CeX (retailer)

C.E.X. Limited
CeX
FormerlyCalibre Analysis Limited (May–August 1996)[1]
Company typePrivate
IndustryRetail
Founded1992; 33 years ago (1992) in Tottenham Court Road, London, United Kingdom
Founders
HeadquartersWatford, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
Number of locations
622 (2023)
Key people
  • David Mullins (Chairman)
  • David Butler (Managing Director)
Products
Websitewebuy.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]

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, King Street, Hammersmith, London
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

Country Shops
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. ^ a b c "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. ^ a b "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.