The corner of Salisbury and Victoria Streets is one of the oldest retail sites in Christchurch and has been home to specialist furniture retailer ASKO for over 26 years.
With plate glass windows beautifully displaying unique pieces for every room, passers-by were tempted into a store full of high quality home wares.
The character building, which had stood for over a hundred years, was actually composed of five different structures. Sadly, on 4th September 2010, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake marked the end for this much loved Christchurch landmark.
The Asko Building, morning of September 4th 2010
Deemed unusable after the main quake, Graeme Marshall, ASKO’s owner, contacted his broker Scott Sheridan from the Abbott Group to find out what could be done. Scott moved quickly. Just 48 hours after the main quake, an engineer was on site erecting beams and props to allow the ASKO team to rescue their precious stock.
Unfortunately aftershocks quickly rendered the building unsafe to enter, limiting the rescue activities, and the building was formally demolished just a week later. Scott worked tirelessly to ensure that ASKO could reopen their business and continue trading as quickly as possible.
A strong advocate of using an experienced business insurance broker, Graeme’s personal experience bears out his belief. Without the purchase of earthquake insurance on Scott’s advice just two years earlier, his business would have been lost.
Passers-by may have to walk a little further now, but thanks to Scott’s excellent advice and support, and Graeme’s determination, they can still enjoy the many delights of the new ASKO shop just a short stroll down Victoria Street.
