Comet to charge listing fee

Retailer stuns suppliers by demanding a fee to maintain shelf space in its stores

Service charge: Comet expects its suppliers to buy its shopfloor space

The FT has reported today that retailer Comet is to charge its suppliers a 'listing fee' for the first time.

Comet, which is part of electricals giant Kesa, will charge all its suppliers a fee of up to £15,400 for maintaining shelf space in its stores, according to the broadsheet.

It will also ask for a two per cent discount on invoices and and an additional 0.5 per cent fee for sales and stock data.

The firm told the FT that the arrangements were "commercially sensitive".

One industry watcher told CRN the arrangement was a "strange move" in the current economic climate.

"This will affect all Comets suppliers whether they are vendors or distributors. It is not the sort of move that you would expect in times like these."