CeX (retailer)

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]

C.E.X. Limited
CeX
FormerlyCalibre Analysis Limited (May–August 1996)[1]
Company typePrivate
IndustryRetail
Founded1992 (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

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.[11] As a second hand retailer, CeX trades with customers offering either cash or a voucher for redemption in any CeX shop. CeX offer a 24-month warranty subject to terms on all of the second hand products the company sells.

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.[12]

Dudani appeared on the British Channel 4 TV show The Secret Millionaire.[13][14][15] This was after the business was affected by the 2011 England riots.[16]

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.[17]

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 CeX Clinic[19] in the UK. The service covers the repair of video game consoles, smartphones, tablets and laptops. CeX offer a 2 year warranty on device repairs and a no fix, no fee promise to customers.

Locations
CountryShops
United Kingdom[20]390
Spain (mainland)62
Republic of Ireland40
Mexico31
Australia29
Portugal30
India17
Netherlands12
Poland11
Italy4
Canary Islands (Spain)3
Malaysia[21]
    		 2

    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. "CeX". uk.webuy.com. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
    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. Paul Farrington company obituary
    7. "The entrepreneurs". The Guardian. 11 April 1999. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
    8. "How Hugh Man helped CeX achieve roaring trade across the globe". 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. "About CeX".
    12. Archived 8 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine CeX Franchise review
    13. "Is New Addington really a "benighted ghetto"? - Eastlondonlines". 10 September 2012.
    14. "The Secret Millionaire - S10 - Episode 5: Bobby Dudani". Radio Times.
    15. "Secret Millionaire yob out of job after six weeks". Your Local Guardian. 13 June 2012.
    16. "Secret Millionaire: CeX's Bobby Dudani goes undercover in Croydon". Archived from the original on 4 April 2017. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
    17. "How Hugh Man helped CeX achieve roaring trade across the globe - Elite Franchise". 7 February 2018.
    18. "CeX Lovers Make Good Choices". YouTube. February 2017. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
    19. "CeX Repairs - Smartphone, Games Console, Tablet and Laptop Repairs - CeX Clinic". CeX Clinic.
    20. "CeX (UK) : Franchising". uk.webuy.com.
    21. Lee, Jonathan. "UK's CeX used electronics and games retailer arrives in Malaysia, first outlet in IOI City Mall". SoyaCincau. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
    This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.