The Power of Convenience

I guess this all started about 10 years ago or so. Our little slice of heaven here in southern Denton County was, at one point (if real estate agents can be trusted), one of the fastest growing burgs in the U.S.

Because of this, there was a planned connection of a road that would connect southern Denton County and northern Denton County. This road would have to go over a lake. The locals call it a bridge.

Anyway, this has made the land around this connecting road a pretty hot commodity. It has also become a political football because homeowners are upset about it all. Apparently, those homeowners didn't believe the real estate agents.

This value actually benefitted our church. We bought low, and sold a portion of our land high enough to break even on that deal. Pretty cool if you count dollars. Lousy if you count aestetics. Have you seen how generic public storage places look?

So, this has caused all sorts of "growth" in our area. A couple of shopping centers have sprung up.

Now...

...about four years ago or so, I had to drive about 20 minutes--driveway to parking place--to get to the mall. Surrounding the mall were a bevvy of shopping centers with all the big box retailers. There is a building supply place about 10 minutes away. Their competitor is right across the street. Another mall sprung up about 15 minutes away--driveway to parking place. New movie theatre there, too.

Well, with all this "growth" in my community along the road to what the locals call a bridge, we're getting...a new major bookstore chain, a Wal-Mart, all sorts of big box retailers. And we already got all their competitors and a building supply place. Keep in mind that we also have a drugstore on every corner, and a bank, and a supermarket. Coffee shops and pizza delivery places and DVD rental places abound.

What's interesting to me about all this is that I'll benefit.

Now I'm 5 minutes from all these places--driveway to parking place--instead of the 15 or 20 minutes I was. They're the same places I already frequent...just like you do.

And a Sunday School teacher at my church said there'd be a 40-screen theatre in the complex, too. I can trust a Sunday Schol teacher.

I guess I don't understand how companies can make enough money to support the EXACT SAME store within 5 or 10 miles from each other.

So, please don't misunderstand me at all. I'm not against this development (with the noted exception of a generic public storage facility within yards of our church parking lot). Yay, captitalism!

I just can't figure out how those places all expand so close together and still make money.