sector in November.

Government's Statistics Department said the decline was only fractional (O.4 percent) due to strong consumer demand for durable goods.

Gross turnover in the retail sector was estimated at $37.3 million for November, 1992.

In the general retail sector, the total value of sales receipts increased six percent.

Spending levels for clothing, footwear, and personal care items fell compared to the previous year. This was probably due to the increase in overseas spending, the report said.

Chairman of the retail division of the Chamber of Commerce Mr. Robert Rego agreed, saying goods worth $3.29 million -- an increase of 21.9 percent compared to November, 1991 -- were declared by returning residents.

This was the equivalent of roughly nine percent of gross turnover in the domestic sector and cost the local economy about $650,000, he said.

The Chamber's "Shop Bermuda'' campaign, which offered various incentives for locals to shop in Bermuda and was accompanied by pre-Christmas sales, started too late to affect November sales figures.

"But if we can get it (the Chamber campaign) going in early November and create that Shop Bermuda atmosphere, hopefully it will change people's attitude about overseas spending,'' he said.

In the remaining sectors of the index, total receipts for liquor stores increased 1.4 percent; motor vehicle dealers and service stations sales fell 0.5 percent; while food store receipts slipped 2.1 percent below November, 1991.