Yeovil jobs at risk as Comet put into doubt

JOBS at the Yeovil branch of national electrical retailer Comet are at risk after it was announced the company was expected to enter administration next week.   Yeovil jobs at risk as Comet put into doubt

Comet, which has its Yeovil store on the Houndstone Business Park, is owned by private equity firm OpCapita. The company yesterday filed a notice to appoint insolvency experts Deloitte as administrator.

The 80-year-old Comet, the country's second largest electrical specialist after Dixons, also has Somerset stores in Taunton and Bridgwater.

Although company bosses have tried to reassure customers that it is 'business as usual' yesterday saw suppliers gaining stock, the Comet website crashing and people spending Comet vouchers before they became invalid.

Commenting on the announcement that Comet is to enter administration next week, John Hannett, General Secretary of the shopworkers’ union Usdaw, said: “This is disastrous news for Comet’s 6,500 employees and more grim news for the UK High Street and economy.

"We urge any administrators appointed to keep stores trading for as long as possible to enable a buyer or buyers to be found.

“While every failure in the retail sector has its own specific causes, there can be no doubt that the continuing squeeze on people’s incomes caused by the government’s reckless austerity policies lies behind much of the sectors’ current difficulties.”

“Usdaw members employed by Comet should contact their local union office as soon as possible.”

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