What Used To Be Where Auchan's Used To Be

[The Drake]

Other than Auchan's of course. I know the one in Southwest Houston used to be a Target or something, but the one in SE Loop 610?

[foxmulder]

A Grocery Store "Price buster" or something. There was a 50 off store on the side of the building.

[The Drake]

A Grocery Store "Price buster" or something. There was a 50 off store on the side of the building.

Oh gosh the memories

I kinda remember that store... Are the stores still around?

[sevfiv]

I believe the one on the South Loop/Wayside was a Target since the beginning (~1969) and the one on the west beltway was built in 1988/1989 for Auchan.

[Fringe]

The southwest Auchan on the Beltway was built new for the store. Remember the Beltway itself was new. Wasn't much around there at the time.

[rsb320]

I think it was just a field (BW8 store). That area was not as developed back then.

[samagon]

I think it was just a field (BW8 store). That area was not as developed back then.

This is correct, it was a field before Auchan.

[The Drake]

Oh, I was thinking of that Target by Sharpstown. Last time I went there was 12 years ago.

[little frau]

I used to shop at the 610/Wayside Target in the late 70s & early 80s. It always seemed to have plenty of customers so I was surprised when they closed that location.

It's a shame that such a large building just sits there unoccupied. There was a Wendy's in the front of their parking lot that hung on for years but last time I was over that way, I noticed that it is closed now.

[samagon]

Oh, I was thinking of that Target by Sharpstown. Last time I went there was 12 years ago.

Yeah, that, as far back as my memory serves, was always a target. I remember this very well because as a youth the smell of popcorn that greeted me at the front door was intoxicating.

[intencity77]

I believe the old Wayside Target initially had a grocery component to it when it opened. I heard that later Weingartens took over the grocery sections. I guess Target was too ahead of its day back then! I think the former Sharpstown, Almeda and Hedwig Village locations also had grocery sections as well. Can anyone confirm this?

[little frau]

The Almeda Target had a small food section but I wouldn't call it real groceries.

They had a limited selection of cereals, cookies, chips, maybe come canned soups etc, and soft drinks as well as a few other non perishables. During holidays, they had all the candy aisles in the same area. The whole thing was maybe 4 or 5 short aisles to the left of the check out stands.

If a person absolutely had to get something to take home for dinner, there may have been canned tuna or some such, but that Target would not come to my mind when thinking "groceries".

Of course, I'm talking 15 or so years ago.

I'd be surprised if the Almeda store was still open.

[Anj]

I grew up in the Palm Center area in the seventies and 80's. My backyard is literally Palm Center lol. Across the railroad tracks was the place you're talking about. My family and I used to shop there all the time. As far back as I can remember, it was a Weingartens grocery on one side and it had an inside walkway that lead to a Target on the other side. My parents used to do my back to school and Christmas shopping at that Target. : )

After that, the Weingartens grocery was turned into a stinky Price Busters grocery sometime in the late 80's. The Target side became a crappy flea market.

Then came the Auchons....

Now pretty much vacant.

sidenote: What I'D like to know is what was the Fiesta on Mykawa road before it was Fiesta? My mom still shops there and she said it was a store called Fedmart or something. Does that ring any bells to anyone? My parents moved to this house in the summer of 72, the year before I was born.

[brucesw]

sidenote: What I'D like to know is what was the Fiesta on Mykawa road before it was Fiesta? My mom still shops there and she said it was a store called Fedmart or something. Does that ring any bells to anyone? My parents moved to this house in the summer of 72, the year before I was born.

Yes, Fedmart. I was thinking that's what it was, or at least where it was if not the same building. Fedmart (or Fed Mart?) was possibly the first of the membership only/discount warehouse type stores and I think that was their first Houston location. Initially you could only go there if you had a government ID, either as an employee or service member. I remember going there for groceries and drugs; can't remember what other lines of merchandise they carried such as tires, clothing, household supplies, etc. They weren't very nice stores as I recall. I'm think that one was in operation by the mid-60s.

I believe another one was where the Whole Foods is at Bellaire/Holcombe @ Weslayan. They weren't as large as today's Sam's Clubs.

There's a Wikioracle article on the chain.

[brucesw]

The Almeda Target had a small food section but I wouldn't call it real groceries.

They had a limited selection of cereals, cookies, chips, maybe come canned soups etc, and soft drinks as well as a few other non perishables. During holidays, they had all the candy aisles in the same area. The whole thing was maybe 4 or 5 short aisles to the left of the check out stands.

If a person absolutely had to get something to take home for dinner, there may have been canned tuna or some such, but that Target would not come to my mind when thinking "groceries".

Of course, I'm talking 15 or so years ago.

I'd be surprised if the Almeda store was still open.

I'd have to agree with this. I shopped at the Sharpstown location for a few years (it went downhill) and I never remember groceries in the sense of produce, dairy, frozen foods, just snacks. There may have been a snack bar, I don't recall. There was a Target that opened up much closer to me one block north of W. Bellfort on S. Fondren that was, for a time, a much nicer store and I switched over to shopping there. Again I don't remember groceries but I'm pretty sure there was a snack bar. Both stores are long since shuttered.

[foxmulder]

The Almeda Target had a small food section but I wouldn't call it real groceries.

They had a limited selection of cereals, cookies, chips, maybe come canned soups etc, and soft drinks as well as a few other non perishables. During holidays, they had all the candy aisles in the same area. The whole thing was maybe 4 or 5 short aisles to the left of the check out stands.

If a person absolutely had to get something to take home for dinner, there may have been canned tuna or some such, but that Target would not come to my mind when thinking "groceries".

Of course, I'm talking 15 or so years ago.

I'd be surprised if the Almeda store was still open.

The Almeda store is still there in spirit...The building still stands, i believe they moved 3-4 years ago off of beltway 8 and pearland parkway/monroe.

[Specwriter]

Yes, Fedmart.

I believe another one was where the Whole Foods is at Bellaire/Holcombe @ Weslayan. They weren't as large as today's Sam's Clubs.

There's a Wikioracle article on the chain.

I remember a FedMart in the Spring Branch area, I believe it was where Hammerly intersects Antoine near the Hempstead Highway.

[IronTiger]

So the Price Busters/flea market was in the 610 location? I guess that makes sense.

[little frau]

I don't remember there being a Price Buster's or a flea market at the Wayside/610 location.

I'm not saying there wasn't, just that I don't remember. I've lived in the area since the late 70s but when the Target closed, I didn't (and still don't) have a need to get over that way unless I was going to Meyerland via 610.

[Anj]

Yeah, that Price Buster didn't last very long. Less than 4 years I think. Just as well because I remember being a junior in High School and going there asking a manager if they had any part time positions and he had an attitude and said no. My first job turned out to be Astroworld which was much cooler anyway. : )

[LTAWACS]

the one on 610 used to be a wieners i think.

[little frau]

Wiener's was across Wayside but on the same feeder as Target/Auchan. I used to shop there too as they carried Levis jeans at a good price.

[The Drake]

Weiners is now a building supply store.

[little frau]

Wow! My only response.

Totally a surprise to me but I was researching a Habitat for Humanity store location due to something I read on Swamplot. We are renovating an old farmhouse several counties to the west of Houston.

Imagine my surprise to find that the retail store that Drake is talking about is now Habitat for Humanity!! 6161 S. Loop E.

I'll be checking it out soon.

[roym]

This is correct, it was a field before Auchan.

Ditto. It was a field before it was Auchan's. The beltway right there was Roark Rd then. Just a two-lane blacktop. The buildings and apartments on the other side of the beltway were there much longer.

[IronTiger]

The Auchan at Beltway 8 was built as an Auchan in the 1980s (replaced nothing). The Auchan on 610 was originally built as (until early 1990s, I think?) a Target with an adjacent Target grocery store.

/topic summary

[readam]

Way back when...Yes that area used to be farm land. R.E. Bob Smith owned a whole lot of it. Roark Road was lined on the esat side with shacks that his workers lived in. The road may have been blacktop later but it was mostly oyster shell. My Dad worked at Security Lumber just north of the RR tracks on Roark. In the late 60s, I sometimes used to walk that road from Strake Jesuit when I couldn't get a ride home to catch one with my Dad. Alief was really a small community further west.

[Tumbleweed_Tx]

it was an empty field

[UtterlyUrban]

it was an empty field

Correct.

I lived out on Wilcrest and Westeimer in an apartment at the time. I (and many others) would ride road bicycles on the newly constructed but not-yet-open section of BW8 from 59 to I10. Great, safe way to get miles in doing multiple turns. Anyway, as I recall, there was precious little development on the west side of BW8 south of Beachnut-ish. Auchon was purposely built in a field. I remember it being constructed.