Pro
By Kevin Nixon
The Florence Mall is something that most citizens have visited at least once in their lives, and with that come numerous positive experiences.
The mall gives people the chance to chill out with their friends and loved ones while they eat, shop, and play.
There is something there for everyone: food, clothing, video games, a pseudo arcade, and tons of unique experiences.
The main thing is that the Florence Mall gives people the opportunity to go to multiple stores in one place, which makes it essential when it comes to big shopping holidays like Christmas.
This number of stores also gives shoppers the opportunity to see things physically, which is something online retailers like Amazon can’t compete with.
Not to mention, shoppers can also get the items they want then and there without having to wait a week or two for amazon or USPS to ship the product.
This is useful when you want to update your fashion and want to try on something before buying. The mall has many stores you can use to really pump up your style like Foot Locker, Lids, and Macy’s.
It also has stores that focus on more niche things, such as Hot Topic.
The Florence Mall also includes a great deal of places you can go to if you want something to eat, and with the variety of locations in one place, it’s perfect if everyone in your friend group or family wants something different to eat.
Despite the Florence Mall’s flaws, it still has good reasons to exist.
Just because something may be outdated, doesn’t mean it’s automatically bad.
Con
By Sami Sierocki
The Florence Mall is way overdue for an update.
Malls were super popular in the 1980s, however with so much retail sales moving online, malls like the one in Florence have gone downhill.
Many stores have closed within the mall, the biggest one being Sears.
Sears was one of the original four anchor stores that opened in the 70s, but it closed in 2018.
The Florence Mall is now down to only two anchor stores.
Many other smaller stores have also closed, and this increased during COVID.
With so many stores closing at the mall, there is no variety.
The new businesses that enter the mall usually sell the same products that already sold in the more popular stores.
For example, shoe stores are one of the main attractions at the mall. How many shoe stores are there in the mall?
Eight.
People can buy shoes at eight different stores in the mall.
With 85 stores in the mall— including the food court and kiosks—nearly one in 10 of those stores offer shoppers a pair of shoes.
If there were to be new and interesting stores, then maybe more people would walk through and shop at the mall and not just shop online or use the mall to just walk around in.
And if you have been there multiple times, it starts to get boring over time with no change in the atmosphere.
If someone were to update the mall, maybe people would have a higher interest in going there rather than online.
The Florence Mall has seen some better days.
