Carts and malls.

I am very disappointed in the confusion that your Oct. 31 story, "Putting the Carts Before Stores Yields Benefit in World of Malls," left the public as far as what the specialty leasing industry is.

Carts and kiosks have been around since the Orange Julius stands and photograph booths in the 1950s. Today, the business is divided into three classes of operations. First you have the "in-house" operators who take over a program after the professional has it well seasoned, usually after three or four years.

Second, you have the "cart hustlers," an individual who is not associated with the developer but who agrees to manage the program and takes money from all sides. Finally, you have the cart and kiosk professional, the outside vendor who contracts with the developer at the very beginning. They first sit down with the architect to lay out the placement and design of the carts.

The bottom line is that a cart program, properly put together by a professional, is considered a cash cow for the property owner, both in immediate cash flow and tens of millions of dollars in added value upon sale. Perhaps you can do a follow-up story so the public can better understand what the industry is all about.

Amy Blair

President and CEO 

Specialty Leasing Concepts