Every dollar spent shopping overseas is a dollar lost to Bermuda, warned Economy Minister Kim Wilson at the launch of Consumer Week.From today (October 24) to Friday, a campaign by the Department of Consumer Affairs will emphasise the importance of customer service to local businesses and the value of shopping on the Island.In a survey of 2010 shopping habits, 85.3 percent of respondents said they shopped overseas the majority of them while travelling.Calling local businesses “the engine drivers of our economy”, the Senator Wilson added: “When businesses close down and disappear, that loss of business and loss of jobs has a domino effect, resulting in lost revenue for our economy.”To that end, on Wednesday, at the Chamber of Commerce, businesses will get a presentation on how laws affect their operations.This will be followed on Thursday by ‘Why Customer Service Matters’, also held in the Chamber’s boardroom.Television and radio events throughout the week will target shoppers and businesses.Every evening this week, the Government channel CITV will air the half-hour programme ‘Your Money ... Our Economy’, with radio personality Sheri Simmons and economist Craig Simmons, Chamber of Commerce retail head Paula Clarke, and Hasan Durham, economic advisor to the Ministry of Finance.Sen Wilson stressed that consumer dollars spent overseas would have an impact on Bermuda’s economic recovery.“We believe that shining the spotlight on the importance of supporting local businesses and encouraging the public to be supportive of spending in these establishments will aid in our economic recovery,” she said.lUseful website: www.ca.gov.bm.