One St. George's retailer is consolidating his stores in the east end because it is like a "ghost town".

David Hamshere, president and CEO of the TESS Group, which includes The English Sports Shop, said his company is not giving up on the historic town but something must be done to turnaround the area's declining fortunes.

He hopes the arrival of a weekly cruise ship from Holland America Line will help business.

But he added that what is really needed is to finally get an anchor hotel built.

Mr. Hamshere said: "We've enlarged the space of Taylor's, which we own. It is our intention to consolidate but the plans are not totally finalised."

The plans were based on St. George's not having a cruise ship this season.

Mr. Hamshere said: "St. George's needs rejuvenating. They have a hard-working committee down there who are trying to liven things up but it does need people.

"Bermuda's tourism product is just not ready."

Mr. Hamshere said many retailers in St. George's "accepted the fact we (weren't) going to have cruise ships".

He added: "Perhaps they were a little hasty in making decisions based on that.

"Hopefully the Holland America Line will work out but in the meantime we have to look out for where we stand as a business."

Mr. Hamshere said that until people - tourists and locals - start visiting St. George's, business owners must make decisions based on the recent track record. He added: "It's a wonderful town but it seems to be forgotten. It doesn't seem to be a part of a tourist destination.

"We need to do more about that. We've been here for a long time and we've seen business fall off.

"St. George's needs an anchor hotel but that's going to be in three years.

"In the meantime we're consolidating. To use a tailoring term, we're cutting our cloth to suit the pocket."

Mr. Hamshere said there was a "great bit of buzz" after the implosion of the old Club Med resort but now it appears like nothing is happening.

He said: "It looked like it was going to go great guns but the recession hit.

"The world economic conditions have not helped.

"People have pulled out of St. George's - just look at the number of restaurants that have closed. I was down there recently and it was like a ghost town."

But even though business is down, TESS is not giving up on the Old Town.

Mr. Hamshere said: "We're still committed to St. George's.

"We own a very, very nice property - the old Smith's-Taylor building, which has a lot of history.

"We're prepared to work at it but it's in our best interest to consolidate."

The building will house both The English Sports Shop and Crown Colony Shop.

Mr. Hamshere said: "We're basically putting our men's and women's shops together and remodelling it.

"The Scottish woolens and tartan goods will take less precedence and we're going to be more of a resort, traditional English sport shop where we are catering to locals and the tourist trade."

Sales space has been enlarged to handle more merchandise.

Mr. Hamshere said: "If it proves to be very successful, we'll go back to the other location."

The business boss said the success of the forthcoming cruise ship visit will be largely dependent on the weather.

The Holland America Line ship will be stationed at Murray's Anchorage and a ferry will run back and forth from the ship to St. George's to allow passengers to visit the town.

Mr. Hamshere said he has cruised before and knows first-hand about the tendering process.

He said: "When the weather is rough and stormy, we'll get fewer people coming in on the tender.

"On a nice day when the weather is relatively calm, we'll be set up nicely."

Mr. Hamshere said town mayor Kenny Bascome has plenty of energy to get things done to help turn things around.

But he added that "it is up to the merchants that remain in the town to get full square behind him and embrace the changes, even if there are some people won't like".

He says one important change is for retailers to get rid of their nine-to-five mentality.

Mr. Hamshere said: "We are prepared to do that. We have to throw a lifeline to St. George's.

"We are in the entertainment business.

"Part of that entertainment is having something available at the hours that suits the client, not what suits the owner."