A new retail showroom for telephone products will be opened today, Phones Plus, in the Church Street Mall, with a few remarks from Chamber of Commerce president David Rowntree.

CEO and co-owner Dave Cardell said the new business intends to fill the void left by BTC's decision last year to close its retail telephone centre.

He said, "When BTC decided to close their retail division last year, Bermudians were left with very few options. Stores such as our Cellular Centre have provided customers with cellular systems and a few standard phone options, but until now, no one store has dedicated themselves to this market.'' Mr. Cardell said while local retailers are taking steps to survive a difficult market, he is confident that the decision to open a second retail outlet is a sound one.

He said, "Opening a new business is always a risk, but we believe that we have done our homework well and we contend that as long as we provide customers with sufficient options, quality and value for money, we will be OK.

"We know there is a great temptation to shop overseas for electronic equipment, so cost wise, we plan to be very competitive. Phones Plus will be implementing a no conditions, 90-day warranty on everything we sell. We plan to make it worth people's while to shop locally.'' Mr. Cardell and business partners also own the Cellular Centre and Page One Paging Service, located in the same Church Street Mall.