Photo by Jeff Chiu, Associated Press
The news last week that Office Depot and Office Max would merge is not good news for retail redevelopment around here. The two office supply chains may have as many as two dozen stores in the Dallas area, and the first thing that will happen is that the merged company will close stores that are close to each other.
That, obviously, won’t help neighborhood strip center vacancy rates. On the other hand, this may be exactly what the two new liquor store chains in Dallas, Spec’s and Total Wine, need to continue their rapid expansion. Total has already opened one store in a closed office supply location.
