Iconic electrical retailer returns 14 years after vanishing from high street

Iconic electrical retailer returns 14 years after vanishing from high street The iconic electrical retailer Comet has returned offering more than one million products from 2,500 sellers. Comet is back today, 14 years after it disappeared from high streets. The electrical retailer is back from the dead, 14 years after its collapse, as the entrepreneur behind its revival promises to bring back the excitement that made it a high street favourite. Entrepreneur Cas Paton, 42, has bought the iconic brand, which went into liquidation in 2012, and is relaunching it as an online electrical marketplace. Founded in 1933, Comet became one of Britain’s best-known electrical retailers before collapsing in 2012. The new Comet will offer more than one million products from 2,500 sellers, from TVs and washing machines to mobiles, computers and the latest gadgets. While the store will be online-only, Cas is exploring click-and-collect partnerships which could even put the Comet name back on the high street. Cas remembers as a boy, visiting its Trafford Park store in Manchester with his late dad Nigel and being blown away by the technology on display. The dad-of-four said: “Whether it was the TVs or the electronics, these were things you aspired to own. It’s that excitement of going into the store that I don’t think has ever really been recreated.” The entrepreneur is determined to make the new Comet feel like the one people remember. He has even brought back its famous black and orange branding, rejecting a later rebrand which he believes lost some of the connection with customers. “It was non-negotiable,” he said. “We wanted to try and bring that nostalgia of the brand and the history and the way it makes people feel into an online marketplace so that people know they’re coming to a specialist online. “While we’re not going to give people the same in-store feeling that we once had, at least customers know when they go to Comet it’s a site that really caters only for those products. You won’t find furniture or clothing.” Cas believes there is room for a specialist electrical marketplace alongside the online giants and is relishing bringing “some competition back to the market” but unlike some competitors, Comet will not sell its own stock. He said: “Every sale that’s made on Comet is a sale for another retailer. We’re a friend of the retailers. We’re here to attract customers, build trust and give customers choice.” He has already invested £10 million in the launch and he believes Comet could eventually become a business worth between £250 million and £500 million. He also believes there could hardly be a better time for its return. “The market is really tough. Money is really tight,” he said. “But people still need a kettle. They still need a toaster. They still want a TV. “If we can help people save money by bringing better choice from a reputable, long-standing brand that has nostalgia and trust, I think it’s a great win.”