A campaign to encourage locals to ?Shop. Explore then shop some more? is being hailed as a success by the retail division of the Chamber of Commerce.

The campaign, launched one month ago, was designed to encourage locals to visit shops and areas they would not normally visit to see for themselves that there is plenty of selection locally despite the closure of the Island?s largest and oldest department store this summer.

The Chamber of Commerce?s Diane Gordon said that while the departure of Trimingham?s and Smiths was clearly visible, there had been a ?real effort to provide for consumer and to offer experience to us in holiday period.?

?No matter where I go I hear people saying we are shopping, exploring and shopping more,? she said.

Kristi Grayston, co-chairwoman of the Chamber?s retail division said that the Friday night shopping event has been a real draw with almost all Hamilton retailers open until 9 p.m. and shoppers coming in droves to shop, take their chance at the weekly draws for a chance to win $500 worth of retail gift certificates and also enjoy weekly entertainment.

?Hamilton is alive on Friday nights. It is not a bunch of people moaning and whining over the closure of Trimingham?s and Smith?s. There is entertainment on the streets, lots of people out and it has been really successful,? she said.

The retail drive comes at a time when the apparel sector recorded a decline of some 34 percent in October this year, according to figures released this week by the Department of Statistics. Sales in this area have been on the decline for the past four months as a direct result of Triminghams? closure.

Mrs. Grayston said that while it is difficult to predict whether Bermuda?s retail volume will ever grow past what it was four months ago, figures at her Pulp and Circumstance stores are up significantly since the closure of Triminghams.

?Our figures have done nothing but go through the roof so overall sales I don?t know, but individually most retailers are doing better,? she said.

The closure may even have a silver lining since it came at a time when Bermuda was ?over-retailed? with too many stores selling the same products and lines.

?Bermudians were tired of seeing the same thing and this has pushed retailers to re-examine themselves and reinvent selves and figure out what it is people want and try to provide it,? Mrs. Grayston said.

?There are some retailers that have gone right to the edge this year, they have it all. There is more selection in Bermuda than any US retail mall. The retail community has really stepped up to bat this year to try to help the community with this closure and this perception there isn?t the selection available. There is selection.?