Comet staff speak of heartbreak leaving the Basildon store (From Echo)

Comet staff speak of heartbreak leaving the Basildon store

7:00am Thursday 20th December 2012 in Local News By Melissa Hills

STAFF at Comet in Basildon dressed in their pyjamas to keep up the morale as the store closed its doors for the last time.

More than 30 staff at the Miles Gray Road will lose their jobs. The shop was buzzing with shoppers but severely lacking in stock as the staff kept their heads held high on Tuesday.

The stores in Southend and Rayleigh Weir have already closed down.

Manager Phillipa Squires, who was covering at the Basildon store, said: “We have a great team here and it is a real shame that Comet is closing, I have worked for the company for a number of years and it is just devastating.

“About 40 per cent of staff here have found new jobs and I think the other staff will just wait until after Christmas to start looking for something else

“I used to work for the Southend store and then was moved here with a few of the staff to work out the last few weeks. It will be very sad when we close the doors for the final time.”

A man who has seen the rise and fall of Comet over the last three decades is Gordon Burkett who has been a customer assistant in the shop for 36 years.

Mr Burkett, 53, of Wickhay, Basildon, said it had not sunk in yet that the store was closing.

He said: “It’s a real family here and that is why we work so well together. I have loved working here and we were all left in shock that such a large company like this could go under.

“I will start looking for a job in the new year, it has not sunk in yet that we are actually going to be leaving. We always thought we were better than our competition and that we were doing very well.

“Lots of our loyal customers have come in say goodbye and to make sure they sent us their good wishes which has been lovely.”

A spokesman for Deloitte, the store’s administrators, added: “People buying products will get a guarantee from the manufacturers. When we were appointed as administrators internet trading was closed on November 2 and whenever possible we have tried to fufill any orders.

“All deliveries have been fulfilled and in a small number of cases where the stock has not been available those customers have been put on a list for unsecured credit but it is unlikely they will get their money back.”

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