Bermuda’s courier companies transported more than $200 million worth of goods to the island last year, fuelled by the exploding trend of internet shopping, government figures show.

The latest retail sales figures from the Department of Statistics outline how imports via courier have been increasing dramatically, playing a growing role in the spending by Bermuda residents.

In recent years, imports through the airport have held to an annual average of about $55 million, outside the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021. Pre-Covid annual Post Office imports at about $5.6 million a year, have now crept up to $6.3 million annually.

But there was more than $200 million in goods brought in by couriers last year alone, a figure growing by more than $20 million annually over the last two years.

Meanwhile, the decline in overall retail sales appears steady, a measure which includes food and liquor stores, service stations, building material stores, apparel stores, together with motor vehicle stores. The bright spot may be the motor vehicle sales. There is also an “all other stores” category.

Recent years have shown a slow, but steady erosion of retail spending. The recent release of three months of statistics confirmed it is continuing.

After adjusting for the retail sales rate of inflation, measured at 3 per cent in October, sales volume decreased 7 per cent when compared to October 2024. It also fell in November by 1.7 per cent, before increasing in December by 0.9 per cent.

In value terms, retail sales increased to an estimated $124.1 million in December, which represented a 3.3 per cent increase in sales value year over year.

Excluding Sundays, there were 25 shopping days, one more than in December 2024.

It has become standard for the sales volume to decline for more individual months than the previous year.

The Government gave no explanation as to why three months of inflation and retail sales figures were all suddenly released in less than a week, during the Budget Debate. The Royal Gazette asked, but there has so far been no reply.