High street retailers may be feeling the pain, but their online counterparts are doing well by all accounts despite the economic downturn.

Retail sales plummeted nine percent or $7 million in July compared to the same period last year, according to the Retail Sales Index, which revealed that apparel stores and motor vehicle stores were hit hardest, as fewer tourist arrivals and a cutback on consumer spending took their toll on the sectors.

Most concerning of all was the fact that apparel sales continued to slide as traders suffered an 18 percent plunge in revenue for the month of July - a trend which has been in reverse for the past year.

But one online trader is proving the exception to the rule - HWSeason.com launched in January and has been going from strength to strength ever since.

The website, which is run by husband and wife team Joseph and Wendy King and sells luxury bedding, bath and window fashions, is the first of its kind in Bermuda and joins the growing list of online retail sites including the Gibbons Company, which relaunched its website in June, and Pearco, which went live at the start of this year.

"Business has been steady so far," said Mr. King.

"We have built up a good customer base and people are starting to get to know our name."

The Kings came up with idea for HWSeason.com when the pair were looking for furnishings for their new home after getting married three years ago. They couldn't find what they were looking for in Bermuda, so decided to look further afield and, following some market research, they saw a niche in the market for luxury products for the bedroom and bathroom and set up their own company.

From further studies, the entrepreneurial pair decided that the Internet was the way forward and combined their skills - Mr. King as an IT expert and Mrs. King as a research officer with a background in law, to design a Bermudian-themed website that shoppers would find easy-to-use, while incorporating the company, signing off on various legal documents and opening up an account.

Today the website offers everything from beds, comforters, downs, pillows (decorative or otherwise) and sheets to Roman and roll-up shades and curtain panels, as well as bath mats and towels and soap dishes, with the option of ready or customer made orders in different colours and styles - each one speaking for itself. Wedding gift registers, gift certificates and gift wrapping services are also available.

One of the key selling points of the business is that it provides the complete package, from ordering online or on the phone to delivery tracking via email notification and free shipping and delivery Islandwide within about one to three weeks of the order being placed, with a number of complimentary services thrown in such as linen wash.

"The luxury products we offer are all good quality and I think the customer appreciates the value of that," said Mrs. King.

"We also provide a personalised customer service and like to offer the customer a little something extra because they have spent good money on that product.

"Our mission is to bring home quality directly to the Bermuda shopper through the convenience of luxury home shopping via the Internet with free delivery to Bermuda."

The website is regularly updated, with new lines introduced for the spring, summer, autumn and winter seasons, with the company's autumn range being launched recently.

With the products sourced from all corners of the globe, including Europe, the Kings have found themselves having to become experts in bedding and bathroom materials, from Egyptian cotton sheets to custom blinds and shades. The website also offers handy tips and advice on how to chose the right product and look after it.

In addition, being online has helped to keep overheads down, operating out of their home with a storage facility in Bermuda and the US, doing away with the need to pay expensive rents on shop floor space and stock items which there is no guarantee of selling - although they do carry a limited supply of sample materials and products.

"The economic downturn has no doubt affected every business," said Mr. King. "But that is why we have got a target market and we have found that if people want a product they will still go ahead buy it, despite the state of the economy."

So far the Kings have been promoting the business through word of mouth and advertising in the paper, as well as appearing in various magazines and on radio shows, in addition to building up a customer database on email. They offer a 24/7 service, with deliveries to the West End on Tuesdays, the East End on Wednesdays and all addresses on Saturdays.

To make an order or for more information about JWSeason.com visit the website at www.jwseason.com or contact 1-866-948-4968