Comet crashes to Earth: 125 stores wiped out

Comet administrator Deloitte will shut 125 of the retail chain's stores, putting thousands of people out of work just before Christmas. The receiver, appointed at the start of this month, is unable to find a buyer for the business as a going concern. The closures will take place over the next fortnight, leaving about 70 …

[Ragarath]

Employment Fair

Yea, I attended one of these when I was made redundant several years back. Are they still a tick box exercise?

Mine consisted of having agencies offer crap jobs compared to the one I was leaving.

[vmistery]

Re: Employment Fair

Yup, unless you want a 13 hour a week cleaning job they are pointless. All the companies at these events know you are desperate and if you have already been made redundant then waiting till the new year is just not an option.

[tmTM]

Merry Christmas

Now F##K off !!

[paulf]

Re: Merry Christmas

PS - Happy New Year

[Longrod_von_Hugendong]

We wish you a merry xmas...

In your cardboard box :( - i feel sorry for the people who have lost jobs over this.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: We wish you a merry xmas...

As do I, many people working in this kind of job spend a lot on credit cards in the run up to christmas, and rely on their december/january pay packets to get it paid off.. I hope they get reasonable redundancy pay outs...

But it wasn't the downturn that caused Comet to fail, it was a lack of relevance and unwillingness to move with the times....

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: We wish you a merry xmas...

Was it arse. It was because we all want to save a few quid on IT stuff by ordering it from Amazon. Bricks-and-mortar stores will never be able to compete with online retailers.

[Steven 1]

Re: We wish you a merry xmas...

Can't imagine there will be much left in the pot after the administrators have plundered what's left.

I dare say they'll be getting the statutory minimums from the Government after a suitably long and inconvenient wait.

[PaulR79]

Welfare to work will save them! - I feel dirty for even joking about that

It's going to be hard enough for these people losing their jobs only to have to face the frankly unworkable ideas the government are forcing on everyone.

"You just came out of a job in retail? Here, we found this (2 week temporary) job for you cleaning toilets. Take it or we'll sanction your money. Oh don't worry about us. You only get two weeks work but we get paid for it by playing the (very broken) system anyway."

[ukgnome]

Jobcentre Plus

You know were to come ;-)

[John Brown (no body)]

Our local Comet branch closed about 25 years ago. The building was acquired couple of years later by Job Centre, which it still is today.

[Randalfson]

Sad news

A real shame this close to Christmas but it's been on the cards for a while now. ..

[The Mole]

Which ones

Does anyone know where to find an updated list of which stores are being shut and which will be left open for a bit longer?

[Hagglefoot]

Computer says No!

Places like Comet are the last bastions for negotiation of a product, now Lewis and PC World will be next and then when they have too fallen by the wayside the price you pay will not be negotiable just searchable, faceless, gutless and careless. A shame that we dont care for people as well as we do money so I hope your happy cuddling your cheap electronics gear and I hope things like Siri for example provide you with the deep and meaningful company you so desire. Sorry to see you go Comet.

[jonathanb]

Re: Computer says No!

Human interaction? You mean telling the Comet sales droid that you aren't interested in a £35 extended warranty for a £25 toaster.

[Mr Young]

Re: Computer says No!

Stop it - you're making me well up! Surely there's still some hope left?

[The Godfather]

Inevitable fail..

Sad for employees of course, more so at such a difficult time. Hopefully the season may permit some opportunity to find albeit temporary work elsewhere until the New Year.