The downturn in the retail business is not the responsibility of Florence's mayor.
Sears was the original mail order business, and they failed to change over the years. They simply didn't do a good job. Then they merged with K-Mart--another retailer that refused to invest in their business and had Walmart eat their lunch.
Best Buy is just another in a long line of electronic/appliance business failures. Circuit City and all the other competitors are gone. You'd thought there would be enough business to support one company, but obviously they're printing red ink in many locations or they'd not be closing so many stores.
The success of the Florence Mall is now on the backs of the Mall owners. It's up to their selling skills to fill the Sears space--and any other vacancies. I can tell you that their parking lot has been really, really busy in recent months.
I've never been a shopper and when I go into any retail establishment it's not to look around. I'm there to buy a specific item. And I virtually never go into any mall. If I could stay out of Home Depot/Lowes and Harbor Freight, I'd be richer.
But as a modern buyer, the internet gets most of my capital expenditures.