News Briefs

Ohio-based real estate investment firm Last Mile Investments (LMI) is expanding its presence in the Lone Star State.

The company has announced the recent acquisitions of College Park Plaza and Westheimer Plaza, both strategically located in Houston’s high-demand retail submarkets. LMI says it plans to significantly upgrade both properties, including new facades, enhanced signage, and parking lot improvements, with a leasing and value creation plan matching the quality of each submarket.

At College Park Plaza, a 70,277-sq.-ft. shopping center located in The Woodlands, LMI implemented a fresh paint scheme to increase occupancy with new concepts to enhance the tenant mix further. The center is located in one of Houston’s most affluent submarkets.

 At the 24,000-sq.-ft. Westheimer Plaza, LMI plans to modernize and upgrade the center, including façades, paint, pylon signage, and parking lot enhancements. Positioned along Westheimer Road, Westheimer Plaza sits between Houston’s key employment hubs — the Uptown/Galleria area and the Westchase District.

[READ MORE: Trademark takes over leasing at Texas’s La Centerra at Cinco Ranch]

"Texas as a whole has always been a core focus for us, and we’re even more excited about the opportunities we’ve found in these two incredible submarkets of Houston," said Ryan Moore, CEO of LMI. “Our hyper focus on investing in the right nodes, in the right submarkets, with market tailwinds, has proven to be incredibly successful for the investor base, especially when paired with our operating platform, our tenant relationships, and value-add vision.”

Based in Cincinnati, LMI has a portfolio of approximately 35 assets, most of which are located in the Sunbelt region.

(Editor's Note: College Park Plaza is shown in the image above.)

Small business owners are feeling more positive about starting or growing their business in 2025.

One-third (33%) of small business owners in the United States believe their business will benefit from the change in U.S. government, while 44% were uncertain how this change may affect them, according to a survey by Logo.com, a brand-building platform that helps people start their businesses. There are over 33 million small businesses in the U.S.

For the business owners surveyed, 57% agreed that they are feeling more positive about their business in 2025. Respondents were feeling the most positive about changes bringing tax relief, driving consumer spending and new business grants.

[READ MORE: Best, worst states for new businesses in 2025 are...]

Respondents were most concerned about interest rates with the new change in government. When asked about their outlook on interest rates in 2025, this was evenly split, with 39% of respondents believing it will either increase or decrease and the remaining 22% believing it will remain the same. 

The study noted that the most popular industries to start a business in the U.S. are restaurants, construction, technology, and fashion, which are industries that are heavily reliant on the economy and consumer spending.

"This is no surprise," said Richard Lau, president of Logo.com. "As trending technology such as AI-powered business tools continue to improve, more small businesses are starting due to simpler and more affordable options. While technology for business owners has made it easier than ever to build and grow their business, this also needs to be supported by a strong outlook for the economy.”

Amazon is doing away with one of its benefits for Prime members.

According to a notice on its website, Amazon is shutting down its “Prime Try Before You Buy” program, which allowed members to try out clothes, shoes, and accessories and only pay for items they wanted to keep. 

The service will shut down on Jan. 31. It was only available to members of Amazon’s paid Prime subscription program, which also includes benefits such as fast shipping and access to streaming services. The service debuted in 2017, and was previously known as Amazon Wardrobe.

First reported by The Information, an Amazon spokesperson told CNBC that Prime Try Before You Buy is being phased out due to customers opting for Amazon’s newer AI-powered features like virtual try-on, personalized size recommendations, review highlights, and improved size charts.

[READ MORE: Amazon kicks off New Year with sale on products for a fresh start]

The phasing out of Prime Try Before You Buy is one of many cost-cutting measures as of late. At the beginning of 2024, Amazon announced layoffs to its Buy with Prime service and its Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud computing unit.

A new survey reveals that online shoppers place high importance on deliveries that are fast and environmentally sound.

The survey of 400 U.S. adults from online eyewear retailer SmartBuyGlasses reveals that 67% of respondents shop online at least once per month, with 50% shopping online once a week or more. It also provides insight into consumer views in areas such as online delivery and artificial intelligence.

Online delivery trends

Nearly 70% of respondents value delivery, with Gen Z respondents most likely to be willing to pay for it. Close to three-in-four (73%) are willing to pay a premium for eco-friendly delivery, including:

• 36% would pay less than $5
• 23.75% are open to paying between $5 and $10
• 9% would pay between $10 and $15
• 5%are willing to pay more than $15

When it comes to paying for faster delivery, more than 80% of respondents are willing to pay for this convenience:

• 32.5% are willing to pay less than $5
• 31.75% would pay between $5 and $10
• 12.25% are open to paying between $10 and $15
• 6.25% would pay more than $15

[READ MORE: Study: One-in-three online orders delivered late; shoppers want compensation]

AI views

When it comes to encountering AI during online shopping trips, close to half of respondents (48.75%) express extreme discomfort with AI, with Gen X respondents most likely to feel uncomfortable. Another 30% are neutral on AI, while 21.25% are either very or extremely comfortable.

Other findings

• 54% of respondents indicate that instant checkout is a top priority
• 44% of respondents say that augmented reality try-ons are a must-have when shopping online
• Younger consumers age 20-34 shop online less frequently than older groups

This survey of 400 U.S. adults aged 20-60 was conducted on Pollfish by SmartBuyGlasses on Nov. 15, 2024.

Firehouse Subs has its sights set on Brazil.

Building on its international expansion, the quick-serve sandwich chain plans to open more than 500 restaurants in 10 years across Brazil. The first restaurant is expected to launch in 2025 and will mark Firehouse Subs’ debut in South America.

The expansion into Brazil is part of a joint venture supported by Firehouse Subs parent company Restaurant Brands International (RBI) in partnership with Iuri Miranda, former CEO and board member of Zamp S.A., master franchisee of Burger King and Popeyes in Brazil. Leveraging RBI's global infrastructure and expertise in digital strategy and international development, combined with its of the Brazilian market, Firehouse Subs aims to capture Brazil's growing sandwich market. In the long term, RBI expects to partner with local investors to fuel continued growth.

Founded in Jacksonville, Fla. in 1994 by two former firefighter brothers, Firehouse Subs has over 1,300 restaurants across the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. In 2023, the brand opened the first restaurant outside of North America in Switzerland, followed by Mexico in December. It opened in the UAE and Albania last year. 

"We are very excited to introduce Firehouse Subs to Brazil, a key market in the growing sandwich category, with Iuri Miranda, a longtime industry veteran and partner,” said Thiago Santelmo, president of RBI International. “I believe Firehouse Subs has an exciting runway for growth, and we have set ambitious expansion plans around the world."

Firehouse Subs is a subsidiary of Restaurant Brands International, one of the world's largest quick-service restaurant companies with over $40 billion in annual system-wide sales and over 30,000 restaurants in more than 120 countries and territories. In addition to Firehouse Subs, RBI owns Burger King, Tim Hortons and Popeyes.

(Photo courtesy of Firehouse Subs - CNW Group/Firehouse Subs)

A prescription drug savings platform is providing savings and delivery for pet medications.

GoodRx, which began directly selling and fulfilling orders for eligible prescription and over-the-counter medications online in October 2024, now offers a service it calls “GoodRx for Pets.” 

Using the new service, customers can save up to 80% on medications for pets, including medications for common pet conditions like allergies, anxiety, diabetes, pain, and seizures that are available at more than 70,000 retail pharmacies nationwide.

Pet owners can order medications and have them delivered right to their door. And for the first time, GoodRx users can access pet-specific medications that aren’t available in retail pharmacies via the platform.

In addition, GoodRx offers expert-created articles and videos on pet health.

[READ MORE: GoodRx takes on Amazon, Walmart with discount insulin coupons]

"Pet owners have been using GoodRx for years to save on medications for their beloved pets for conditions like anxiety and seizures - to the tune of several million prescriptions per year,” said Aaron Crittenden, senior VP of Rx marketplace at GoodRx. “It's a pretty strong signal of value when people use your platform for something you haven't actively pursued. So, we decided to build a focused experience for pet owners with a broader range of medications, more savings, and easy access through both pharmacies and home delivery."

Editor's Note: Graphic courtesy of Business Wire.