Comet store closes

Buy photos » Comet at Sears Retail Park has now closed. 45.012.026.sol.nc1

WORKERS at Comet have been dealt a festive blow as the Solihull store closed its doors for the final time exactly one week before Christmas.

The shop at Sears Retail Park was finally forced to close on Tuesday (December 18).

The high street chain went into administration in November and it was hoped a buyer would come forward to rescue the company.

But the 236 stores nationwide have been closing in stages and Solihull's Comet was among the final 49 to shut earlier this week.

Administrators Deloitte said the company had been hit by weak high street trading conditions and competition from online rivals.

Workers are owed £23.2 million in redundancy money which will be paid by the government's Redundancy Payments Service (RPS).

And Business Secretary Vince Cable this week announced an investigation has been launched into the downfall of Comet.

The electrical goods retailer had been on the High Street for 79 years and employed 6,895 people nationwide.

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