makes their stores look kind of bargain basement with the hopes that it drives home the point that they are a store with low prices. <br /><br />I heard Walmart will be redesigning their website too. It needs a redesign, the current page is quite hard to navigate, IMO. We'll see if the new site is an upgrade.<br /><br />I think you're right that Best Buy will continue to expand in the new suburbs that have popped up in the last handful of years across the country. There are certainly a few of them here in the Houston area. Hopefully they won't try to get too much growth too quickly, but it'll be good to get some more electronics stores.<br /><br />I've seen some of the new photos of the Midtown Sears with the exposed art deco designs. I'm not sure if they'll try to preserve that look, but hopefully they'll keep some Sears signage or something. Galveston put some vintage Sears elements into the historic ex-Sears there.<br /><br />You're right that some videos on YouTube are excessively long. Sometimes it's okay if the hosts are interesting, but not always! I have not had time to watch any Moon Township Kmart videos yet, but it is on my to-do list.<br /><br />I have not been to a thrift in quite some time, but I did visit the Kirkwood Half Price Books for the first time in a while. Someone must have sold their collection of obscure music CDs because I found a lot of good stuff that isn't easy to find even online. About 2/3rds of it was priced quite low (~$4). Of the other 1/3rds, half were priced high, but not super high (~$12/CD) and the other half were ridiculously high ($19-22/CD). I didn't buy any of the expensive 1/3rd CDs, but I brought several of the cheaper ones. They were all in mint condition too. Anyway, I've never brought that much from a HPB at one time before, but I had to jump on that person's collection that was sold to HPB.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8028753244746628643.post-14013817778550730562018-04-17T23:39:47.529-05:002018-04-17T23:39:47.529-05:00Once these Sears stores are sold, the possibility ...Once these Sears stores are sold, the possibility exists that Sears will only have a handful of stores left in the area. I really hope that these stores are not going to close, but the reality is that they can quickly close. Deerbrook is a very good site and will probably sell for a high price. <br />I am very nervous that this store will close soon after selling. <br /><br />There are so many vloggers now that I can't keep up with the videos. Some vloggers record up to 30 minutes so I ususally don't watch all of the videos. <br /><br />Greenspoint has become the most endangered mall in the area. San Jacino will probably be around longer than we expected. A new Ashley furniture store opened in the old Marshall's. The store looks somewhat temporary, but it was a surprise to see that store being filled again. Maybe KB Toys will pop up there too later this year. Greenspoint is going to be interesting to see over the next year. I think a lot of stores will leave soon.<br /><br />Best Buy will probably grow a little bit into the new suburbs now that the company is on better footing. <br /><br />The Walmart in Porter is being renovated, the tiles have been pulled across the store. Some parts of the store have the fake wood floor, but the rest is bare concrete now.<br /><br />Thanks for sending the Sears photos. I saw that they are removing the exterior metal covers finally. I am going to have to pass by before they start fixing up the building. <br /><br />Liberty/Dayton does not have much in the way of old retail. Cleveland has some old retail places. I need to get going on some of my posts. I estimate that I am up to almost 40 posts worth of photos with my latest trip. <br />jehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08642257521152353045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8028753244746628643.post-13937422862944025092018-04-13T03:04:29.242-05:002018-04-13T03:04:29.242-05:00Fans and shoppers of the Deerbrook Mall Sears have...Fans and shoppers of the Deerbrook Mall Sears have to feel very nervous right now. Granted, I guess any Sears fan has to feel nervous right now. I'm thinking that it's probably probable that the store will close or downsize after the sale. That's unfortunate and will be, IMO, a big loss for the mall. <br /><br />I really don't see much hope for Plaza Paseo being turned around anytime soon. Given that, anyone buying that Sears building will probably have to try to keep Sears in it or else it'll have to be turned into office space or something like that. I'm sure Fidelis will try their best to get their hands on that Sears property at San Jacinto Mall. I'm not sure if they'll really get much competition because I'm not sure why anyone else would value that property as much as they would, but we'll see. I'm sure Fidelis has tried to buy that property before, but Sears must think they can get more from an auction. <br /><br />You're right that Houston might be in trouble when it comes to having Sears stores. The Willowbrook Mall, Memorial City Mall, and N. Shephard locations may all do well, but they are all on valuable property and Sears needs more money. It would be kind of funny if the Mall of the Mainland Sears ends up being the last one in the Houston area when predictions 5 or so years ago would have had that location being the most likely to close.<br /><br />Pittsburgh is within the area where a lot of Kbloggers live. Thus, I guess it's not a surprise that the Moon Township store got a lot of attention. Still, you'd think Kbloggers would get more excited about a 1960s-1970s Kmart than a Super Kmart. To me, those older stores represent Kmart more than the handful of Super Kmarts. Anyway, I'll have to check out those videos. Thanks for the heads up. It is kind of amazing how many people there are out there like ourselves who get excited about a Kmart!<br /><br />Greenspoint Mall really does not offer much to shoppers these days. Crime at the mall is still a problem and there are very few retail draws there. I know there are plans to re-develop the property, but we'll see if those work out. Either way, Greenspoint Mall may not be around for too much longer.<br /><br />I read today that Best Buy is opening their first new regular store in 7 years. The store will be in Utah. This really represents a huge turn-around for a company that many, myself included, thought was in serious jeopardy a few years ago. <br /><br />I read today that Walmart is <a href="https://www.chron.com/business/bizfeed/article/Walmart-to-open-new-store-in-Fulshear-remodel-12-12826596.php" rel="nofollow">planning on renovating several stores</a> in the Houston area including some near our areas. Walmart's new designs seem quite boring, but it's not the previous designs were anything exciting either. At least Walmart is putting money into their properties.<br /><br />Also, <a href="https://www.chron.com/business/article/Rice-partners-launch-innovation-hub-in-former-12828606.php" rel="nofollow">this slideshow</a> on the Chronicle's page has some interesting photos of the former Main St. Sears. It seems that they kind of had an open house of the place during the press conference announcing what Rice/the city have planned for the building. It's interesting to see those behind the scenes photos.<br /><br />It might be interesting to blog about some of these small towns around Houston like Cleveland and Liberty/Dayton that have very different feeling retail than Houston itself. Cleveland would probably be the best example unless I'm missing stuff going on somewhere else. I suppose one constant in Houston and these small towns is the power of Walmart in shaping the retail traffic.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8028753244746628643.post-30122611937354998632018-04-11T23:40:54.859-05:002018-04-11T23:40:54.859-05:00Cleveland is so close, yet so far from Houston. It...Cleveland is so close, yet so far from Houston. It is one of the few areas within 45 miles of Houston that has not seen a lot of crazy development yet.<br /><br />That Kmart is one of the most well documented stores in YouTube. The Warren Ohio Super Kmart videos have been coming out as well. You could easily spend a day catching up on just those 2 stores online.<br /><br />I will see how things are going at Deerbrook in a month or so probably. The fact that a lot of stores have new or renovated locations is a good sign. I guess the biggest concern now is what is going to happen to the Sears there.<br /><br />It did not look like any renovations were happening yet at Katy Mills so I should have time to go back. The look of the mall at night is so much better.<br /><br />Greenspoint Mall is in a death spiral. Sadly the property has very little to offer shoppers these days without any anchors. They do still have a nice retro video game store inside. <br /><br />KB Toys will open pop up shops and see what stores do well. The stores that do well may stay open if they can get good lease terms. The toy manufacturers will help since Toys R Us was their testing ground for new toys. jehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08642257521152353045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8028753244746628643.post-77437823094943462332018-04-11T23:28:45.420-05:002018-04-11T23:28:45.420-05:00Yeah this announcement really hits home. I have co...Yeah this announcement really hits home. I have covered all of those malls over the years. Deerbrook especially would be a tough one to lose, since it is my go-to store. <br /><br />Rolling Oaks is not a very desirable location. Parkdale could be a good location and would likely be demolished for a smaller store on that lot. <br /><br />The odds of Plaza Paseo selling for a lot are very low. Then again, that mall property could become a decent shopping center like the one across the street. The mall is likely finished at this point though. Of course Fidelis would like to get as much of the San Jacinto Mall property under their control to make the redevelopment easier. <br /><br />Houston and the surrounding areas had been spared the worst of the store closings for years. I hope this isn't the start of Sears leaving this area.jehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08642257521152353045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8028753244746628643.post-8948969469856839512018-04-11T22:39:52.023-05:002018-04-11T22:39:52.023-05:00Here's an update worth posting about. I read ...Here's an update worth posting about. I read today that Sears is putting 16 of their properties up for sale via online auction. <a href="https://marketplace.realinsight.com/property/search?search_keyword=sears" rel="nofollow">Several of these stores</a> are in this region. The Deerbrook Mall, Plaza Paseo, San Jacinto Mall, Parkdale Mall, and Rolling Oaks Mall (San Antonio) are on the list. The new owners of these stores could lease the retail space back to Sears, but they would not be obligated to do so. The space could be subdivided with Sears leasing a smaller space.<br /><br />I really can't imagine anyone having serious plans for the Plaza Paseo location. The new owners, if are some, will probably have to lease the space to Sears or have the space go vacant. The San Jacinto space will probably be brought up by Fidelis in order to better facilitate the redevelopment. Whether Sears would be brought back as a leasing tenant, who knows. Deerbrook is an unfortunate situation and I fear that Sears will either close there or will be forced to downsize. I can't really speak for the Parkdale and San Antonio situations. <br /><br />So, yeah, hopefully this isn't the end of the line for the Deerbrook Mall Sears. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8028753244746628643.post-16447708161808621822018-04-09T22:11:35.127-05:002018-04-09T22:11:35.127-05:00Cleveland does look like a bit of a time warp. Th...Cleveland does look like a bit of a time warp. That said, it does have some interesting retail aspects that are now long gone from Houston. The RadioShack looks like it used to be called a RadioShack Dealer, but now has it’s own name. Perhaps RadioShack franchises are doing this as the RadioShack name itself is somewhat useless. I’m guessing they are still selling RadioShack products though. <br /><br />It would be interesting to stop by these retro Cleveland grocery stores one time. The last time I went to a HEB with a tile floor was the 249 and Louetta HEB Pantry store that briefly existed in an ex-Safeway/AppleTree/Randall’s location in the very early 2000s that is now Stein Mart. Before that, I think the last HEB I went to with floor coverings was one in Austin in the 1990s. <br /><br />I didn’t realize that there were videos about the Moon Township Super Kmart. I’ll have to watch those. Thanks for the information. The store had kind of a strange location on a hill. It was very clean for a Kmart and I enjoyed shopping there. It was kind of plain looking like all 1990s Kmarts. I thought the grocery selection and prices were better than what I’ve seen at Super Targets. I could see myself doing my grocery shopping there if I lived in the area. The deli foods also seemed good. The Mall at Robinson is nearby and I visited that as well. I went to the Sears there. It must be one of the newest mall Sears in the country since it probably opened with the mall in 2002. <br /><br />You’re right that Sears and Kmart do not need this bad publicity from the data breach especially since this isn’t the first problem Sears has had in that regard. Hopefully it won’t hurt them very much. Perhaps the fact that it happened with other higher profile businesses like Delta and Best Buy will soften the blow. <br /><br />Deerbrook Mall got off to a bit of a slow start in the 1980s, but it’s been one of the top malls in Houston ever since. I doubt the mall is suffering too much these days. I’m sure whatever changes the mall is making will be complete for Back to School and Christmas shopping this year. We’ll have to see what happens. It’s been a while since I’ve been to Willowbrook Mall. I should probably stop by there one of these days to see what’s new. I noticed that they put new signs for the mall by the entrances. The old signs were original to the mall with some modifications over the years.<br /><br />It’s unfortunate that you were not able to get any photos from Katy Mills. It might be interesting to blog about the Books-A-Million there since it’s the only one left in this area. That might make for an interesting post. I'd really be interested in knowing the state of their music department. Anyway, at least the renovation isn’t too far along so you’ll be able to get some photos at some other time. <br /><br />I was in the Greenspoint area this weekend myself and had a look at the mall. You’re right that the ex-Macy’s is in bad shape on the outside. This was the case when the store was still open, but it really needed a power washing on the outside. It’s become greenish. The labelscar areas are cleaner and really show the difference. It’s a shame that people are vandalizing the property. <br /><br />I recently read an article discussing how someone is trying to <a href="http://www.pennlive.com/business/index.ssf/2018/03/kb_toys.html" rel="nofollow">bring back KB Toys</a>. There might be space in the market for that given Toys R Us’ problems. I don’t know if these will be mall stores still or what. Kay-Bee have to be price competitive to carve out a niche for themselves against Walmart and Target.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8028753244746628643.post-68570945346636764912018-04-08T22:34:32.155-05:002018-04-08T22:34:32.155-05:00The Sears Hometown is on the NE edge of Cleveland....The Sears Hometown is on the NE edge of Cleveland. I have never been inside but I have passed by the store a few times. There are some retro stores in the area, I went inside of the HEB one time briefly. I might have to check out the Radio Shack the next time I am in the area. It is right by the HEB.<br /><br />The Moon Township Kmart was documented very well on YouTube. WallieB26 and especially Channel Boogaloo did a lot of videos from that store. I visited the Humble Super Kmart a lot when they first opened, but slowly stopped visiting as frequently.<br /><br />The news from Sears and Best Buy was not good. Sears has had issues with Kmart data breaches recently so this does not help at all.<br /><br />Several stores have moved around into newly renovated locations in the mall. I hope that the mall continues to grow and lure new tenants. Deerbrook has been a strong performer for years and usually after Christmas there is some turnover. <br /><br />I actually went to Katy Mills this weekend, but it was too busy to photograph. I try to get photos without drawing attention to myself and with as few people as possible. I will probably go back on a weekday night so I can get good photos of the neon inside. It was just a bad day to get any good photos.<br /><br />I did take some photos on the way back home of the Greenspoint Mall anchors. I updated the Macy's article with my photos of that store. I will combine the other images with a future Greenspoint Mall update post. The former Macy's has already fallen into disrepair with broken windows and graffiti on the building. <br /><br />It would not be a bad idea to buy out some of those neighborhoods and get people out of those constantly flooding properties. Vintage Park is a very nice place, so I think it would be alright if some of the local population had to leave. jehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08642257521152353045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8028753244746628643.post-51952768583924818402018-04-07T23:31:20.606-05:002018-04-07T23:31:20.606-05:00I wonder if SHOS will keep the Sears name if Sears...I wonder if SHOS will keep the Sears name if Sears ever goes under. It might become a tainted name, but maybe not. It'll be interesting to see where Sears Hometown stores get their inventory from should Sears itself go under. <br /><br />Speaking of Sears Hometown stores, I recently went onto Google Maps to look at what the Cleveland, TX, Sears Hometown store looks like. It's nothing special I guess, but I also looked at the Google photos for the Brookshire Brothers and HEB groceries in Cleveland. Both are really retro, but seem to be in good condition. The BB still has some neon and the HEB looks like it might be in a former Safeway or something where not much was changed when HEB moved in. It even still has a white vinyl tile floor! I'm not sure when the last time was where I saw an HEB with actual floor coverings. I also looked at the RadioShack franchise store in Cleveland on Google Maps and it looks like it's operating out of a tool shed or something. Cleveland isn't exactly known as the most cosmopolitan place though so at least they have an electronics store. <br /><br />I never got as excited about Super Kmarts as some others did. While Super Kmarts were the first of the big 3 to bring supercenter stores in Houston, none of the big 3 could match the impressiveness of Auchan which predated the Super Kmarts. Plus, we didn't have any Super Kmarts in NW Houston just as we don't have any Super Targets. I would shop at the Westheimer Super Kmart at times though and I think I went to the Humble store at least once or twice. It should be said that the last Kmart I stepped foot in was the Super Kmart in Moon Township, PA, in 2011 and it was a nice looking Kmart. So, yeah, it's sad to see the last one go, but it's kind of a surprise that the last one hung on for this long.<br /><br />Almost all of the retail in Lufkin is condensed in a small area. Perhaps Kmart's garden center there was getting too much competition from Walmart, Home Depot, and Lowe's plus any other local stores. These days, even Kroger and HEB get into the garden business during the spring. Anyway, I'm glad that Kmart has maintained garden centers at least some of their stores. I used to buy a lot of K-gro products back in the day. In fact, I remember seeing some K-gro products at Sears Hardware just a couple of years ago. <br /><br />I read that some Sears online customers and Best Buy customers are being impacted by a data breach caused by a third party contractor. It doesn't sound like it affected a lot of people, but it's hardly the kind of publicity that Sears needs right now. Hopefully this won't cause them any problems since it doesn't sound like it was even their fault.<br /><br />I suspect Deerbrook Mall is reorganizing the stores in order to open a new junior anchor or something of that sort. That said, I have not heard anything. It'll probably be exciting news for Deerbrook, but I'm sure there are some anxious feelings while people wait to see what happens because there's always a chance that the plans might backfire. Hopefully everything will work out and the mall is attracting first-tier retailers. <br /><br />The current mall trends have been for more plain looking designs. Thus, it's no surprise to see Katy Mills go in that direction. It would be nice if they kept a little bit of the old decor somewhere kind of like what Northwest Mall did with that one corridor, but I suspect that Katy Mills will get a full makeover. Hopefully you can document the mall one last time before the changes.<br /><br />The Vintage probably does well due to the HP employees nearby, but I hear HP is looking to move at least some of those employees due to the constant flooding in that area. Hopefully that won't hurt The Vintage too much. It's still a nice place to live so I think those expensive houses in the area will still find tenants even if the HP people leave. I ate at a local French restaurant there that I really liked and it wasn't too expensive. It was a pretty casual place.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8028753244746628643.post-21672594971457940512018-04-07T00:00:44.715-05:002018-04-07T00:00:44.715-05:00It is not a bad move for SHOS preparing for Sears ...It is not a bad move for SHOS preparing for Sears demise. While the Sears name has a lot of history in America and elsewhere, it may be difficult to stay in business if the main company goes under. <br /><br />Speaking of stores going under, the last Super Kmart is closing this weekend. There will be several Youtubers meeting up there so the last day will be well documented.<br /><br />The Lufkin Kmart had their plants in the front of the store, but the outdoor section of the garden shop had been closed for years. I guess it was a little harder to sell outdoor items in a more rural city.<br /><br />Speaking of GGP malls, Deerbrook has all of a sudden lost several stores. Somewhere around 15 spaces are now vacant. A huge block of stores is vacant with sheetrock up, with ads for other mall stores. I wonder if they are putting stores together for H&M or another retailer. Several stores have moved into new locations or remodeled their stores so for now it looks like the mall is in a small transition. <br /><br />Speaking of malls, I finally looked up the Katy Mills photos. It looks like they are going to go with a much plainer look. I wish they would leave some of the corridors untouched, but they mentioned all of the neon and vibrant colors are going. <br /><br />That Brazilian steakhouse in Vintage Park looked good, but pricey. The Northeast side of town has nothing like Vintage Park. There are a few very small "town centers" like that, but they don't have much to offer. <br /><br />A few gas stations in outskirts of the East side of town have new Checkers as well. I have not tried one either since their return. I was not very impressed with their restaurants in Louisiana and Beaumont.jehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08642257521152353045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8028753244746628643.post-48581855043855331952018-03-31T01:43:05.219-05:002018-03-31T01:43:05.219-05:00Eddie Lampert's big online gamble might have p...Eddie Lampert's big online gamble might have paid off if Sears really invested in their online store, but the site really hasn't changed in several years now and some of the brands that might draw people to their website, like those Craftsman garden tools, are no longer there. Oh well.<br /><br />I recently read an article indicating that <a href="https://seekingalpha.com/article/4159047-misunderstood-sears-hometown-confused-near-death-sears-holdings-offers-massive-upside" rel="nofollow">things are looking up for SHOS</a>. Their Sears Outlet stores are doing well since they've become the main dumping point for damaged appliances from all the major brands including some that Sears themselves no longer sells. Interestingly, the article mentions that SHOS is slowly eliminating their Hardware and Appliance & Mattress stores. The Hardware thing is not a surprise, we see how those stores have shrunk here in this market. The Appliance & Mattress thing is interesting though. That should be a booming segment for them, but maybe the main Sears wants to take that segment over. Maybe they want to open Hometown stores with more departments. It would be nice if some areas of Houston got Hometown stores, but maybe they'll stick to smaller towns for now (Alvin has, or at least had, a Hometown store). Also, the article mentions that SHOS is starting to use a new IT infrastructure different from Sears' system. That should allow for smoother operations should the main Sears close or something like that. I wonder if there's any chance that SHOS might take over Sears as we know it, but Lampert is a big investor in both businesses.<br /><br />I think it was a big mistake for Kmart to eliminate their garden centers when the relocated to the ex-Venture stores here in Houston. Their garden centers were decent and I remember buying things like soil from there. I think Kmart realized that the lack of garden centers were a mistake and would try to put some popular plants out in front of the store, but that wasn't quite as convincing as the outdoor garden centers the older Kmarts had/have. <br /><br />You're right about GGP being a mixed bag. I think they got lucky in the Houston market because they were able to take over a strong core of Homart malls that Sears had wisely built. Some of these malls don't need great management to do well, they are just in great locations. For malls that need great management, well, I'm not sure if GGP is able to provide what those malls need.<br /><br />It's hard to say what will happen to Fiesta stores. I wonder if their new owners might stop using Grocers Supply. If so, that could impact places like Food Town and Sellers Brothers as I'm sure GS relies on Fiesta's buying power to get better deals from suppliers. We'll see what happens, but it's probably worth photographing the interesting Fiestas while you still have a chance.<br /><br />Vintage Park is nice, but it's not your usual lifestyle center. Many, if not most, of the businesses/restaurants in there seem to be local businesses or small chains. That, combined with the layout, gives it a cozy feel. The traditional chain stores are in separate shopping centers surrounding the walkable part. I have eaten at a couple of restaurants at Vintage Park and they are very good. <br /><br />I know we've talked about this before, but it seems like <a href="https://www.chron.com/business/real-estate/article/Retail-wrap-Checkers-burger-chain-ramps-up-12791604.php" rel="nofollow">Checkers is continuing their Houston expansion</a>. I guess this is a sign that things are going well for them. I still have not eaten at one since their return, but having more locations will make it more likely for me to eat there. Still, none of the slated locations are really close to me, but I guess one might be near North Oaks Mall. It seems like it might be on the ex-Wendy's property that closed a couple years ago if I have the address correct. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8028753244746628643.post-74643833374197646882018-03-30T16:56:15.682-05:002018-03-30T16:56:15.682-05:00Eddie is the perfect salesperson for a failing com...Eddie is the perfect salesperson for a failing company. He is able to BS everyone, but he can't BS his way out of running out of money when/if that happens. <br /><br />The Kmart in Lake Charles still has a good garden section. That store definitely has more than Target carries. When I go back sometime in the future, I will see what kind of tools they offer now.<br /><br />I hope we don't lose our last vintage Sears store on Shepard. That red neon sign is so awesome to see. The store is also a throwback inside as you know. I know Memorial City is older as well, but it looks like a new store inside and out.<br /><br />Gordmans can do well here especially since Stage stores has huge buying power. I hope we get one somewhere close by to check out.<br /><br />I did not now about Fiesta changing hands. Looking at the Bodega store photos online, the stores look similar to the newer designed Fiesta stores. I would not be surprised if the neon goes in favor of bold standard signage. It would be a loss if the 80's vibe was taken away from the stores, but it is what it is.<br /><br />GGP was a mixed bag, here in Houston they had some of the more successful malls. In other places it was hit or miss. Hopefully they do a good job maintaining these properties unlike Moonbeam (aka Mall killer)lol. <br /><br />It is not worth a trip, there is nothing there you can't find anywhere else in the area. I have only been twice and one time was just to visit a restaurant. I do like the lifestyle center Vintage Park off of 249 and Louetta. It is more of an experience than a boring wannabe mall. <br />jehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08642257521152353045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8028753244746628643.post-22940013978754945682018-03-27T22:50:39.135-05:002018-03-27T22:50:39.135-05:00I read that Eddie Lampert story as well. It's...I read that Eddie Lampert story as well. It's a bizarre story about a bizarre man and a bizarre business, that's for sure. I think Lampert's quote about Kmart needing Sears was more of a historical comment about Lampert's thinking at around the time of the merger. It sounds like Lampert wanted to make Kmart (I guess Sears Essentials) into a mid-tier compliment to Walmart rather than a competitor. Sears had the brands and products to do that, but the implementation was terrible. We see the end result.<br /><br />It's very disappointing to see Sears and Craftsman drop such a classic Sears department such as garden hand tools. I've purchased a lot of Craftsman garden tools in recent years and have been pleased with them. I guess Kmart must sell other brands of garden tools. I wonder how Kmart's lawn & garden departments do compared to other stores. Target does not compete in this area and the ex-Venture Kmart that existed near me did not have a garden center, but some Kmarts still have full outdoor/indoor garden centers.<br /><br />My guess is that we'll see some more prominent Sears/Kmart locations close in order to pay for those pensions. Hopefully none of the stores in the region will be impacted.<br /><br />Hopefully Stage will have success with Gordmans. In fact, I could see some more Palais Royals becoming Gordmans due to the success those closeout stores have. The picture of the Gordmans in the story looks more upscale than a Ross or TJMaxx, but maybe that's because it's in a former Palais Royal.<br /><br />In other local retail news, the Fiesta chain was sold to a Hispanic grocer from California called Bodega Latina Corp. Bodega themselves seems to be owned by a Mexican company called Chedraui. I wonder if Fiesta will remain independently operated or if Bodega will make changes. Perhaps they'll get new private abel good if nothing else. Anyway, you may want to expedite any visits to photograph Fiesta stores because who knows what the new owners will do. They may want to standardize Fiestas using their own designs ala Randall's and Safeway.<br /><br />Mall operator GGP was also brought out. Brookfield Property Partners will take over GGP. We'll have to see what impact this might have at Willowbrook, Deerbrook, Baybrook, First Colony, and The Woodlands Malls.<br /><br />I think I remember the existence of that Pearland center, but nobody talks about it even though I don't work all that far from it. That center would have generated a lot more buzz if it was an indoor mall. Oh well, I have no desire to visit that center in Pearland. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8028753244746628643.post-41171625646602441882018-03-27T03:57:18.386-05:002018-03-27T03:57:18.386-05:00Gordmans opening a store here in Houston is a huge...Gordmans opening a store here in Houston is a huge surprise. It is one of the first times that a chain opens here before opening in Dallas first. Since Stage is based here in Houston we finally get a new retailer here. Even though this is not the first Texas location, it will be the only one for now. <br /><br />That lifestyle center in Pearland where Macy's is located is not anything special. There is a Dillard's and big box tenants alongside a mix of mall based and local stores. I still wonder why they did not build an enclosed mall there Houston gets way too hot during the Summer to shop outside. <br /><br />I did not think about the Lovie Smith contract, they probably are still paying him. I agree with the Redskins comparison, they are both dysfunctional franchises. Tampa has only had 3 winning seasons in the past 10 years with no playoff appearances during that time. 2007 was their last playoff appearance. Their last playoff win was the Superbowl. jehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08642257521152353045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8028753244746628643.post-45995147318221978382018-03-27T03:41:46.404-05:002018-03-27T03:41:46.404-05:00Maybe some good electronics coupons would help to ...Maybe some good electronics coupons would help to bring people back in.<br /><br />That is strange that Sears has downsized one of their better departments. I wonder why they are not carrying those items any longer. Kmart in Lake Charles still has a very good selection of garden items, so you would think Sears would as well. <br /><br />I wonder what kind of tricks Lampert has up his sleeve to keep Sears going in 2018. I read that the stores they were going to sell for pension plans were approved. I wonder which ones the are going to sell. I also read an article at the Business Insider page that Eddie Lampert does not think Kmart can survive without Sears. <br /><br />The reopening of stores after Harvey seems to draw big crowds for a while. I am not sure how long that will last before things get back to normal. <br /><br />Speaking of Harvey damaged businesses.... The Bed Bath and Beyond in Humble is reopening. They are fixing the store up with a now hiring banner up front. It looks like the rumors of businesses not returning are false since the rest of the closed businesses have banners advertising they are reopening soon. Well all except for Toys R Us. The equipment appears to have been pulled that was set up for the remodel and the store is now dark. I can only hope that if US stores are saved by toy companies, this will be one of them. If not maybe Goodwill or another large thrift retailer will move in. <br /><br />I will need to check prices better when they are being scanned. A busy place can be very distracting so you just want to get in and out most times. jehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08642257521152353045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8028753244746628643.post-67844723418045169052018-03-25T23:31:34.432-05:002018-03-25T23:31:34.432-05:00Part II:
I recently read that Gordmans is coming ...Part II:<br /><br />I recently read that Gordmans is coming to Houston. Well, Rosenberg specifically. Their owner, Stage Stores (Palais Royal), <a href="https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/article/Stage-Stores-shopping-for-bargain-hunters-in-12774741.php" rel="nofollow">closed one of their stores and is re-opening it as a Gordmans</a>. This will allow them to try out concepts and such near their headquarters. That makes sense. Plus, as the article alludes to, it keeps them competitive in the fierce and growing closeout fashion sector.<br /><br />On that note, the same article mentions that Macy's Backstage will also be opening their first Houston store in space carved out of the Pearland Macy's. I actually didn't know (or forgot) that there is a Macy's in Pearland. I suppose those non-mall stores are very easy to overlook.<br /><br />Tampa might still be paying Lovie Smith so maybe they didn't want to pay two fired coaches. It's been years since Tampa has been so bad that they were like Cleveland (though they had many seasons like that), but it's been a long time since they've been a strong team as well. You're right that their Super Bowl team was really their last team that really did anything worth talking about. They are kind of like the Redskins of the NFC South. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8028753244746628643.post-56251661531054039102018-03-25T23:25:14.389-05:002018-03-25T23:25:14.389-05:00TVs certainly seem to be back at Sears. I'm g...TVs certainly seem to be back at Sears. I'm glad to hear that the Deerbrook Mall Sears has refilled their TV selection. I noticed in the weekly ad this week that they gave a whole page or two for TVs and electronics (they had a big picture of a Samsung TV). Hopefully the departments will expand from here and Sears can market that they are back in the electronics business. Some people might have written them off for electronics purchases, they need to let people know that they are back.<br /><br />Although Sears gives us some good news in one area, there's bad news in another. I was thinking about buying a new garden hand tool. Sears sent me a juicy Freecash coupon to use in the garden department so I went online to see what tools they have like I want. They used to have a few different options as late as last year. Well, it turns out that they no longer sell things like hedge clippers and garden shears in the store and the Craftsman tools they had for those lines have been discontinued even online. They did have some stuff online, but they are from brands I'm not familiar with. I would have brought a Craftsman tool without question if they had it (even if I had to order it online), but now I'm kind of doubtful. It's sad to see garden hand tools go at Sears because I see that stuff as being their bread and butter. I don't know what they've replaced that stuff with on the sales floor if anything. Maybe more outdoor furniture or lawn mowers, I don't know.<br /><br />You're probably right that they are targeting older shoppers. That's not a bad move. At least one demographic might be excited about the new fashion lines at Sears. If more people shop there, maybe they can eventually get younger people in the stores as well. Hopefully it works well. I assume these lines have been selling decently at Kmart to keep them around for so long.<br /><br />As far as I know, Sears and Lampert own a big chunk of SHOS already. Perhaps they can push SHOS to help them with franchising. If nothing else, I wonder if Lampert would ever consider merging SHOS and Sears to help matters. They don't have a lot of money to do that, but Lampert could always help with his own money.<br /><br />Yeah, I rarely see kids at Randall's even when I go there during the day. I must admit that the lack of kids makes it more enjoyable to shop there. It's kind of funny how men seem to gravitate to Randall's. It's probably not because they love Randall's, but rather because it's a quiet place to shop, it's easy to figure out where things are, and they are conveniently located in many neighborhoods. <br /><br />I'm sure that the Champions Flagship Randall's got a boost in business when the Champions Kroger was closed due to Harvey, but it's open once again now. I wonder how that Randall's is doing. It's certainly one of the oldest grocery stores in this area that's still open as a grocery store (I think it used to be a Handy Andy before in the early 1970s, but I'm not 100% sure about that). <br /><br />I shopped at HEB this weekend. It was super packed, but that's no surprise. The prices were good and the quality of the non-produce products I brought were good too (produce is a different story), but the cash register rang the wrong prices (higher prices at that) on two of the ~8 products I purchased. That's not a good sign and it's not something I've had a problem with at HEBs before. I don't know if that's a fluke or what, but wrong prices will cause me to shop there less frequently than I already do if they happen again even if their prices are good assuming they scan correctly. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8028753244746628643.post-63153612981248500132018-03-25T19:20:45.785-05:002018-03-25T19:20:45.785-05:00I dropped by the Deerbrook Sears yesterday and the...I dropped by the Deerbrook Sears yesterday and they refilled their small TV wall. The rest of the department looked the same, but they were down to only 2 TV's at one point. Fingers crossed that they will continue to expand their electronics departments again. Sears really needs to take a look at their former stores in Mexico to see how department stores attract people. <br /><br />Maybe the new fashion line will help Sears. I am guessing the new clothing line targets the older shoppers that are more likely to shop at Sears.<br /><br />Sears would have to grow the new stores fast if they want to have another valuable asset to spin off and help their main brand. Maybe they will franchise these stores at some point and earn money that way.<br /><br />You are right, I also see very few families in Randall's on my trips to their stores. Kroger and HEB seem to get the female shoppers attention, and for some reason Randall's appeals to the male shopper. <br /><br />Tampa's coach did not earn another season, but they decided to keep him on board this year. Ever since their Superbowl season, they have struggled to put together winning teams. jehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08642257521152353045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8028753244746628643.post-80793063272623242182018-03-24T23:53:36.919-05:002018-03-24T23:53:36.919-05:00It is good to see Sears' rethink their electro...It is good to see Sears' rethink their electronics departments. It's hard to know whether Sears will commit to electronics for good now or backtrack once again. They introduced the Kenmore TVs with a lot of fanfare, but then got rid of them pretty soon after a couple of years ago. Hopefully Sears will stick with electronics now and will be considered a place to shop for electronics by the general public.<br /><br />I noticed that Sears is starting to get some of Kmart's well-known brands. They are now selling Jaclyn Smith's fashion lines at Sears. I'm not sure how much her name resonates with modern shoppers, but I'm guessing Kmart must have some success with her lines if they've kept her around. I'm not counting on her providing any kind of huge boost, but maybe something positive will come out of it.<br /><br />The odd thing about Sears' Appliance & Mattress stores is that SHOS already has a similar franchised concept. Thus, I'm not sure how Sears would be able to spin it off again unless SHOS wants to buy it out. Anyway, Sears needs to expand the number of these stores (either themselves or through SHOS) as there are a lot of very successful neighborhoods around the country, including Houston, that no longer have full-line Sears stores. Sears will not be able to sell appliances to these customers without these stores.<br /><br />One thing I prefer about Randall's over Kroger is that Randall's actually has clerks working during the late night hours. At Kroger, often the self-checkout lines are the only open registers late at night. I guess the counterpoint to that is that Kroger has self-checkout lines and Randall's and HEB don't for those who prefer that option. But, yeah, shopping at night is a much better experience. One thing about Randall's is that it seems to be the official grocery store of unaccompanied male shoppers. It seems like a large percentage of the people I see shopping at Randall's are professional looking men by themselves. I suppose men appriciate the ease of navigating Randall's without dealing with the crowds that are sure to be seen at places like HEB. Of course, the fact that Randall's are usually located in better neighborhoods probably helps in that regard too.<br /><br />You're right that Tampa is dysfunctional. I don't know why they would make the JPP trade. He doesn't seem worth a high 3rd round pick at all. Oh well, I'm sure the rest of the NFC South will laugh at them and take their incompetence. Tampa is one of those teams that should play better than their record indicates given the players they have, but they seem to be stuck in mediocrity. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8028753244746628643.post-58634703559513129252018-03-24T00:51:14.584-05:002018-03-24T00:51:14.584-05:00I am more of a fan of shopping in the later hours ...I am more of a fan of shopping in the later hours as well. Too many people get in the way during peak hours. <br /><br />I may visit that Fiesta sometime in the future again. My new cell phone camera does a better job of capturing images for the blog. <br /><br />The late 90's, very early 2000's wild color styles did not age well. The exterior of Katy Mills was very faded and needed a new paint job badly. I do hope they keep the neon near the cinema but I doubt that will happen.<br /><br />Tampa is such a dysfunctional franchise, that I doubt JPP will help. The Giants got a great deal for a pick that should be ready to start in 2018.jehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08642257521152353045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8028753244746628643.post-42184633369456570522018-03-24T00:36:10.539-05:002018-03-24T00:36:10.539-05:00Yes, I saw that article about this as well. I am g...Yes, I saw that article about this as well. I am glad to see that management at Sears realized the mistake they made by mostly eliminating electronics. I wonder if they will try to spin off the Appliance and Mattress format stores to try and raise cash.jehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08642257521152353045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8028753244746628643.post-60192960918156117072018-03-23T17:38:50.256-05:002018-03-23T17:38:50.256-05:00I used to work in The Woodlands and would shop at ...I used to work in The Woodlands and would shop at some of the stores in the Sawdust shopping centers you mentioned. I think I've been to that Big Lots, but I don't have any particular memories of it other than the retro exterior. There is/was a used bookstore near there where I brought a few old sports programs that they would sell at the events. Most of all, I would shop regularly at the Goodwill in the 1990s ex-Kmart that you mentioned. I didn't realize that Kmart closed at such a young age, but perhaps they were able to get out of a lot of leases when they started moving many of their stores to ex-Ventures. I had some good finds at that Goodwill. Once, I ended up buying two cassette decks from there during one visit (one being a vintage JCPenney MCS Series deck of decent quality). That was the only time I've managed to buy multiple cassette decks during one thrift store visit. I have not been there since 2013 though. There used to be a Whataburger training center next to the Goodwill, but I don't know if that's still there.<br /><br />The modern Randall's stores are far off of the Randall's of the 1980s or early 1990s, that's for sure. There really isn't a modern grocer in Houston that can compare to those Randall's stores though. I still like the modern Randall's stores as long as I buy what's on sale. The stores have logical designs and the product quality is generally good. They aren't nearly as crowded as HEBs, but I have heard that some Randall's have really long lines during peak hours. I usually do my grocery shopping in the evenings though. There's been times at various Randall's where I feel like I have the entire store to myself, but I'm not sure if one can get that feeling at an HEB even at 12am. I do like Kroger stores too though especially if it's a store that doesn't have those hideous concrete floors (some concrete floor-shod Krogers are worse than others though). <br /><br />On another note, I visited the Willowbrook Mall area Fiesta recently and can confirm that it hasn't changed at all. That store might be worth covering in the blog since it's a store that's untouched from the late 1980s, but still feels rather modern and unique even with the neon.<br /><br />I have not been in or near Katy Mills in many years now, but I got a sense when it opened that the interior would not age well with it's very 1990s looking design. Compare that to Willowbrook Mall's interior from 1992 that still looks modern. <br /><br />I'm shocked that the Giants were able to get a 3rd round pick for JPP. That's a great trade for the Giants. It won't give them much cap relief this year, but it'll allow them to re-sign Beckham and Landon Collins next year. I really like the idea of drafting the DE Chubb now, but I'm thinking they can do that on a trade down. As for Tampa, I don't know why they value JPP so much. He's still a productive, but declining player who has a ton of money owed to him. He might help them in 2018, but I think they'll regret this trade in the long run.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8028753244746628643.post-51423534745457360542018-03-23T13:02:20.848-05:002018-03-23T13:02:20.848-05:00Thanks for that breakdown of that stretch of The W...Thanks for that breakdown of that stretch of The Woodlands. jehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08642257521152353045noreply@blogger.com