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
622 (2023)
Key people
  • David Mullins (Chairman)
  • David Butler (Managing Director)
Products
Website webuy.com

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]

Contents

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

A CeX shop in Brighton Cex brighton.jpg
A CeX shop in Brighton
CeX, King Street, Hammersmith, London CeX shop, King Street, Hammersmith.jpg
CeX, King Street, Hammersmith, London
Interior of a larger branch on The Headrow, Leeds. Lower ground floor, CEX, the Headrow, Leeds (29th August 2019) 002.jpg
Interior of a larger branch on The Headrow, Leeds.

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. [3] As a second hand retailer, CeX trades with customers offering either cash or a voucher for redemption in any CeX shop. [11] CeX offer a 5 year warranty subject to terms on all of the second hand products the company sells. [12]

The "CeX" name moved away from "Computer eXchange" into an acronym for "Complete Entertainment eXchange", [3] and company letterheads state "CeX LTD is trading as CeX Entertainment Exchange". In 2005, CeX began issuing licences for franchising. [13]

Dudani appeared on the British Channel 4 TV show The Secret Millionaire . [14] [15] [16] This was after the business was affected by the 2011 England riots. [17]

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. [8]

The pronunciation of the chain's acronym name was confirmed as "sex" in British commercials aired in February 2017. [18]

In November 2017, CeX launched a technology repair service called Tech Centre [19] (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.

The CeX logo was designed by Charlie Brooker. [20]

Locations

CountryShops
United Kingdom [21] 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

References

  1. ↑ "C.E.X. LIMITED overview". Companies House . 3 May 1996. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  2. ↑ "CeX (UK) : About CeX". uk.webuy.com.
  3. 1 2 3 "About CeX".
  4. ↑ 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.
  5. ↑ "Start a CeX Franchise". What Franchise. 6 February 2019. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  6. ↑ "About Paul Farrington". uk.webuy.com (CeX) obituary. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  7. ↑ "The entrepreneurs". The Guardian. 11 April 1999. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  8. 1 2 "How Hugh Man helped CeX achieve roaring trade across the globe". Elite Franchise Magazine. 7 February 2018.
  9. ↑ Ellison, Cara (16 July 2013). "Gaming Made Me - Charlie Brooker". Rock Paper Shot Gun.
  10. ↑ "CeX (UK) : About CeX". uk.webuy.com. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  11. ↑ "What payment options do CeX offer for store orders?". webuy.com. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  12. ↑ "CeX (UK) : Contact CeX". uk.webuy.com.
  13. ↑ "CeX Franchise review". whichfranchise.com. Archived 8 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  14. ↑ "Is New Addington really a "benighted ghetto"? - Eastlondonlines". 10 September 2012.
  15. ↑ "The Secret Millionaire - S10 - Episode 5: Bobby Dudani". Radio Times.
  16. ↑ "Secret Millionaire yob out of job after six weeks". Your Local Guardian. 13 June 2012.
  17. ↑ "Secret Millionaire: CeX's Bobby Dudani goes undercover in Croydon". Archived from the original on 4 April 2017. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
  18. ↑ "CeX Lovers Make Good Choices". February 2017. Retrieved 22 April 2024– via YouTube.
  19. ↑ "Tech Center - Games Console Repairs". Tech Centre.
  20. ↑ "Charlie Brooker - On Technology, Truth and Black Mirror". 14 November 2024 – via YouTube.
  21. ↑ "CeX (UK) : Franchising". uk.webuy.com.
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