Exeter's Comet store is preparing to shut its doors for the final time today as bargain hunters pick up the remaining few electrical items.
Shoppers were queuing from 8am today, despite the store not opening until 9am, to grab massively reduced items such as cameras, fridges, microwaves and TVs.
The shop is due to close at 8pm but is expected to shut its doors within the next few hours as once all stock has gone the store will no longer be trading.
Eager shoppers have reportedly left the store nearly empty after items had up to 90 per cent off their original price.
A staff member for the Exeter store said: "Customers were queuing outside the doors from 8am. Many have been walking away with bags full of discounted stock. "Customers seem to have seen the news last night and wanted to come down early to get the best deals."
Customer Simon Bishop, who got to the sale at 10:30am, said: "I was hoping to come down and get a cheap TV to be honest but there's nothing really left. Only microwaves and fridges. I'm a bit disappointed really."
A total of 24 staff at the store on Stone Lane Retail Park, Marsh Barton, face losing their jobs just seven days before Christmas, after weeks of uncertainty since the electricals retailer went into administration last month.
Some 33 employees at the Exeter distribution hub of Comet's home delivery network have already been laid off.
The city branch is among the final batch of Comet stores to close, after attempts to find a buyer for some or all of the company's 236 outlets proved unsuccessful.
Chris Farrington, joint administrator at Deloitte, said: "We are very grateful to the company's employees for their professionalism, loyalty and support at this difficult time and employees will of course continue to be paid for all the work they do while the company is in administration."
When the administrators were appointed in November, the firm's plight was blamed on the uncertain economic environment, slow consumer spending and competition from online retailers. Fewer first-time property buyers had also led to declining sales of big ticket electrical items.
The situation became critical when Comet was unable to obtain supplier credit for the peak Christmas trading period, leaving it with no prospect of building up sufficient stock to continue trading.
