for Bermuda's established retailers.

Indications are that a number of Bermudians intend to use a new service promising Bermudians huge savings on goods bought in the United States.

There was a flurry of phone calls to The Royal Gazette yesterday inquiring about US-based Joshua Bate Trading (JBT) after it was featured in an article on Friday.

The story told how JBT had set up a `1-800' telephone number in New Jersey which Bermudians could use free of charge to order goods in the US which will be delivered to their door.

Worse still for Bermuda's retailers, a four-day sale advertised as a "pricebusters Christmas extravaganza'' starts tomorrow at BAA Gym.

The event promises bargains on many items, including televisions, stereos, electrical appliances, toys, bicycles, office furniture and much more.

It is being staged by Mr. William Smatt, of Canal Road, Pembroke, who for some time has been running similar sales from local premises.

Mr. Henry Vesey, president of H. A. and E. Smith's, said: "These types of things are bound to have an effect on established traders.

"It's not like holding big sales in one area of the US which people travel from miles around to attend.

"Bermuda's only small, so money spent at the BAA sale would normally be spent elsewhere and that will have an effect on stores.'' But he added: "That's all part of the free enterprise system and something we have to live with.'' Early indications from Bermuda's largest stores are that Christmas sales this year may be on a par with 1991.

Although last year's Christmas sales figures were poor, store bosses said they would not be unhappy with a repeat performance given the recession.

Mr. Eldon Trimingham, president of Trimingham Brothers, said: "It's been a fairly slow start so far.

"We think what will happen is that sales will pick up considerably as it gets nearer to Christmas. That's what happened last year.'' Bermuda's stores had no intention of following the trend in the United States of holding `New Year's' sales in the run up to Christmas.

"Sales in Bermuda tend to be genuine sales held for the purposes of clearing unwanted stock to make way for new stock,'' said Mr. Trimingham.

"Some stores in the States seem to have sales all the time. Unless goods are discounted there, people won't buy it. But that is not the Bermudian way.'' Mr. Vesey said Bermuda's retailers were less reliant on Christmas sales than US stores, which had several peak periods, such as Easter and Mother's Day, followed by troughs.

"December is probably the biggest month of the year for Bermuda's retailers,'' he said.

"But retailers here have a more even flow of business through the year than is normal in many places, largely due to the tourist business.'' US stores which were holding pre-Christmas sales could have cash flow problems, said Mr. Vesey.

Mr. Peter Cooper, managing director of A. S. Cooper & Sons, said that "a lot'' of money was being spent abroad by locals.

He added: "It would be foolhardy for retailers to expect to do better than last year.''