41 Comet stores to close by the end of the month

41 Comet stores out of the 236 stores the chain has in total will close by the end of November, Sky News reports.

The beleaguered chain was sold for just £2 last year, and went into administration this month. Earlier reports said all 6,500 jobs could be threatened, but administrator Deloitte has only announced 330 redundancies so far. No shop workers have lost their jobs yet, though as many as 500 front line staff could face the chop.

Another 14 Comet shops will start sales this week, joining the 27 that are already in action.

Most of the job cuts have been from the head office in Rickmansworth, a site in Hull, and a call centre in Clevedon, outside Bristol.

The shops that aren't closing will stay open over Christmas, with the 'fire sale' kicking off last week. Everything in store was reduced, though you can't buy anything online, so you'll have to tussle it out with other bargain hunters.

There was some confusion over whether gift cards would be accepted, with the administrator first banning them, then announcing it would accept them after all. Again, they're only usable in stores, not online.

The administrator said it was talking to potential buyers, and thanked the employees for their hard work. Chris Farrington, joint administrator, said: "We are very grateful to the company's employees for their professionalism, loyalty and support at this difficult time and all employees will of course continue to be paid for all the work they do while the company is in administration."

Since the sale started, Deloitte has reported record levels of trading. If you're after a bargain, take a look at the store locations page of the website to find your nearest Comet. Don't worry if you think you've missed out on the best deals, as a note on the website says new stock is arriving daily.

Have you picked up a bargain? Was it mayhem in the store, or relatively calm? Let me know in the comments below, or on our Facebook page.