CeX (retailer)

Last updated
C.E.X. Limited
CeX
FormerlyCalibre Analysis Limited (May–August 1996) [1]
Company type Private
Industry Retail
Founded1992;33 years ago (1992) in Tottenham Court Road, London, United Kingdom
Founders
Headquarters Watford, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
Number of locations
619 (2025)
Key people
  • David Mullins (Chairman)
  • David Butler (Managing Director)
Products
RevenueIncrease2.svg £178.70 million [3]  (2023)
Increase2.svg £5.48 million [3]  (2023)
Increase2.svg £4.15 million [3]  (2023)
Total assets Increase2.svg £15.23 million [3]  (2023)
Number of employees
Increase2.svg 2,633 [3] [n 1]  (2023)
Website webuy.com

C.E.X. Limited, trading as CeX ( /sɛks/ ), is a British retailer predominately dealing in pre-owned video games, mobile phones, computers, 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. [4]

Contents

As of May 2025, there are 393 stores in the UK, and a further 231 internationally, with a number of its locations being franchises. [5] [6]

History

A CeX store in Brighton, Sussex. CeX in Brighton.jpg
A CeX store in Brighton, Sussex.
A CeX store in Bayswater, London. CeX in Bayswater.png
A CeX store in Bayswater, London.
A CeX shop in La Vie Funchal, Madeira, Portugal. CeX La Vie Funchal.webp
A CeX shop in La Vie Funchal, Madeira, Portugal.
A CeX store in Centro Comercial Alcala Magna, Spain. CeX in Alcala Magna.jpg
A CeX store in Centro Comercial Alcalá Magna, Spain.
CeX store in Nu Sentral shopping centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Nu Sentral in CeX.jpg
CeX store in Nu Sentral shopping centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
CeX, King Street, Hammersmith, London. CeX shop, King Street, Hammersmith.jpg
CeX, King Street, Hammersmith, London.
CeX store in MyTown shopping centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. CeX MyTown KL.jpg
CeX store in MyTown shopping centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

CeX was started by Paul Farrington, [7] Robert Dudani, [8] Hugh Man, [9] Charlie Brooker, [10] [11] Oli Smith and Oliver Ball. The first shop opened on London's Whitfield Street, close to Tottenham Court Road in 1992. [4] 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 5 year 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", [4] 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. [9]

The pronunciation of the chain's acronym name was confirmed as "sex" in British commercials aired in February 2017. [19]

In November 2017, CeX launched a technology repair service called Tech Centre [20] (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.

In March 2025 a delivery service using the JustEat app was introduced. [21]

On 5 June 2025, it was announced that CeX was closing all of its physical stores in the Netherlands while keeping the online store there open. [22]

The CeX logo was designed by Charlie Brooker. [23] He also drew the cartoons used in early advertisements for the company. [24]

Locations

CountryShops
United Kingdom [25] 393
Spain (mainland)62
Republic of Ireland 36
Mexico 22
Australia 35
Portugal 30
India 14
Poland 11
Canary Islands (Spain)3
Malaysia 8
Italy 5

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ This only includes employees directly employed and not those employed by franchise stores

References

  1. ↑ "C.E.X. LIMITED overview". Companies House . 3 May 1996. Archived from the original on 23 January 2024. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  2. ↑ "CeX (UK) : About CeX". uk.webuy.com.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "C.E.X LIMITED GROUP STRATEGIC REPORT, REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS AND AUDITED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023". 25 September 2024. pp. 16–17, 28. Retrieved 6 June 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 "About CeX".
  5. ↑ 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.
  6. ↑ "Start a CeX Franchise". What Franchise. 6 February 2019. Archived from the original on 17 February 2024. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  7. ↑ "About Paul Farrington". uk.webuy.com (CeX) obituary. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  8. ↑ "The entrepreneurs". The Guardian. 11 April 1999. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  9. 1 2 "How Hugh Man helped CeX achieve roaring trade across the globe". Elite Franchise Magazine. 7 February 2018. Archived from the original on 20 March 2019. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  10. ↑ Ellison, Cara (16 July 2013). "Gaming Made Me - Charlie Brooker". Rock Paper Shot Gun. Archived from the original on 20 March 2019. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  11. ↑ "CeX (UK) : About CeX". uk.webuy.com. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  12. ↑ "What payment options do CeX offer for store orders?". webuy.com. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  13. ↑ "CeX (UK) : Contact CeX". uk.webuy.com.
  14. ↑ "CeX Franchise review". whichfranchise.com. Archived from the original on 8 May 2008. Retrieved 30 April 2008.
  15. ↑ "Is New Addington really a "benighted ghetto"? - Eastlondonlines". 10 September 2012. Archived from the original on 17 September 2017. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
  16. ↑ "The Secret Millionaire - S10 - Episode 5: Bobby Dudani". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 30 March 2017. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
  17. ↑ "Secret Millionaire yob out of job after six weeks". Your Local Guardian. 13 June 2012. Archived from the original on 22 September 2017. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
  18. ↑ "Secret Millionaire: CeX's Bobby Dudani goes undercover in Croydon". Archived from the original on 4 April 2017. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
  19. ↑ "CeX Lovers Make Good Choices". February 2017. Archived from the original on 22 April 2024. Retrieved 22 April 2024– via YouTube.
  20. ↑ "Tech Center - Games Console Repairs". Tech Centre.
  21. ↑ Phillips, Tom. "You can now order CEX from JustEat". Eurogamer. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
  22. ↑ "Elektronicaketen CeX sluit alle winkels in Nederland - RetailTrends". RetailTrends, hét platform voor professionals in retail & brands (in Dutch). Retrieved 6 June 2025.
  23. ↑ "Charlie Brooker - On Technology, Truth and Black Mirror". 14 November 2024. Archived from the original on 21 February 2025. Retrieved 19 November 2024– via YouTube.
  24. ↑ McFerran, Damien. "The Brilliantly Subversive CeX Ads That Set Charlie Brooker On Course For 'Black Mirror'". Timeextension.com. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
  25. ↑ "CeX (UK) : Franchising". uk.webuy.com.
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