Retail Watchers

The Walgreens locations in Houston and Austin have had signs up for months now warning that some medications are being filled (or will be filled) at central fill facilities. I assume this is happening at their North Texas distribution center near Waxahachie but I don’t know that for sure. Also … H‑E...

Where does this notion that Wegmans has an agreement with Giant Eagle to avoid Pittsburgh come from? Is it just an oft-repeated rumor? Because if true it would appear to violate antitrust laws.

Here in Texas, Randalls (part of Safeway/Albertsons) is closing on Christmas Day in Austin and Houston. It’s the first time I can recall them not being open. In both markets, they had typically been the only major grocer to welcome shoppers on 12/25. Stores were typically busy, too.

It appears the days could be numbered for the Champions Village Randalls in Houston, one of their most profitable stores. The shopping center on FM 1960 is for sale and marketing materials indicate the store’s lease ends in 2024 with no remaining options. The flyer says Randalls is paying “well belo...

Randalls customers no longer need a Remarkable Card to get sales prices. Everyone now gets them automatically. They’ve plastered signs all over the Austin stores letting shoppers know. Not sure what prompted this decision at this time, but if they’re trying to be competitive … the time for that was ...

The liquidation sale has started at the West 35th Street Randalls in Austin. Gotta love that whopping 5% discount :lol: :lol: :lol: Starbucks closed. Floral closed. Pharmacy closes next Friday. They’ve already started their usual MO of shipping in random crap … unsold sports clothing and all the uns...

While I think Randalls sadly has a very limited future in Austin and especially Houston, I do know for a fact they were planning to remodel this store to Colorful Lifestyle. So they still had faith in it. An employee was geeking out and told me many months ago that he was pumped about the sushi kios...

Another Austin Randalls bites the dust. The lease ran out on the West 35th Street store and the land owner is going to demolish the building housing the store and replace it with a mixed-use development. Store is supposed to close for good in early November. https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/ce...

Just curious if any of my fellow shoppers who patronize the Albertsons/Safeway family of stores have ever seen the mythical 12-ounce Riley’s Brewing hand sanitizer they’ve offered for free each week for well over a month now. Here in Texas, the 2-ounce Pro Sanitize sanitizers also offered each week ...

Can kids that young even legally work?!?

Also … the Sonic near me has been out of the long Route 44 straws for days. They’re giving out regular straws that don’t even reach the bottom of the cup!