Popular retailer to RETURN to high street 13 YEARS after collapsing into administration and shutting 236 stores
A POPULAR high street name is set to make a dramatic return 13 years after vanishing from UK towns and cities.
Comet, once a go-to store for electrical goods, is being brought back by online marketplace OnBuy – but this time, it’s going digital.
The retailer, which closed all 236 of its UK branches in 2012, including popular outlets in Essex, will relaunch as an online-only platform in time for the festive season.
Founded in Hull in 1933, Comet grew from selling batteries and radios into a nationwide electrical giant.
It was a household name for decades, known for its deals on TVs, washing machines, and home appliances, before financial trouble forced it into administration in 2012.
Its collapse was one of the biggest retail failures of the time, with thousands of staff losing their jobs and many shoppers left disappointed.
Now, more than a decade later, there’s fresh hope for fans of the iconic brand.
OnBuy’s boss, Cas Paton, said he’s determined to restore Comet’s former glory.
“I am so excited, so thrilled. Growing up, I went to Comet to get what I needed.
“It was a brand that was close to me personally,” he said.
The relaunch won’t see the return of physical shops, but the digital revival promises a wide range of electronics, from big names to emerging tech brands.
OnBuy plans to use its marketplace model to connect shoppers directly with manufacturers, offering better prices and more variety.
Paton added: “We will be ultra competitive and undercut Currys and Amazon.”
He believes OnBuy’s modern approach and Comet’s strong heritage will help win over UK customers.
A significant portion of the £10 million investment will go towards building the Comet website and boosting its technology.
Around 50 new jobs are expected to be created as part of the relaunch effort.
Paton, who started his first business with just £80 after serving in the Royal Navy, said the brand’s revival is about more than nostalgia.
“We’re not just reviving a name; we’re reimagining what trusted electronics retail looks like in a digital-first economy,” he said.
OnBuy, which launched in 2016 and is now worth around £200 million, hopes to turn Comet into a major online player.
The relaunch comes at a time when more consumers are shopping online and seeking alternatives to big-name retailers.
Shoppers can expect a mix of old and new when Comet returns, with the website promising:
“We’re reviving the brand you love to bring you the best tech, brands, and deals worth waiting for.”
Although the high street stores won’t reopen, many still have fond memories of browsing the aisles at their local Comet.
For those in Essex and beyond, the return of the name, even online, is sure to stir a sense of retail nostalgia.
RETAIL PAIN IN 2025
The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury's hike to employer NICs will cost the retail sector £2.3billion.
Research by the British Chambers of Commerce shows that more than half of companies plan to raise prices by early April.
A survey of more than 4,800 firms found that 55% expect prices to increase in the next three months, up from 39% in a similar poll conducted in the latter half of 2024.
Three-quarters of companies cited the cost of employing people as their primary financial pressure.
The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year.
It comes on the back of a tough 2024 when 13,000 shops closed their doors for good, already a 28% increase on the previous year.
Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the CRR said: “The results for 2024 show that although the outcomes for store closures overall were not as poor as in either 2020 or 2022, they are still disconcerting, with worse set to come in 2025.”
Professor Bamfield has also warned of a bleak outlook for 2025, predicting that as many as 202,000 jobs could be lost in the sector.
“By increasing both the costs of running stores and the costs on each consumer’s household it is highly likely that we will see retail job losses eclipse the height of the pandemic in 2020.”