INVESTMENT REQUIRED £200,000-£250,000 + VAT
Before launching his CeX store, franchise owner Batch Kang enjoyed a successful career working within the IT sector and even established his own IT company but, eager to find a business that would offer him healthy profits and – most importantly – job satisfaction, he decided to embark on a new opportunity with the second-hand entertainment franchise.
“I decided to go into franchising because I wanted a stable business model to work with and wanted to do something that I would enjoy for the rest of my career,” explains Batch. “Opening my own store was a large undertaking and, as it was my first franchise, there was a lot to take in and understand.”
The best ideas are often the simplest and the most profitable. The Complete Entertainment eXchange, CeX, takes the sell concept and updates it by trading in digital entertainment products. CeX shops buy, sell and exchange mobile phones, games, electronics, computers and DVDs directly from the public.
To ensure Batch was ready for the launch of his Loughborough-based store, he attended a comprehensive training course and gained excellent hands-on experience working in his local CeX store.
“I received a lot of support from my Franchise Manager, Brian Gregory, and the ongoing support has been excellent,” enthuses Batch.
The CeX franchise package starts with initial training, store location identification, store design and stock selection. Once up and running, franchise owners receive ongoing training and procedure updates together with expert advice on further stock selection, testing, marketing, loss prevention and pricing updates via CeX’s bespoke EPOS system that has been specially designed over 19 years for buying and selling.
“Becoming a CeX franchise owner has changed my life completely,” reveals Batch. “I have grown as an individual and have taken on a big responsibility and commitment to the business and to my family.”
Since launching his CeX store in October, Batch has not looked back and is now concentrating on expanding his business further.
“I would do it all again,” confirms Batch, “because I have the strength and desire to succeed and now that I understand how the process works I know I will be able to do it better next time.”
Brian Gregory is confident that Batch will achieve his ambition of becoming a successful multiple unit franchise owner.
“With hard work and commitment, Loughborough has the potential to achieve its targets of £1 million sales per year,” says Brian. “This is Batch’s first CeX store but, due to the repeated success of the model, he plans to expand the chain and secure his preferred local areas.”
With 159 stores established worldwide, 79 of which are franchised, CeX continues to thrive no matter what the economic coniditions and is quickly becoming one of the leading brands in the second-hand entertainment market.
Written by Tiffany Brooking