Donuts, nails and cleaners - another round

This has been an oft-debated topic in our Town, though I don't think I've ever specifically discussed it here on this site.

There's no doubt we have our fair share of dry cleaners, nail salons and donut shops. It seems that every new retail center has one of each. Some survive, others fold because of competition or because their rents get raised as demand for that retail space increases.

Over the past year, I really thought the trend of these types of businesses was declining. But that all changed today when I saw a new side-by-side-by-side combo (cleaners, nails and donuts) at the recently-expanded and renovated strip mall directly across from Kroger on FM1171, at the northwest corner of FM2499. The donut shop and cleaners in that center have been there a long time, but I noticed today that a nail salon has moved in right between the two. Further, another salon "Hawaiian Nails" is opening next to my southside Tom Thumb (FM2499 @ FM3040), where I think a health/nutrition store used to be.

I wrote a couple of months ago on the the state of Flower Mound retail, and I'm not sure if it's gotten any better. There are still many empty spaces in our existing strip centers, all over town. And it appears that the beautiful Pines shopping center (aka the new Kroger center) is not filling quickly.