A revamping of retail in Hamilton is beginning to take place with the opening of two new stores in Queen Street in the past couple of weeks.

Daisy & Mac and Jeans Express have been launched on opposite sides of the street, with the former taking over the ex-C-Travel site and the latter moving into the space previously occupied by The Outlet.

A flurry of new shops have opened in town over the last month, Luxury for Less opened at ER Aubrey in Queen Street and Perry Collection in the former David Winston site at the corner of Queen and Reid Streets. Yesterday the Gibbons Company opened its doors in Washington Mall III.

Meanwhile, a number of businesses marked ‘Black Friday’ in the US with special deals on items such as BlackBerrys at M3 Wireless and P-Tech attracting big queues of shoppers.

Daisy & Mac opened to popular acclaim on November 20 after relocating from Washington Mall to its new flagship location. The ground floor features everything for babies and children up to age eight, from clothes and accessories to toys. The first floor, which is due to open soon after a delay in shipping the fixtures and fittings, will stock items for older children and teenagers. A candy store element has also been added to the new store.

Owner Dawn Zuill said that the popular store was looking to expand and when the opportunity came to move into the retail space in Queen Street, she seized it.

“In the time spent getting the store ready we realised just how active and busy Queen Street is,” she said.

Despite the hold up in receiving the shelving for the new store, Mrs Zuill pressed ahead and opened the lower level to make up for lost time during the Christmas sale season.

“I think I am finally realising my vision, having had a lot of ideas and passion for providing a fun and entertaining product that meets the need of the discerning Bermudian,” she said.

“The excitement of the new store and having a place for kids and adults to enjoy is nice.”

The store has taken on two new staff, as well as an operations manager, in addition to those from the previous store and Front Street store. Its physical appearance has also been changed to give a light and airy feel, right down to the mirrored in-steps built into the steps, while also retaining the traditional Bermuda cedar railing.

Meanwhile Mrs Zuill plans to launch a new concept for the Front Street store in the New Year and has been focusing on the toy and gift lines.

In the past few months alone, she has seen an increase in competition among the Island’s retail sector as the recession takes hold, which can only be positive for the customer.

“Bermuda’s retail sector has got extremely competitive and I think everybody is trying to protect their own interests,” she said.

“I think that with the competitive spirit that we now have operating in Bermuda it is going to offer the customer a better product and a wider range of product because retailers are paying attention to their needs.”

Daisy & Mac offered discounts storewide during ‘Black Friday’ which was well-received by shoppers who snapped up a number of bargains including 30 percent off toys.

Bruce Robinson, divisional merchandise manager at the English Sports Shop, said the decision was taken to relocate The Levi’s Shop from Marks & Spencer in Reid Street to an area of higher footfall and close The Outlet, subsequently reopening as Jeans Express, with the new name enabling the business to expand into different jean lines in the future.

Mr. Robinson said that extensive renovation was carried out with a new store front, wood floor, lighting and air conditioning systems installed and the original fixtures brought in from the previous Levi’s Shop.

He said the new move paid instant dividends with a steady increase in customers since it opened nine days ago and will now focus on meeting the demand for plus size and children’s clothing, as well as new styles and larger size ranges for juniors and missy.

The store, which is run by manager Amy Curtis and a sales team of Sher-Gina Hendrickson, Julian Musson and Rita Stewart, covers a range of items including jeans, jackets, shoes, sunglasses and belts. The new Daisy & Mac store will be open Monday to Saturday between 9am and 8pm, with Christmas opening until 9pm on Friday and for late night shopping, while Jeans Express is open from 9am to 5.30pm, also Monday to Saturday.