Houston‑founded Francesca’s is reportedly preparing to close all its stores and liquidate inventory after years of struggles, industry outlets report.

Mitsubishi agreed to buy Aethon’s Haynesville shale assets for roughly $7.5 billion, deepening its Gulf Coast gas footprint and opening new LNG and energy‑transition projects.

Walmart, with Wing, launched a drone delivery service in Houston for goods such as groceries and medications, as reported by KHOU. Customers can check for eligibility online and expect deliveries as quickly as 30 minutes.

Halliburton promoted Casey Maxwell to president of its Western Hemisphere operations effective Feb. 1. The Houston company cited his Permian Basin and Argentina experience.

BLS data show Houston’s consumer prices rose 1.6% in 2025 while groceries and produce climbed faster, putting extra strain on low-income households.

Verizon experienced a significant service outage affecting voice and data, particularly in the eastern U.S., impacting emergency services and prompting responses from T-Mobile, AT&T, and municipal authorities. Verizon is working on a fix.

Google filed plans to open a 4,500-square-foot store at The Galleria with a $2M interior renovation and a mid-March construction window.

Constellation completed its $26.6B purchase of Houston-based Calpine, reshaping the city's energy landscape and triggering regulator-mandated asset sales.

Lowe's will open a large-format store in Manvel at the end of January, introducing self-service paint kiosks and a two-day grand opening. The location will anchor Manvel Town Center and bring more than 100 jobs.

Sprouts is confirmed to be opening in Kingwood's King's Crossing this spring, anchoring the redeveloped shopping center and expanding specialty-grocery options nearby.

Sprinkles Cupcakes abruptly closed its bakeries on Wednesday. Founder Candace Nelson confirmed the move on Instagram; employees say many got little notice.

Alief in Houston has experienced a 7% population decline from 2018 to 2023, with a significant drop in school enrollments and concerns over housing and economic challenges.

Houston retailers have limited hours on December 24 and many are closed on Christmas Day. Some grocery stores, pharmacies, Waffle House, and Buc-ee's will remain open. Check individual store hours before visiting.