Swamplot Archives by Category: Retail

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Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Midsummer Afternoon Plumbing Supply Reverie

August 26, 2009 – 3:38 pm
   

“. . . I swear to you — some plumber supply places got it going on. We needed a new water heater and some parts that go with that for the new tenant. So I headed out to find the proper supplies. There’s a couple different plumbing supply places that I’ve seen this set up at now: a long countertop with stools in front of it. People sit on the stools and chat with people on the other side of the counter about all sorts of stuff. It looks like a bar. The place I went to today had the coolest barstools too. They were old metal barstools with white vinyl seats that said ‘Rheem Water Heater’ on them. They’re all beat up and worn. The place is an old building in the warehouse district. It’s hot - there’s no A/C. A warehouse door pulled up lets an all too infrequent summer breeze blow in. The floor is old wood panel that had seen rough wear for years. The men behind the counter were older, smoking, and turn on polite charm for me, a woman, looking for some odd part. I want to hang out here, talk about the job, the work site. Things I can’t do because I have no idea about any of it. But it looks fun. I know I’m romanticizing it. But I imagine tall tales get told here: competitive stories about who found the grossest thing come out of a clogged pipe, or weird disaster jobs with insane and creative resolutions on the fly.” [Dog Food Sugar]

3:38 pm | 7 Comments | Read more about Neighborhoods: Warehouse District, Quicklink, Retail
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Monday, August 17, 2009

Alabama Bookstop Theater: The Balcony Is Closed for This Performance

August 17, 2009 – 11:07 am

You were maybe planning to stop by the Bookstop in the old Alabama Theater on Shepherd for one last browse before the store closes on September 15th? Do a little clearance-sale shopping, grab a coffee up on the balcony and look out over that live-on-stage magazine stand?

It may be a little too late for that now. On the Houston Press Twitter feed this weekend, Katharine Shilcutt reported that the upper levels of the store are already cleared and closed . . . for good.

Photo: Houston Press

11:07 am | 6 Comments | Read more about Commercial Real Estate, Historic Preservation, Neighborhoods: Upper Kirby, Openings and Closings, Retail, Shopping Centers, Strip Centers
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Friday, August 14, 2009

And Now, a Brief Interlude While We Scrub Off the Filth and Grime

August 14, 2009 – 11:51 am

Video: JL Watkins

11:51 am | Add a Comment | Read more about Retail, Weather
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Party at Arne’s

August 14, 2009 – 11:23 am

Arne’s Warehouse Store — that 5-building, 2-story maze of party decorations, pet supplies, and small appliances tucked into the embattled warehouse district at the base of the Heights just west of the First Ward — reopened yesterday, almost a year after being hit hard by Hurricane Ike. How hard?

The building that houses Arne’s inventory and staff offices suffered the brunt of the damages – two of its walls were blown down – and the warehouse roof was torn off by the strong winds of the storm, as well. The interior of the store, which is made entirely of wood, and all the products inside got wet, so all goods were purchased by other vendors, thrown out or destroyed. . . .

Although most of the store was in a workable condition, Arne’s was forced to close because it could not function properly without the inventory section. The necessary repairs were made to the warehouse, and the office building was rebuilt.

Photo of Arne’s, 2830 Hicks St., after Hurricane Ike: Paul McRae

11:23 am | 2 Comments | Read more about Disaster Aftermath, Neighborhoods: First Ward, Openings and Closings, Retail
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Wednesday, August 12, 2009

The New Farmers Market in Spring Branch

August 12, 2009 – 3:12 pm

It’s a Wednesday, about 3 o’clock, which means it’s time for Houston’s newest — and probably smallest — “farmer’s” market, in a corner of the parking lot at the School of the Woods Montessori school, 1321 Wirt Rd. at Westview, in Hilshire Village. It’ll last until 6. Yelper Aeryk P. says the market started out pretty small a few weeks ago. He found:

Village Botanica’s produce and meat, Quick-n-ezee’s Indian food, Shirley Ann’s pies and [quiche], Barky Dogz natural dog treats, Katz’s Coffee, Trentino’s Gelato and CareKindly’s environmentally friendly cleaning products.

Photo: School of the Woods

3:12 pm | 3 Comments | Read more about Neighborhoods: Hilshire Village, Neighborhoods: Spring Branch, Retail
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Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Okun Gets 100 Years; How Many for the West Oaks Mall?

August 11, 2009 – 11:54 am

High-stakes real estate swindler Edward H. Okun was sentenced last week in a Virginia courtroom to 100 years in prison for absconding with about $126 million in funds entrusted to his qualified intermediary company by 1031 exchange investors. Meanwhile, back on the corner of Westheimer and Highway 6, one of his former properties went up for sale.

Okun’s Investment Properties of America bought the West Oaks Mall for $110 million in 2005. The sellers of the bankrupt property might expect to get $20 million for the million-sq.-ft. mall today, reports Globe St.’s Amy Wolff Sorter:

The mall’s anchors include Dillard’s and Macy’s, which own their own space, and Sears, which is on a lease. [Holliday Fenoglio Fowler's Robert] Williamson says the Sears lease is up in 2010, but negotiations are underway to keep the retailer in place.

When Okun bought the mall from Somera Capital and CoastWood Capital a little less than four years ago, the asset was 95% leased, and sported $10 million worth of exterior and interior improvements. IPA had even larger plans for even more renovations on the 33-acre site, Williamson says.

Less than a year later, the owner was able to secure $86 million of permanent financing for the mall. Yet by late 2007, IPA had filed for bankruptcy protection to stave off foreclosure. Okun’s troubles and a failing economy dropped the mall’s occupancy to a little less than 70%.

How’s the mall looking these days?

Continue Reading This Story >

11:54 am | 4 Comments | Read more about 1031 Exchanges, Buildings for Sale, Commercial Real Estate, Foreclosures, Fraud, Leasing, Malls, Neighborhoods: Alief, Retail
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Friday, August 7, 2009

Comment of the Day: North Shepherd Automotive District Expansion Program

August 7, 2009 – 3:00 pm
   

“Forget Ross and Kroger….I’m excited about the new Auto Parts store that just put up a contruction sign up on 11th and Dorothy (across from Dragon Bowl). How exciting to have a third auto parts store within the 1/10th mile!!!” [biggerintexas, commenting on Opening Day: H-E-B Buffalo Market Stampede Begins]

3:00 pm | 6 Comments | Read more about Comments, Neighborhoods: Houston Heights, New Construction, Openings and Closings, Quicklink, Retail
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What H-E-B Got That Kroger Don’t Got: Working All the Angles in the West U Grocery Showdown

August 7, 2009 – 10:10 am
   

Reporting live from the Battle of Buffalo Speedway, Allison Wollam scrutinizes the new Buffalo Market arsenal: “’We are based in Texas so we have certain items that we know Texans eat,’ [H-E-B Houston president] McClelland says. ‘We have an inherent advantage because we know how Texans think better than a grocer based …. anywhere else would know.’ For example, McClelland points out that H-E-B carries a brisket that can be fully cooked in 45 minutes that garnered more than $25 million in revenue for the chain last year. The grocer also offers crawfish sushi as well as Texas-shaped cheese and hamburgers.” Plus, why campus might seem a bit tighter this year: “Because parking is also limited, the grocer has reached an agreement with nearby Rice University to allow its employees and vendors to park on the campus parking lot and be shuttled to the store.” [Houston Business Journal; previously on Swamplot]

10:10 am | 40 Comments | Read more about Neighborhoods: Rice University, Neighborhoods: West University, Parking, Quicklink, Retail
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Thursday, August 6, 2009

Comment of the Day: Secrets of the Discount Meat Shopper

August 6, 2009 – 3:20 pm
   

“One thing one Kroger’s has over any other store is the incredible markdowns on meat but I will never tell which one because then the place would be overwhelmed. Some of us keep charts. So we know what will be marked down when. . . .” [Matt, commenting on Opening Day: H-E-B Buffalo Market Stampede Begins]

3:20 pm | Add a Comment | Read more about Comments, Quicklink, Retail
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Alabama Bookstop Stop Date: September 15th

August 6, 2009 – 2:36 pm

That summer clearance sale that’s been going on at the Bookstop in the Alabama Theater Shopping Center on South Shepherd is uh, final. The store will be closing for good on September 15th. The new Barnes & Noble in the River Oaks Shopping Center on West Gray will be opening the next day (a bit sooner than was announced earlier), but no unsold books from the Bookstop location will be making the trip north.

So what happens to the Alabama Theater after then?

Continue Reading This Story >

2:36 pm | 24 Comments | Read more about Commercial Real Estate, Historic Preservation, Leasing, Openings and Closings, Renovations, Retail, Shopping Centers, Strip Centers
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Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Block 7: The Calm Before the Scene

August 5, 2009 – 6:01 pm

Alison Cook likes the recently opened Block 7 Wine Company:

The new venture, located in a smartly rehabbed appliance store on Shepherd just south of the Washington strip, combines retail wine sales with a wine bar that also functions as a restaurant. There’s a short, well-edited menu that will soon be expanded but which already looks and tastes promising.

The place looks smashing: airy and crisp and cool, all gunmetal greys and silvers, with black notes for ballast, a shimmer of glassware and a few bright pops of color.

I admired the vintage store fittings salvaged from the original appliance business and repurposed as a check-out desk, as well as the reasonable by-the-bottle prices and the distinct personality of the list, which does not try to be all things to all people.

Speaking of which:

From my window table, I could see Soma, the Japanese fusion and sushi spot on Washington at Shepherd, and I trembled to think of the ravening scenesters that might soon invade my little idyll.

Photo of checkout station, Block 7 Wine Co., 720 Shepherd Dr.: Alison Cook

6:01 pm | 9 Comments | Read more about Interiors, Openings and Closings, Renovations, Restaurants, Retail
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Opening Day: H-E-B Buffalo Market Stampede Begins

August 5, 2009 – 5:28 pm

Fresh from a first visit to the new butterfly-roofed, design-pedigreed H-E-B Market on Buffalo Speedway at Bissonnet — which opened to the public bright and early at 6 o’clock this morning — a reader writes in with a report:

There were uniformed traffic directing cops with loud whistles herding eager shoppers into the parking lot. In the entry way, I was greeted by HEB Buddy, some kind of a brown bag cartoon character. The store was packed and had a carnival-like atmosphere. HEB was well-prepared with quadruple staff greeting and answering questions. The buffalo speedway side seems to be more of the Central Market stuff, like Cafe On the Run, bakery, fish market, etc. And the rest of the store feels more like an HEB with Central Market products integrated throughout. As a regular shopper at Central Market, I think having some cheaper alternatives nearby will save me money.

More photos, plus . . . the downside:

Continue Reading This Story >

5:28 pm | 33 Comments | Read more about Neighborhoods: West University, New Construction, Openings and Closings, Retail
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Friday, July 24, 2009

Waiting for That Guaranty Bank Failure

July 24, 2009 – 4:16 pm
   

It’s sure looking like the 27 Houston branches of Austin’s Guaranty Bank, the second-largest publicly traded bank in Texas, are headed for an FDIC takeover — or maybe something more fun. “The company believes that it is probable that it will not be able to continue as a going concern,” the bank’s parent company noted in a recent regulatory filing. “Industry insiders have mentioned as many as four regional U.S. banks, including an undisclosed bank based in Houston, as being at the ready to scoop up Guaranty assets if the bank fails.” [Houston Business Journal]

4:16 pm | 3 Comments | Read more about Openings and Closings, Quicklink, Retail
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Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Antiques at Home: The Humble Corner Store

July 22, 2009 – 11:48 am

Waiting patiently on the market since last October: the landmark Old Humble Antiques & Collectibles shop at the corner of E. Main St. and N. Avenue C in downtown Humble — still available for the same ol’ price of just under $600K. Comes with a 3,500-sq.-ft. living space above, plus a 2-car garage with a separate apartment above it tucked around in back.

Listing photos still show a bit of Humble memorabilia inside. Is haggling allowed?

Continue Reading This Story >

11:48 am | 4 Comments | Read more about Buildings for Sale, Mixed Use, Neighborhoods: Humble, Retail
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Friday, July 17, 2009

Comment of the Day: Freeway Traffic Backups Bring the Customers

July 17, 2009 – 3:07 pm
   

“I visited the store the first weekend it was open, and overheard the general manager talking about how much more foot traffic the store is getting. He stated the obvious, which I’m surprised no one has commented on yet–think of the hundreds of thousands of people who are stuck in traffic every day on the elevated portion of 59 across from the store. The store’s sign is eye-level to those commuters (whereas it’s actually harder to see the stores on ground level), and you gotta think at least some of them are going to be interested in the store’s wares. Compare that to a low-profile location on Portwest that probably gets 1/10000th the traffic of 59. This is a rare case where being on the second floor of a strip center actually helps a company in Houston.” [Triprotic, commenting on The Finest Strip-Center Recital Hall in Houston]

3:07 pm | Add a Comment | Read more about Comments, Freeways and Toll Roads, Neighborhoods: Upper Kirby, Quicklink, Retail, Signage, Strip Centers, Traffic
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