Automatic Centre

Automatic Centre is a Philippine retail brand specializing in household appliances and consumer electronics. The business was established in 1948 by Benito Lim and developed as a family-owned retail operation under Automatic Appliances Inc. Its historical footprint was concentrated in Metro Manila, where it operated a network of stores serving consumers seeking appliances and electronic equipment. The brand formed part of the Lim family's wider business interests in Philippine retail and home-related commerce. Benito Lim established Automatic Centre, while his sons Wilson Lim and Samie Lim later became associated with other family-founded businesses, including Abenson and Blims Fine Furniture. These related enterprises illustrate the family's broader presence in appliance, electronics, and furniture retail, although Automatic Centre remained a distinct chain. Automatic Centre's business model was based on physical retail outlets carrying household appliances and consumer electronics. The available reference material does not provide a complete historical product catalogue, detailed store formats, financial statements, or a current corporate website, so the brand's exact assortment and commercial positioning cannot be documented more precisely here. The chain was severely affected by the economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. After reporting losses attributed to the pandemic, Automatic Centre shut all of its stores on October 10, 2021. At the time of closure, the chain was reported to have approximately 20 outlets in Metro Manila. The Lim family subsequently sought third parties interested in taking over the Automatic Centre brand, indicating uncertainty about the chain's immediate operating future. By October 2022, the brand had reopened 19 stores and introduced an updated logo. This reopening indicates that Automatic Centre continued as an operating retail brand after the 2021 shutdown, although the available sources do not establish its current store count, ownership structure, financial condition, or nationwide expansion plans. Its documented identity is therefore that of a historically established, Metro Manila-focused Philippine appliance and electronics retailer that underwent a major pandemic-era interruption and subsequent partial restoration.

Automatic Centre was founded in the Philippines in 1948 by Benito Lim. It began as a family-operated retail business focused on appliances and electronics and was managed through Automatic Appliances Inc. The brand's documented retail presence was concentrated in Metro Manila, where it built a network of physical stores over subsequent decades. Automatic Centre belonged to the wider commercial activities of the Lim family. Benito Lim's sons, Wilson Lim and Samie Lim, later founded or became associated with other Philippine retail businesses, including Abenson and Blims Fine Furniture. Those businesses were separate from Automatic Centre, but the family connections placed the brand within a broader tradition of Lim family involvement in appliance, electronics, and home-furnishing retail. The available historical material does not specify the exact dates of individual store openings, the full product range, or the chain's detailed organizational development. It does establish that Automatic Centre operated multiple outlets in Metro Manila and was known as an appliance and electronics retailer. Its physical-store model made the chain vulnerable to the operating restrictions and economic contraction associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. On October 10, 2021, Automatic Centre closed all of its stores. The shutdown was linked to losses resulting from the pandemic. At that point, the chain reportedly had approximately 20 stores in Metro Manila. Following the closure, the Lim family sought third parties that might take over the Automatic Centre brand, suggesting that a continuation of the business under its existing structure was uncertain. The brand later returned to retail operations. By October 2022, 19 stores had reopened, and Automatic Centre was using an updated logo. The reopening marked a significant reversal of the 2021 shutdown, although the available sources do not identify the operator of each reopened store, disclose financial results, or describe any major change in product assortment or geographic strategy. Automatic Centre's documented history therefore consists of three broad phases: its establishment as a Lim family appliance and electronics retailer in 1948; its development into a Metro Manila store chain; and its pandemic-era closure followed by a substantial reopening in 2022. Because current corporate and operating information is limited, details such as present ownership, leadership, store count beyond the 2022 figure, e-commerce activity, and long-term strategy remain unconfirmed.

• 2022

  Retail network reopens with refreshed logo

  [1]Automatic Centreen.wikipedia.org

  By October, 19 Automatic Centre stores have reopened and the brand is presented with an updated logo.

• 2021

  All stores close during the COVID-19 crisis

  [1]Automatic Centreen.wikipedia.org

  Automatic Centre shuts all stores on October 10 after pandemic-related losses. The chain reportedly has about 20 Metro Manila outlets.

• 1948

  Automatic Centre is founded

  [1]Automatic Centreen.wikipedia.org

  Benito Lim establishes Automatic Centre as a Philippine appliance and electronics retail business.

A long-established Philippine brick-and-mortar retailer for household appliances and consumer electronics, with a historical concentration in Metro Manila.

• Appliances

  Household appliances

  Household appliances are part of Automatic Centre's documented retail identity. The available reference material does not enumerate specific brands, models, or appliance categories, so this entry is limited to the broad product area associated with the chain.

• Electronics

  Consumer electronics

  Automatic Centre is described as an appliance and electronics retailer, indicating that consumer electronic equipment formed part of its store assortment. No authoritative source in the supplied material provides a complete catalogue or identifies specific flagship electronic product lines.

• 2022

  Reopening of most stores with refreshed brand identityStrategy

  Background

  After the 2021 network-wide closure, the brand pursued a return to physical retail operations.

  Action taken

  By October 2022, Automatic Centre had reopened 19 stores and adopted an updated logo.

  Aftermath

  The reopening restored a substantial portion of the previously reported Metro Manila network, although the subsequent ownership and operating structure are not documented in the supplied sources.

  Source

• 2021

  Temporary closure of the entire store networkStrategy

  Background

  Automatic Centre incurred losses associated with the COVID-19 pandemic while operating a physical retail network concentrated in Metro Manila.

  Action taken

  The chain closed all of its stores on October 10, 2021. The Lim family subsequently sought potential third parties to take over the brand.

  Aftermath

  The closure interrupted the brand's retail operations; by October 2022, 19 stores had reopened under updated branding.

  Source

1. 1Automatic Centreen.wikipedia.org