National Office Supply delays closure until December as typhoon recovery continues

National Office Supply has pushed back its planned closure until no later than December, saying the slower-than-expected recovery from Super Typhoon Sinlaku and continued community demand prompted the family-owned business to remain open longer.

Originally scheduled to close on July 31, the iconic Saipan retailer now hopes to remain in business through the end of September but is prepared to stay open until December if recovery efforts warrant it.

National Office Supply president Mary Irene Uy said the decision was made after seeing the challenges many residents continue to face in rebuilding their homes and replacing essential household items.

“We’ve decided to move our date of closure. Originally, it was July 31st. We’re now looking at, ideally, the end of September,” Uy said. “We are open to extending a bit further, but nowhere past December. We need to be closed by December. But our current target is the end of September.”

Uy said many customers welcomed the announcement, telling the company they were still waiting for disaster assistance before making major purchases.

“A lot of people were saying, could you extend? Could you not close yet? Please extend,” she said.

She said National Office Supply intentionally kept its revised timeline flexible because recovery has progressed more slowly than expected.

Uy noted the business has seen strong demand for recovery-related supplies since Sinlaku struck in April. Among the fastest-selling items have been cleaning products, storage containers for water-damaged belongings, large covered bins for water storage during outages, trash bins, and tables and chairs needed by relief organizations establishing temporary offices.

The company itself also worked quickly to reopen after the storm, cleaning floodwater from its building before resuming operations within days despite having no commercial power. Employees initially escorted customers through the darkened store using flashlights while manually processing cash sales until generators and sufficient diesel became available.

To better serve customers during the back-to-school season and the extended recovery period, National Office Supply has expanded its operating hours. The store is now open Monday through Saturday from 8:30am to 5:30pm and Sundays from 9am to 3pm.

Although the business is winding down, Uy said it has brought in one additional container of merchandise, including back-to-school supplies and construction-related items needed following the typhoon, to ensure customers continue to have access to essential products.

She also confirmed that interest had been expressed by potential buyers after the company announced its planned closure earlier this year. However, the owners ultimately concluded that selling the business was not financially viable given the current economic climate and instead decided to proceed with closing.

Uy thanked customers for their decades of support and said the company wanted to continue serving the community during its recovery before finally closing its doors later this year.