COMMENTS OF THE DAY: SELLING THE BEAUTY OF NORTH SHEPHERD 
“I can tell you for certain, that most typical national retailers would have a hard time jumping into the Shepherd/Durham corridor without some serious handholding. Regardless of what the demos might look like in the surrounding neighborhood, it’s tough to sell non-locals on being surrounded by cheap auto malls, pawn shops and tax-preparing locations.” And later: “At a previous job I was managing the Texas expansion for a large national retailer. Circa 2006 or so my Houston-based broker brought me a site in the neighborhood of Shepherd & Washington. I visited the site and told him no way. It was across from a pawn shop and had general junky retail around it. He eventually talked me into it. I took it to my boss. He rejected it and my broker and I had to talk him into it. We took it to my boss’s boss. She rejected it. My boss, my broker and I had to talk her into it. We sent it for approval to our local Operations manager. He had to be talked into it. When it went up for approval before the Real Estate committee, there was a big fight and only after much cajoling was it narrowly approved.
When that store finally opened, it was the #2 performing store in the chain.
It’s tough to get people to look outside the box, but sometimes it can be very rewarding.” [Drew J, commenting on Comment of the Day Runner-Up: Drying Out North Shepherd] Illustration: Lulu
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When that store finally opened, it was the #2 performing store in the chain.
DrewJ, thanks so much for your dedication. I can see why I did so well, that is probably the best Jack-in-the-Box in all of Houston.
Great post (sad I missed it originally). My properties that I’ve done the best with are ones that people said I was crazy to buy.
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Sometimes the crowd is stupid. Or a nicer way would be to say most people are far too risk adverse. I see it every day when I list properties for sale. The questions that people ask make me believe they will never take the leap to purchase something.
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This can relate to a lot of different things but I always tell him that there is no perfect property (investment). If there is a perfect property, is priced accordingly, which makes it not perfect anymore.
DrewJ thanks for that good response to my comment from someone within the industry. I agree with you, and as I noted last week, I think out of town/national retailers take one look at what is presently on Shepherd/Durham and run. It is hard for them to visualize that within a mile or two are scores of homes valued at $300k and up, mostly way up.
I’ll bet the Kroger folks aren’t upset with their investment in the Shepherd and 11th St. store. I am not in any relevant industry but the Lululemon crowd fills that place daily. The demographics of the neighborhood just to the east of there (where I live) are changing so rapidly that it’s hard to keep up with the bulldozers (and the home values).
I live in this area of the Heights. Screw the beautification, we need an HEB. The new ones I have been to are miles ahead of the Kroger on 11th.
Yes, when exactly was this post, that thread on North Shepherd died days ago. At any rate, it really doesn’t matter if we don’t know what his company was, or even if it’s a true story, if it is true, yeah, I’m betting it was ugh, Jack in the Box and I’ve seen those built in the ghetto
@WASP, I posted that yesterday in response to an article that was posted on Friday. But I’m glad you’re here to play forum cop for everyone.
I’m not going to say which retailer it was for (given confidentiality agreements that I may or may not have signed at one point in time), but why should that matter? You’re going to choose to believe me or not. The post wasn’t about, “Hey, there is a great performing Retailer X here!” It was about the process that retailers go through, and the challenges and rewards in transitioning areas.
And no, I’ve never worked for Jack in the Box. Looking at that store, I’d bet its been there for probably 20 years.
I can comment on what I please when I please. I thought the comment was vague and an odd pick by Swamplot and no I really don’t believe that story
That workout store? Or did that fail. I’ll have to drive by to make an informed guess.
Drew – good story and I can totally see it.
I believe the original Comment. And I’ve lived in Houston long enough to know that Jack In The Box has been there for quite a few years.
Guess who must have just moved here from Dallas?
shannon’s just jealous cause he posts on here like a million times a day (like seriously every time a thought pops into his head he posts it on here) and rarely gets picked for comment of the day.
WASP, did you eat Shannon?
Not that it matters, but my guess is that the OP may have been referencing the FedEx/Kinko’s location. There’s usually a line in there to ship a package that rivals any post office in town.
If HEB would buy the strip center on 20th and Yale and build an entirely new store there, it would make my life.
And no, I’ve never worked for Jack in the Box. Looking at that store, I’d bet its been there for probably 20 years.
Of course I was joking. It was that or El Rey, so I went for the biggest lulz. :) Thanks for the awesome comment, DrewJ.
@Ian I doubt HEB would buy the yale and 20th location since it would have to be dry, no? I would love an HEB in the GOOF area. I’m tired of driving to Bunker Hill
The reason why retailers are scared of Shepherd / Durham is because they are One Way Streets and only half of the cars on a regular street see the store.
This sounds like it’s from a text book. Also extremely laughable.