The closure of Trimingham’s department store led to Bermudians spending millions more dollars buying clothes overseas last year.

New figures show people spent $30.8 million on clothing abroad in 2006 — a rise of 11.4 percent on the $27.5m spent in the previous 12 months.

At the same time, domestic retail sales for apparel stores fell 7.9 percent, according to the Quarterly Bulletin of Statistics.

The Department of Statistics report states the closure of Trimingham’s was the main reason for the figures.

Chamber of Commerce vice president Philip Barnett said last night: “The closure of Trimingham’s and (neighbouring store) Smith’s did create a big hole in things.”

According to the report, increasing numbers of people took advantage of lower airfares to make trips to the US — mainly for holidays, but often taking the opportunity to buy goods while they were away.

Total overseas spending was $63.8 million in 2006, up 5.2 percent from $60.7 million the previous year. Shops in Bermuda enjoyed a less dramatic increase in sales, up 3.5 percent to $673.8 million.

It meant overseas spending represented a slightly larger proportion of Bermudians’ total retail spending — 8.9 percent, up from 8.5 percent in 2005.

The number of residents travelling overseas throughout 2006 was 170,439, a rise of 5.8 percent.

Trips to all destinations went up, with the UK registering the highest increase of 8.5 percent. In the final quarter of 2006, residents took a total of 48,916 overseas trips, 5.1 percent more than the corresponding period of 2005.

Trimingham’s closed in the summer of 2005 with the loss of 220 jobs, as a result of falling sales and rising business costs. Shortly before, it had taken over its neighbouring rival Smith’s store.

The retailer set up in 1842 and had been trading continuously since then at a number of Island locations. Its flagship department store for many decades was in Front Street.

Its closure led to a string of clothing sales slumps across the Island, with total apparel sales down for more than 12 consecutive months.

The report states: “This retail sub-sector (clothing) continued to experience a downward turn in sales activity since the closure of a major clothing retailer in the summer of 2005.”

Mr. Barnett said: “There’s been such a shift in the retail side of Bermuda. There’s probably a lot of falling out still occurring with the loss of Trimingham’s and Smith’s.

“You are not going to have the next day something replacing that — there’s going to be a settling out period.

“In some ways, it’s given an opportunity to smaller, more targeted, retailers. It could be a very exciting time for them.

“But we all know when someone goes on a business trip, the chances are they will pick up a couple of things. As a Bermudian, you can be like a kid in a candy store when you go away because there is so much choice.”

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