American Notes

Marketing experts may wonder why Denver's Cherry Creek mall is so flush. Generating nearly $400 per sq. ft. in annual sales, it is one of the most profitable shopping centers in America. Could it be the free valet parking for the handicapped, or the swanky Neiman-Marcus store with its $100,000 furs? Guess again, folks! Local shoppers know: it's the mall's bathrooms.

So posh are the facilities that shoppers and tourists often pay a visit whether nature is calling or not. The rest rooms feature soft lighting, gold- plated fixtures, marble changing tables (complete with complimentary diapers), marble-and-gold phone booths and automatic toilets. Since the mall opened last August, says general manager David Wass, beaming, "it's not uncommon for people with relatives or visitors in town to show them the rest rooms."