Comet Group plc
| Comet | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Type | Part of KESA Electricals Plc |
| Founded | 1933 |
| Headquarters |  Hull, England |
| Key people | Hugh Harvey (Group Managing Director), since March
2006, Ian Edwards (Deputy Managing Director - Business Support), |
| Industry | Retail |
| Products | White Goods, Telecommunications, Information technology |
| Slogan | We live Electricals |
| Website | http://www.comet.co.uk/ |
Comet, founded in 1933 by George Hollingberry in Hull as Comet Battery Stores Limited, is now a wholly owned subsidiary of KESA Electricals plc specialising in electrical retailing. In 2003, Comet demerged from Kingfisher plc to form a new group under the KESA umbrella. Comet has recently undergone a £20 million rebranding campaign (since September 2005) to differentiate itself from other players in the market, mainly Currys, as both company logos were in white print against a red background and the company names being 'similar'. It was often the case that customers would buy an item from Currys and attempt to return them to Comet, either believing the two companies were part of the same brand or simply mistaking the two.
The retailer has around 250 stores in the UK in three different layouts. The 'high street' style store, a sort of large display case, stocking mainly smaller items such as some SDA (small domestic appliances) grey and brown goods in a warehouse and few items self select. The 'core' store, larger than the previous, stocks a larger range of goods to include white goods. Some items are self select; other larger items are kept in a warehouse. The 'destination' store, stocking nearly the whole range that Comet sells, many items are self select except for very large and delivery only items. These stores will also stock many of what Comet calls the 'premier collection'. These are the best (and most expensive) products that Comet has to offer, including brands such as, SMEG, Pioneer, Apple, Sony, AEG and MIELE. Comet also offers its own budget range of (mainly Chinese-made) products covering most categories of electricals under the brand name ProLine.
Comet operate a policy called Every Day Low Pricing. With this, they check competitors' prices and where they find lower prices they lower their own to match or beat them. Like many retailers they back this up with a 'price promise'. This states that if a customer finds the same product on sale at another retailer locally (within 10 miles) for less, then Comet will match this price and further beat it by 10% of the difference. The product needs to be the exact same model, sealed new, immediately available from the other retailer and verifiable. They do not match Internet sites or warehouse outlets such as Makro. The price promise can be used at the time of purchase or at any time within the first 14 days after purchase.
Slogan
Comet's slogan is "We live electricals". Its mascot is a small man wearing a helmet with a Comet on it and riding a scooter. The slogan can also be seen on the side of Comet's delivery vans.
Customer Services
Comet has suffered in the past (early 2000) from poor customer service issues[1] as is expected with a company of this size. Although it fared better than both of its main rivals (Currys, PC World) in a list of the top ten computer shops.[2]
A complaint about Comet's refusal to refund faulty products has led to investigation by Trading Standards[3] who found the complaint to be without basis and would not proceed any further. Despite this Comet refunded the product cost to the consumer.
Comet now has a much stronger approach to customer service and say they are trying to ensure every customer is dealt with fairly and when things go wrong they will endeveor to rectify the situation [4].
Financial results
| Year | 2000/01 | 2001/02 | 2002/03 | 2003/04 | 2004/05 | 2005/06 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales £M | 1,205.8 | 1,335.6 | 1,406.1 | 1,444.4 | 1,538.1 | 1,530 |
| Retail Profit £M | 33.1 | 38.4 | 43.3 | 47.4 | 52.0 | 38.0 |
This data is sourced from the Comet Group website
For financial data for the whole of KESA check the KESA Electricals page.
Recently in 2007 Comet gave in their 11 week financial results which put their sales up 8%, this means that Comet is still second for electronics but closing in on their rival, Currys. Comet is the leading provider of White goods (Fridges, Cookers, Dishwashers etc.) in the United Kingdom.
Competitors
- Dixons, Currys.digital, Currys and PC World (owned by DSG International plc)
- Argos (owned by Home Retail Group)
- Tesco Direct
See also
References
External links
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