Iconic retailer returns after 13 years to take on Amazon
A once-iconic retailer is making a digital comeback after more than a decade, aiming to challenge major online giants with a bold new strategy.
When we were younger, we all had that one store in our neighborhood where we felt at home.
Whether that was a local stationery shop, a sporting goods store, an outdoor one, a bookstore, or an electronics store, it was a place we loved to be. We wouldn’t necessarily buy something every time we visited, but would at least browse and explore what was new.
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We would usually know where every product was shelved, know the staff by their name, and probably know something about their families as well.
If you are able to relate to Young Sheldon’s obsession with Radio Shack at least a little bit, then you know what I'm talking about.
It’s very disappointing when these kinds of stores close down, isn’t it?
Unfortunately, harsh economic conditions over the last two decades have killed so many retailers, and even large chains were impacted. Covid was the knockout for so many brick-and-mortar stores across the globe.
Even before the pandemic, retailers felt the so-called “Amazon Effect,” or the disruptive effect of e-commerce on the global retailer industry.
Now, one beloved retailer that was forced to close its doors 13 years ago is rising from the ashes, and it has plans to compete with Amazon (AMZN) . Image source: Getty Images
Beloved high street electrical chain is returning after 13 years
Comet Electricals Limited is a UK online electrical retailer and a former electronics retail chain that was founded back in 1933 by George Hollingbery as a business charging batteries on a weekly basis.
In the 1950s it opened its first electrical store and expanded rapidly in the 1960s and 1970s, going public in 1972. It was sold to Woolworths Group in 1984, then to Kesa in 2003. In 2011, after ongoing losses, Comet was acquired for £2, but the company entered administration and closed all 240 stores by December 2012, leading to the loss of 6,500 jobs.
Comet remained dormant for about eight years until Misco Technologies revived it as an online-only retailer in 2020.
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In May 2025, Comet was acquired by OnBuy.com, which plans to invest £10 million in the brand's relaunch as an internet-only store. The company expects to launch the new Comet website by Christmas 2025 as an online marketplace where electrical goods manufacturers can market and sell their products, according to the Mirror.
The brand has no plans to return to the high street yet.
“I am so excited, so thrilled,” said founder of OnBuy, Cas Paton. “Growing up, I went to Comet to get what I needed. It was a brand that was close to me personally. We want to bring Comet back to the UK consumer. It’s a household name that we estimate is recognized by 70% of UK adults.”
Comet plans to undercut Amazon
When it relaunches, Comet will face harsh competition, including online conglomerate Amazon, but also another British electric retail chain, Currys. Nonetheless, Paton is confident in the power of the iconic brand.
"Comet is a brand long associated with offering the very best deals in home appliances and consumer electronics,” Paton told InsiderMedia. “Its heritage is one that we want to protect and enhance using our innovative technology and business model.”
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He added that OnBuy already links millions of customers with leading brands and retailers. “We’re not just reviving a name; we’re reimagining what trusted electronics retail looks like in a digital-first economy."
Paton’s strategy, beyond leveraging a well-known name, includes a broader offering and competitive pricing.
“We will be ultra-competitive and undercut Currys and Amazon.”
