to their stores.

In the last three months members of the tourist-oriented retail industry have been taking part in a productivity workshop, set up by the Monitor Group, to try and improve the Island's reputation as a shopping destination.

Participants include A.S. Cooper, The Children's Bookshop and Trimingham Brothers Ltd.

The stores are now considering a collaborative marketing drive by running a campaign through the Department of Tourism highlighting the Island's strengths.

Other initiatives include: A market research study designed to learn more from visitors about their shopping needs.

Taking part in the Schools Outreach programme to make youngsters more aware of career opportunities in retail.

The setting up of a Government liaison group which will meet with Government to discuss the industry's regulatory environment.

An effort to generate cost savings by combining retailers' buying power.

A Tourism Competitiveness Programme spokesman said: "These five initiatives are just a few of the possibilities that have been discussed so far in the workshop but they represent an excellent starting point, addressing as they do some of the industry's greatest challenges: the deteriorating perception among visitors of Bermuda as a shopping destination; the evolution of shoppers needs; the difficulty in recruiting and retraining retail employees; and the high cost structure and relatively small scale of Bermuda's retail business.

"The workshop participants are also in the process of creating an umbrella organisation which will be responsible for coordinating the efforts of the five working groups as well as directing future initiatives.'' A meeting to discuss the progress of the group will be held on May 25.