CeX (retailer)
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CeX | |
Formerly | Calibre Analysis Limited (May–August 1996)[1] |
Company type | Private |
Industry | Retail |
Founded | 1992Tottenham Court Road, London, United Kingdom | in
Founders |
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Headquarters | Watford, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom |
Number of locations | 622 (2023) |
Key people |
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Products | |
Website | webuy |
C.E.X. Limited, trading as CeX (/sɛks/), is a British retailer predominately dealing in pre-owned video games, DVDs, Blu-rays and consumer electronics, established in 1992 in London as the Computer Exchange. The retailer later renamed itself as the Complete Entertainment Exchange.[3]
As of January 2024, there are 390 stores in the UK, and a further 230 internationally, with a number of its locations being franchises.[4][5]
History
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ef/Cex_brighton.jpg/220px-Cex_brighton.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/77/CeX_shop%2C_King_Street%2C_Hammersmith.jpg/220px-CeX_shop%2C_King_Street%2C_Hammersmith.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/41/Lower_ground_floor%2C_CEX%2C_the_Headrow%2C_Leeds_%2829th_August_2019%29_002.jpg/220px-Lower_ground_floor%2C_CEX%2C_the_Headrow%2C_Leeds_%2829th_August_2019%29_002.jpg)
CeX was started by Paul Farrington,[6] Robert Dudani,[7] Hugh Man,[8] Charlie Brooker,[9][10] Oli Smith and Oliver Ball. The first shop opened on London's Whitfield Street, close to Tottenham Court Road in 1992.[11] As a second hand retailer, CeX trades with customers offering either cash or a voucher for redemption in any CeX shop.[12] CeX offer a 24-month warranty subject to terms on all of the second hand products the company sells.[13]
The "CeX" name moved away from "Computer eXchange" into an acronym for "Complete Entertainment eXchange",[11] and company letterheads state "CeX LTD is trading as CeX Entertainment Exchange". In 2005, CeX began issuing licences for franchising.[14]
Dudani appeared on the British Channel 4 TV show The Secret Millionaire.[15][16][17] This was after the business was affected by the 2011 England riots.[18]
In December 2013, CeX began Designer Exchange buying luxury leather goods, jewellery and handbags, with stores in Kensington, Chelsea, Knightsbridge, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds and Madrid.[19]
The pronunciation of the chain's acronym name was confirmed as "sex" in British commercials aired in February 2017.[20]
In November 2017, CeX launched a technology repair service called Tech Centre[21] (formerly called CeX Clinic) in the UK. The service covers the repair of video game consoles. Tech Center offers a 2 year warranty on device repairs and a no fix, no fee promise to customers.
Locations
[edit]Country | Shops |
---|---|
United Kingdom[22] | 390 |
Spain (mainland) | 65 |
Republic of Ireland | 40 |
Mexico | 31 |
Australia | 31 |
Portugal | 30 |
India | 17 |
Netherlands | 11 |
Poland | 11 |
Malaysia | 5 |
Italy | 6 |
Canary Islands (Spain) | 8 |
France | 1 |
Belgium | 1 |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "C.E.X. LIMITED overview". Companies House. 3 May 1996. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
- ^ "CeX (UK) : About CeX". uk.webuy.com.
- ^ "CeX". uk.webuy.com. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
- ^ Pelley, Rich (26 January 2024). "The joy of CeX: how to spend £10 in the secondhand gaming mega store". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
- ^ "Start a CeX Franchise". What Franchise. 6 February 2019. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
- ^ [1] Paul Farrington company obituary
- ^ "The entrepreneurs". The Guardian. 11 April 1999. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
- ^ "How Hugh Man helped CeX achieve roaring trade across the globe". 7 February 2018.
- ^ Ellison, Cara (16 July 2013). "Gaming Made Me - Charlie Brooker". Rock Paper Shot Gun.
- ^ "CeX (UK) : About CeX". uk.webuy.com. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
- ^ a b "About CeX".
- ^ "What payment options do CeX offer for store orders?". webuy.com. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
- ^ "CeX (UK) : Contact CeX". uk.webuy.com.
- ^ [2] Archived 8 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine CeX Franchise review
- ^ "Is New Addington really a "benighted ghetto"? - Eastlondonlines". 10 September 2012.
- ^ "The Secret Millionaire - S10 - Episode 5: Bobby Dudani". Radio Times.
- ^ "Secret Millionaire yob out of job after six weeks". Your Local Guardian. 13 June 2012.
- ^ "Secret Millionaire: CeX's Bobby Dudani goes undercover in Croydon". Archived from the original on 4 April 2017. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
- ^ "How Hugh Man helped CeX achieve roaring trade across the globe - Elite Franchise". 7 February 2018.
- ^ "CeX Lovers Make Good Choices". YouTube. February 2017. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
- ^ "Tech Center - Games Console Repairs". Tech Centre.
- ^ "CeX (UK) : Franchising". uk.webuy.com.
External links
[edit]- CeX Official website
- CeXClinic Official website
- CeX Official app
Media related to CeX (company) at Wikimedia Commons