Comet Group

Comet Group was an electrical retail chain trading in the United Kingdom, latterly owned by OpCapita. The company sold consumer electronics and white goods, along with related products and services, and pioneered the concept of the out-of-town discount warehouse in the United Kingdom.

The company was formed in 1933 by George Hollingbery as a business charging batteries for customers on a weekly basis. The business grew and diversified into radio rentals, and the first store opened in the 1950s. Comet expanded during the 1960s and 1970s, and became a publicly listed company in 1972. The company was purchased by Woolworths, owned by Paternoster Stores (later Kingfisher plc) in 1984.

In July 2003 Comet was spun out of Kingfisher Group, to become part of Kesa. Following a period of sustained losses, Kesa sold Comet to private equity firm OpCapita for £2 in November 2011. The company entered administration in November 2012, after OpCapita failed to turn the business around. All stores were closed by 18 December 2012.