Anon

1939 · rif. 2611 — christchurch New Zealand: Bascands Limited 1939. First printing. Cards. Very Good. New Zealand souvenir booklet. Stapled pages unnumbered but 24 pages. Grey card covers with gold and black picture of the building and title. Has been folded so vertical fold through booklet. " In 1939 Lesley Miller moved his successful fabric and fashion business into a specially built five story building on Tuam Street. Just fifteen years before what would become the Millers Department Store had begun in Greymouth. Two years later Lesley uprooted his family and business and made the move to Christchurch. It would be a shift that he wouldn’t regret. From here on in Millers Department Store set a great example; not only in customer service but in the care of staff. Millers were considered a benchmark for other businesses to follow. Staff not only had their own dining room and recreation area but also a full time nurse was available. The building in Tuam Street was also leading the way with all the mod cons including not only a tea lounge but also a milk bar housing New Zealand’s first escalator. One of the floors was the home of the manufacturing department where 25000 garments would be produced every week. During WWII Millers also made uniforms for our soldiers. .Sadly the original Millers building in Tuam Street did not survive the earthquakes of 2011. "http://www.peelingbackhistory.co.nz/new-zealands-first-escalator-1939/ Bascands Limited unknown