Crowds Gather as Mr. Meyer Lewis Launches New Store for Working Families
Cape Town, 1934.
Woodstock was astir from an early hour this morning as residents, tradesmen, and curious passers-by gathered outside the newly-opened premises of the first Lewis furniture store, established by businessman Mr. Meyer Lewis. The occasion marks the beginning of what many believe may become a notable addition to the Cape’s growing retail trade.
The store, situated amidst the busy commercial activity of Woodstock, opened its doors shortly after nine o’clock, with polished furniture displayed prominently in the windows and assistants bustling to attend to eager customers. Housewives examined dining-room tables and wardrobes, while working men inspected sturdy bedsteads and parlour chairs offered at prices said to be within reach of ordinary families.
Mr. Lewis, a quietly spoken but energetic gentleman originally from Latvia, was seen greeting patrons personally at the entrance. Having arrived in South Africa many years ago as a humble hawker, he is known in local trading circles for his persistence and keen eye for business. Residents of the district recalled how he once travelled the streets selling needles, buttons, and small household goods before gradually building a reputation in the furniture trade.
Speaking briefly to this reporter amid the bustle of the opening, Mr. Lewis remarked that many Cape families desired respectable household furnishings but could seldom afford to purchase them outright. He expressed hope that his new enterprise would provide “good furniture at fair terms” to the growing population of the Peninsula.
The interior of the establishment was brightly arranged with polished oak cabinets, upholstered lounge suites, and brass bedsteads displayed in neat order. Several customers appeared particularly interested in the firm’s system of purchasing goods on instalment, a method increasingly popular during these difficult economic years.
One Woodstock resident, Mrs. Johanna van der Merwe, leaving the premises with a small side table wrapped carefully in brown paper, declared: “It is pleasing to see a business opening for ordinary people and not merely for the wealthy folk in Adderley Street.”
The opening comes at a time when Cape Town’s suburbs continue to expand steadily, with many young couples establishing homes of their own. Merchants in the district expressed optimism that the new venture would bring further trade and activity to Woodstock’s already lively commercial quarter.
Though modest in scale at present, several observers suggested that Mr. Lewis possesses considerable ambition. Time alone will tell whether this new Woodstock furniture concern shall remain a single shop or grow into a larger commercial undertaking within the Union.
For the moment, however, the lamps burn brightly above the new storefront, and the name “Lewis” has taken its place among the traders of Cape Town.
