Globe Discount City was a big-box discount retailer, prominent in the Southwest US from the 1960s as Walgreens' retail arm, known as an early Kmart/Walmart competitor, but faced massive losses, leading to its chain-wide liquidation by 1978, though one independent store lingered until 1999, with its legacy fondly remembered for huge aisles and a unique shopping experience, notes Houston Historic Retail.

Key Aspects of Globe Discount City:

Early Big-Box Retailer: It pioneered the large-format discount store concept in the Southwest, predating Kmart and Walmart, according to Houston Historic Retail, as mentioned in this Facebook post.

Walgreens Connection: It operated as a "big-box" venture for Walgreens for much of its life, notes Wikipedia.

Popular in Houston: It was a significant Houston-based retailer, with locations like the Sharpstown store being major features, notes Houston Historic Retail.

Decline & Closure: Huge financial losses forced the chain's dispersal and liquidation by 1978, with one location closing in 1999.