A new shop has opened its doors in Hamilton, one whose clean surfaces and airy openness almost seem out of place in Bermuda.

Kangaroo Pouch, a store dedicated to maternity and baby wear through size four, looks like it belongs in a foreign shopping centre, not in the former Kentucky Fried Chicken building on Burnaby Street.

And that was precisely the intention, according to owner Nikki Parris, who said she spent a lot of time in New York in search of ideas for her new store, which includes a stroller entrance, bathroom facilities and a changing table.

Her mother, Kamla Wakefield, manages the store while Mrs. Parris tends to her 14-month-old baby and said they "wanted to offer Bermuda something they would usually have to go overseas for''.

Mrs. Parris said she decided to open the store after becoming frustrated with the selection of maternity wear in Bermuda, and said she is not concerned by the woes of many others in the retail sector.

"There wasn't much maternity wear available on the Island and what there was wasn't good enough,'' she said. "I had to go up to New York to buy clothes while I was pregnant.'' Kangaroo Pouch's competitors include Gibbons Company, A S Cooper and Trimingham's.

"I had been thinking about opening the store,'' Mrs. Parris said. "When the space became available (on Burnaby Street), that triggered it.'' She and her husband Kirk spent three months getting the space ready.

Customers seem to be pleased with the result. "I think it's something we really needed,'' said Kellie Doucette, mother of 19-week-old twins.

During a fifteen-minute period late last Friday afternoon, five mothers with children in tow visited the 1,800-square-foot store. With at least two of them making purchases, it seems business is good for a shop whose market is, by default, relatively limited.

But Kangaroo Pouch's merchandise (which Ms Wakefield described as "mid-range'') is by no means cheap - while baby outfits ranges in price from $20 through $60, one button-down maternity shirt cost $69.

But Ms Doucette added: "This is high-quality merchandise and the prices are not higher than what I would expect to pay in Bermuda.'' The shop currently carries only one line of maternity wear, Belly Basics, which is priced at the same as US retail. The store plans to bring in more upmarket lines, including eveningwear, in the near future. The spring line is due in February 1.

In addition to clothing, the shop also stocks miscellaneous items aimed at mothers and mothers-to-be, including videos on prenatal yoga, mousepads featuring countdown clocks and `Pregnancy Chic: the Fashion Survival Guide'.

Picture frames, baby books and stuffed animals are also available.

Kangaroo Pouch is not listed in the telephone directory. The store can be reached on 294-4455 and is open from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. from Monday through Saturday.