Millers’ hunt for new shop goes on

Press, 30 November 1978, Page 6

Millers’ hunt for new shop goes on

The search for new retail premises by Miller’s, Ltd, has reached a “fairly advanced” stage, but the company’s chairman (Mr W. N. Scotts) was not prepared to say y esterday where the new premises might be.

Mr Scotts said that a lot of work had been done looking for new premises for Miller’s to go to after it left its Tuam Street building. “A couple of these have been pursued to a fairly advanced stage of feasibility studies. They are not just wildcat ideas.” he said.

The company was negotiating with the Christchurch City Council, property developers and financiers. According to an agreement signed with the City Council in May. Miller’s is due to leave the Tuam Street premises on August 10, 1979.

Mr Scotts said the company had approached the City Council and asked if this was a finite date, or whether it could be extended. He said this did not mean the company wanted to continue trading in Tuam Street beyond August, next year, but it would like the option left open Asked if he could confirm or deny a rumour that Miller’s did not intend to trade beyond Christmas

and would not take new premises, Mr Scotts said he did not want to pre-empt any decision by the board. The board would meet today, and would “more than likely” issue a statutory notice for an annual meeting, at which there would be the norma! opportunity for shareholders to inquire about the company’s future. “Ultimately, it rests with the desire of shareholders,” said Mr Scotts.

As chairman of the board, however, it was not his intention to bring this matter up at today’s meeting.

Mr Scotts said he was disturbed to hear that there was a rumour about the company’s trading future. He said such a rumour could ruin his company’s talks with property developers and financiers. “Our negotiations are not yet complete, and they depend on funding — quite considerable funding,” he said.

The other retail branches of Miller’s in Bishopdale,

Ashburton, Dunedin, and Invercargill were all “alive and well,” said Mr Scotts. There was no more intention of closing these than there was of closing the Tuam Street building, where the only limiting factor was the sale to the City Council. The council has plans for a new civic administration building in the Tuam Street premises, which is expected to be completed by the mid-1980s. The Christchurch Town Clerk (Mr J. H. Gray) expressed surprise yesterday that Mr Scotts had said anything about approaches by Miller’s to the City Council. He said the council had received a letter from Miller’s on Tuesday. Asked if Miller’s had requested an extension or a finite date, Mr Gray said: “I am not prepared to answer that.” “I am surprised Miller’s has talked about this to the media. It is not our normal policy to discuss such details with the media,” said Mr Gray.