Sad day for staff as Shrewsbury Comet store closes
Shropshire's last Comet superstore has served its final customer and closed its doors for good, marking the end of a retail era.
The Shrewsbury Comet store, at Meole Brace Retail Park, off Hereford Road, served its last customer at 9.56am yesterday as the shutters were brought down on the shop, which opened in the town on December 8.
The 30 staff being made redundant then stripped down the remaining store fittings.
The shop floor was then cleared ready for a potential new occupier.
Comet closed its last 50 stores nationwide yesterday after becoming the biggest casualty on the High Street since the demise of Woolworths in 2008.
Workers said it was 'very sad' and the realisation would start to sink in after a couple of days.
Sales manager Graham Smith, 42, who has worked at the Shrewsbury store for eight years, said: "The store shut at 9.56am. That was when our last customer left through the doors.
"All the guys – believe it or not – are still in high spirits but it has been a very sad day and it's like we are losing family more than anything as so many of us have been here for so long.
"The hard part is having to strip down the store ready for the next people."
He added: "I believe some people have jobs lined up but I think everyone is just looking forward to a rest over Christmas and then we will have to go on again."
On December 9, another 16 staff were made redundant at the Telford Comet store, at the town's Bridge Retail Park.
Before its collapse in early November the electrical retailer had about 6,000 workers on its books.
Meanwhile, the Early Learning Centre store in the Pride Hill Shopping Centre was also due to close today with most of the staff transfering to a new site inside the existing Mothercare store in the Charles Darwin Centre.
A worker at the store, who asked not to be named, said a 'majority' of staff were keeping their jobs and added that the move was so that the store could 'incorporate more stock'.
