Victim of the pandemic: Automatic Centre is shutting down permanently

A new report revealed that Automatic Centre is shutting down effective October 10, 2021.

Photo from Automatic Centre's official Facebook page

Another sad pandemic story

In an exclusive letter obtained by the publication, Automatic Appliances Inc., (the parent company of Automatic Centre) president and CEO Geoffrey Lim said the pandemic has caused "tremendous challenges" on their business.

To recap, Automatic Centre is one of the oldest appliance and electronics retail stores in the Philippines founded in 1948. Established by the Lim family, it started with a 40-square meter store in Avenida, Rizal which sold light bulbs, wires, sockets, and other electrical supplies.

Fast forward to 2021, the company now has about 20 retail outlets found mostly in malls.

However, due to the lockdowns caused by the pandemic, most the business in the malls continues to struggle even if they have an online presence.

But despite its plan to shut down, Automatic Centre said in a statement that they assure its customers that it will remain committed to honor its obligations. The company also said that it intends to work closely with "each of you" to ensure a smooth transition and closing process.

Lim added in his note that the family is open to outside parties "that may be interested in using/adopting" the brand name moving forward.

Source: Esquire