One of the country’s leading electronics retail and repair businesses has been forced to close its only branch at Koloale following a major theft.
The Tech Hub, a locally-owned business that became a household name when it comes to tech gadgets, electronic devices and repair, suffered a massive setback due to this theft, which occurred late January this year.
A few weeks later, the business was forced to close down its only branch. It has reopened a smaller outlet at the Mataniko Plaza.
But business is still traumatised. The Tech Hub owner also continues to receive harassment and threats connected with the theft incident.
The Solomon Islander family who owns Tech Hub has since been struggling with bills, school fees and other family expenses.
The business has however decided to keep its 20-plus employees, all of whom are youths.
Tech Hub says it has decided to keep its employees despite its huge financial loss out of humanitarian consideration for their welfares.
“All of our employees depend on their work with Tech Hub to support their families, and making them redundant will be a huge blow for them, so we decided to keep them and hope that business will pick up.”
Tech Hub was a brain child of a small social media business which responded to the growing demand for electronic devices especially mobile phones, laptops and tablets, and for repair service.
As it continued to provide quality devices at affordable prices, it grew in popularity and the Tech Hub business was born with its main shop established at the Hyundai Mall in 2022.
Since then, Tech Hub has served thousands of customers from Honiara and the provinces, locals and foreigners alike.
Tech Hub has also given back to community by way of sponsoring youth events. It has sponsored various teams around Honiara, including youths at Koloale residential area with sports gears.
A volleyball team which Tech Hub sponsored, in both registration, sports gear, logistics and stipends, became one of Honiara’s champions, with members joining the Solomon Islands national squad in all codes of the sport.
Tech Hub was the major sponsor of the video clip for the now world famous hit song ‘Ukulele’ by local super artists Blad P2a and Khazin, after the business was approached for help.
One thing Tech Hub is also known for is its tendency to sell at discounted prices in response to the financial limitations of customers.
“Many times, when customers say they cannot afford the price of one of our products, we lower the price to amounts which they can pay. We do this because we have a heart for the people, we know we are all struggling, and we help where ever we can,” Tech Hub said.
