Asking a question on social media was the starting point for a new shop on King Street.

Aneka Burrows went on Facebook to ask her friends “What does Bermuda need?”

The answer came back that a maternity wear shop was required. Ms Burrows knew from experience that maternity clothing was hard to come by in Bermuda. However, she did some further research before deciding to go ahead with the opening of Baby Bundles Maternity Boutique.

Since its launch in April the shop, which stocks maternity clothing together with premature baby items, has received positive feedback and is gaining customers.

It is also helping to attract customers to the lower end of King Street, along with the newly opened party shop B4 The Party on the opposite side of the road.

Recalling how it all started when she asked on Facebook what Bermuda needed, Ms Burrows said: “My friend Melissa Dears-Place said maternity wear. I knew that was true from my own experience. When I was pregnant I had to bring stuff in from overseas.”

Ms Burrows’ next step was to contact the head of the maternity ward at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, who agreed there was a need for a local maternity wear outlet.

She kept her eye on a potential location for her store, and seized the opportunity when a property became available next door to the Hamilton Fire Station.

While owning a shop was a new experience for Ms Burrows, the retail sector is familiar territory. She has worked in the retail environment since she was 19.

She spoke with another friend, Dorothea Augustus, who gave advice on sourcing stock and racking for the store.

“She told me what I needed to do,” said Ms Burrows, who travelled to California to purchase stock and meet vendors face-to-face.

Since opening its doors at 53 King Street, Baby Bundles Maternity Boutique has been given a positive welcome from customers.

“A lot of the women are happy to see a store like this here in Bermuda, and I try to keep my prices reasonable.”

Providing maternity wear options for plus-size women is another gap in the market Ms Burrows plans to fill.

“I see a lot of plus-size women coming in and I’m trying to find maternity clothing for them. That’s something I’m working on at the moment. I will be making some things for plus-size women.”

The store has a selection of clothing items for ‘preemies’. Ms Burrows knows it can be difficult to find clothes for premature babies. She had two premature babies and ended up shopping online for clothing things, a task that proved to be time-consuming.

The interior of the Baby Bundles shop is spacious and brightly coloured in blues and greens.

“I wanted to keep things bright. Brightness brings happiness,” explained Ms Burrows.

With the store up and running and attracting customers, Ms Burrows said: “I’m excited. It’s a little stressful but I’m happy that I’m getting good feedback from customers, and I’m happy even if people just stop by at the store.”

Baby Bundles Maternity Boutique has a Facebook page and can be contacted at babybundlesmaternityboutique@gmail.com.