CeX (retailer)

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, Staffordshire, United Kingdom
Number of locations
626 (2025)
Key people
  • David Mullins (Chairman)
  • David Butler (Managing Director)
Products
Revenue £178.70 million[3] (2023)
£5.48 million[3] (2023)
£4.15 million[3] (2023)
Total assets£15.23 million[3] (2023)
Number of employees
 2,633[3][n 1] (2023)
Websitewebuy.com

C.E.X. Limited, trading as CeX (/sɛks/), is a British retailer predominately dealing in pre-owned video games, mobile phones, computers, 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.[4]

As of May 2025, there are 393 stores in the UK, and a further 231 internationally, with a number of its locations being franchises.[5][6]

History

CeX was started by Paul Farrington,[7] Robert Dudani,[8] Hugh Man,[9] Charlie Brooker,[10][11] Oli Smith and Oliver Ball. The first shop opened on London's Whitfield Street, close to Tottenham Court Road in 1992.[4] As a second hand retailer, CeX trades with customers offering either cash or a voucher for redemption in any CeX shop.[12] CeX offer a 5 year warranty subject to terms on all of the second hand products the company sells.[13]

The "CeX" name moved away from "Computer eXchange" into an acronym for "Complete Entertainment eXchange",[4] and company letterheads state "CeX LTD is trading as CeX Entertainment Exchange". In 2005, CeX began issuing licences for franchising.[14]

Dudani appeared on the British Channel 4 TV show The Secret Millionaire.[15][16][17] This was after the business was affected by the 2011 England riots.[18]

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.[9]

The pronunciation of the chain's acronym name was confirmed as "sex" in British commercials aired in February 2017.[19]

In November 2017, CeX launched a technology repair service called Tech Centre[20] (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.

On 5 June 2025, it was announced that CeX was closing all of its physical stores in the Netherlands while keeping the online store there open.[21] The stores in Amsterdam, Arnhem, Leeuwarden and Leiden are scheduled to be closed on 14 June 2025 with the remaining stores closing a week later.

The CeX logo was designed by Charlie Brooker.[22]

Locations

Country Shops
United Kingdom[23] 393
Spain (mainland) 62
Republic of Ireland 36
Mexico 22
Australia 35
Portugal 30
India 14
Poland 11
Netherlands 9
Canary Islands (Spain) 3
Malaysia 8
Italy 5

See also

Notes

  1. ^ This only includes employees directly employed and not those employed by franchise stores

References

  1. ^ "C.E.X. LIMITED overview". Companies House. 3 May 1996. Archived from the original on 23 January 2024. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  2. ^ "CeX (UK) : About CeX". uk.webuy.com.
  3. ^ a b c d e "C.E.X LIMITED GROUP STRATEGIC REPORT, REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS AND AUDITED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023". 25 September 2024. pp. 16–17, 28. Retrieved 6 June 2025.
  4. ^ a b c "About CeX".
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ "Start a CeX Franchise". What Franchise. 6 February 2019. Archived from the original on 17 February 2024. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  7. ^ "About Paul Farrington". uk.webuy.com (CeX) obituary. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  8. ^ "The entrepreneurs". The Guardian. 11 April 1999. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  9. ^ a b "How Hugh Man helped CeX achieve roaring trade across the globe". Elite Franchise Magazine. 7 February 2018. Archived from the original on 20 March 2019. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  10. ^ Ellison, Cara (16 July 2013). "Gaming Made Me - Charlie Brooker". Rock Paper Shot Gun. Archived from the original on 20 March 2019. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  11. ^ "CeX (UK) : About CeX". uk.webuy.com. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  12. ^ "What payment options do CeX offer for store orders?". webuy.com. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  13. ^ "CeX (UK) : Contact CeX". uk.webuy.com.
  14. ^ "CeX Franchise review". whichfranchise.com. Archived from the original on 8 May 2008. Retrieved 30 April 2008.
  15. ^ "Is New Addington really a "benighted ghetto"? - Eastlondonlines". 10 September 2012. Archived from the original on 17 September 2017. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
  16. ^ "The Secret Millionaire - S10 - Episode 5: Bobby Dudani". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 30 March 2017. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
  17. ^ "Secret Millionaire yob out of job after six weeks". Your Local Guardian. 13 June 2012. Archived from the original on 22 September 2017. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
  18. ^ "Secret Millionaire: CeX's Bobby Dudani goes undercover in Croydon". Archived from the original on 4 April 2017. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
  19. ^ "CeX Lovers Make Good Choices". February 2017. Archived from the original on 22 April 2024. Retrieved 22 April 2024 – via YouTube.
  20. ^ "Tech Center - Games Console Repairs". Tech Centre.
  21. ^ "Elektronicaketen CeX sluit alle winkels in Nederland - RetailTrends". RetailTrends, hét platform voor professionals in retail & brands (in Dutch). Retrieved 6 June 2025.
  22. ^ "Charlie Brooker - On Technology, Truth and Black Mirror". 14 November 2024. Archived from the original on 21 February 2025. Retrieved 19 November 2024 – via YouTube.
  23. ^ "CeX (UK) : Franchising". uk.webuy.com.
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