Florence Mall: All Used Up?

Many moons ago, a restaurant owner requested a larger loan from his banker. The loan officer hemmed and hawed and finally said, "I've eaten at your establishment several times and never seen you there."

The business owner looked the banker straight in the eye and asked him if he ever ate at Howard Johnson's. When the banker answered in the affirmative, the restaurateur then asked, "Well, do you ever see Howard there?"

There's not one simple solution to retail closings, no one size fits all. Yet there are some things that should be a given. We were curious as to what businesses remained in our once beautiful mall and were shocked when we read the list on the website. Sears is still there? 

It's unclear how long it's been since the mall's website has been updated, but just how hard is this to do? Going with what's listed, the mall has 49 businesses. Or does it?

1. Three (or more) are gone or going: Sears, Payless ShoeSource, and Charlotte Russe.

2. One is a police substation.

3. Two are hair salons located in larger stores.

4. Two are military recruiting offices.

5. One is a free standing theatre complex. 

That leaves 40 stores in a mall the site describes as "mid-town." Any of our readers particularly eager to shop there?

Does Anyone Care?