Competing houseware suppliers Masters Ltd. and Gorham?s Ltd. are both expanding, two projects which both add significantly to the construction boom that has hit the Island this year.

Masters? development of a new warehouse is ?something we?ve wanted to do for years?, according to manager of the Home Centre department Mark Stern. Mr. Stern, however, could not comment on further specifics regarding the space and Masters? president and CEO Susan Wilson was unavailable due to being away on vacation. The construction started this past February, and Mr. Stern said the new warehouse has ?really been something that Masters has needed to do for some time?, and it was not particularly a result of increase in sales immediately following Hurricane Fabian. Mr. Stern did not feel that the construction boom on the island had affected business either, due mostly to Masters? focus on housewares. He said: ?Certainly, having the warehouse, there is that (construction) business that we could venture into.?

When asked if he felt that popular do-it-yourself home renovation television shows had increased business, Mr. Stern said: ?Oh, yeah. Everyone wants to do it themselves to save the money because of the cost of labour in Bermuda.?

According to Gorham?s general manager and part owner Andrew Mackay, the Gorham?s expansion is strictly to increase available retail space. Mr. Mackay told that they had ?re-evaluated the sales floor? and the expansion will ?make the store more consumer-friendly?.

Mr. Mackay said that the expansion would improve the level of service at the store as well as allow the company to diversify. The renovations, which started in February 2003, had originally been forecasted for completion by this past December but now are expected to be completed by this coming December. As had previously reported, ?the expansion will boast a new merchandising concept: ?shops within a shop? with different sections of the household divided up into separate categories such as bathrooms, kitchens, bedrooms, etc.?