Bubbling optimism for the future of the retail sector is typified by the opening of Highlander, a cashmere and tartan outlet recently-opened by Dicky King in the Butterfield Place mall on Front Street.

Having first seen the retail business up close during his teen years at Berkeley Institute, Mr. King, 27, is a classic example of a wave of new age, upbeat entrepreneurs who have faith in the return of tourism and believes if you want to succeed, you have to pay more than lip service to the axiom "give the consumer what they want''.

With that as a premise, he officially opened this week with a sale on men's and ladies 100 percent cotton sweaters. At $15, yesterday's first day customers were paying attention.

He said: "This is what people want, value for money. If you have something valued at $100 and customers are only willing to pay $80 for it at that time, that is what it is worth. I'm selling a Scottish kilt for $70 and I know of one competitor in Bermuda selling the same kilt for $89.95.'' He and his mother, Sita King, own the new business and he is the only employee. He doesn't bat an eyelash when he declares he wishes to remain open even on public holidays, so that visitors will have some shopping activity available to them when most Hamilton stores are closed.

Mr. King said: "I opened for just a few hours last week, just to get a feel for things. I really opened full time today (Tuesday) and as a result was not open on the Monday holiday. But with tourists off cruise ships on a public holiday with nothing to do, I intend to be open.'' He is a product of an increasing consciousness in Bermuda that local retailers, who rely on the tourism trade, need to be more accommodating when it comes to serving the Island's visitors.

He has been cost conscious though, doing his own overseas buying and his own painting and decorating. He concedes it has been a learning experience. But Mr. King said of the market: "I believe if you have the right product at the right price point, it is a key to the success of any retail business. I think I have really good products and great prices in cashmeres and tartans.

"I'm not afraid to go head to head with my established competitors. Let's face it, competition is good for the soul and great for the consumer.'' Mr. King, a former buyer for Archie Brown & Sons, is working with his suppliers, including the prestigious cashmere outlet, N-Peal, of Scotland to contain costs and stock the best quality products.

Mr. King has begun with a modest-sized store and says he will expand with success. He is also working with the mall owners, the Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son Ltd., to fine tune the final signs out on the street, an important element, he said, in ensuring the required traffic through the City's newest mall. And he concedes he is impressed with his corporate neighbours.

He said: "When the final two stores are in place here, this will be recognised as one of the most premier shopping malls in Bermuda. And it is on Front Street. There are some very up market, exclusive stores here including my store, Highlander, but also the Michael Swan Art Gallery, the Louis Vuitton store, Hall of Names and others.'' He has learned a lot about retail since he joined Archie Brown & Sons as a Saturday helper as a 14-year old high school student.

He said: "I was given a chance by John Hodgkins after leaving Berkeley to join the company full time. So I basically worked my way up from the bottom of Archie Brown's as a Saturday boy, to part of the senior management team that made company policy, as well as sales manager and menswear buyer.'' SELLING THE HIGHLANDS -- Entrepreneur, Dicky King, is the co-owner of Highlander, a cashmere and tartan shop that just opened in the new Butterfield Place Mall on Front Street.