Papindo is not just a supermarket, it is part of Papua New Guinea’s social and economic history. Many of us grew up with this household-name shop and hold fond memories of Christmas toy shopping, or weekend trips with our parents. Whether it was at the Boroko Tabari Papindo, the Rabaul branch, or the original Lae outlet, this store was a part of our childhood. It was more than a retail space; it was one of those shops where family life, celebration, and community connected under one roof.
The story began in 1974, when Sir Soekandar Tjandra and Lady Susan Tjandra opened a modest shop along 7th Street in Lae. At the time, Papua New Guinea was on the eve of independence, and opportunities for large-scale retail were still emerging. Papindo seized that moment. From its humble beginnings, the enterprise grew steadily into one of the country’s most recognisable retail chains, establishing supermarkets, department stores, and shopping centres across provinces. For decades, Papindo became a household name, a place where families bought their groceries, school uniforms, household furniture, and even found entertainment, all under one roof.
The company’s golden jubilee year, 2024, was meant to be a celebration of this half-century legacy. Instead, it was overshadowed by tragedy. On January 10, 2024, an event now remembered as “Black Wednesday,” riots erupted across Port Moresby. One of the hardest-hit establishments was Papindo’s landmark Gerehu outlet, a newly built store that stood as a symbol of modern retail in the suburb. Looters stripped the shelves bare before setting the building ablaze. When the smoke cleared, the once-thriving store lay in ruins: freezers, ovens, display shelves, and the entire building were reduced to ashes. Over 150 employees suddenly found themselves without work, and millions of kina in stock and infrastructure were lost.
The disaster could have ended the story there. Instead, it marked a turning point. Determined not to let fifty years of progress be undone, Papindo’s management quickly began planning for recovery. Within weeks, engineers were consulted, approvals secured, and more than K50 million committed to reconstruction. Ten months later, on November 10, 2024, the Gerehu store reopened its doors. More than 100 staff returned, and the outlet once again became a hub of daily life. At the reopening ceremony, leaders hailed the comeback as “a symbol of resilience,” a demonstration that the company’s foundations were stronger than any fire.
The rebuilding carried an even deeper meaning in light of another loss. Just three months earlier, in August 2024, Sir Soekandar Tjandra had passed away at the age of 76. His passing marked the end of an era, but the resilience of the Gerehu rebuild underscored the endurance of his vision. Sir Soekandar had introduced affordable, accessible retail to Papua New Guinea at a critical time in its nationhood, and his influence is still felt in communities where Papindo stores stand as landmarks of daily life.
From its origins in Lae to its rebirth from the ashes in Gerehu, Papindo’s journey over the past fifty years tells more than the story of a business. It reflects the broader spirit of Papua New Guinea itself—resourceful, adaptable, and unyielding in the face of hardship. For many, Papindo remains not just a shop but a shared memory, a thread of continuity between childhoods past and the resilience of communities today.
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