Before anyone assumes this post is a dig at CeX, we'd like to make it known that we have a huge soft spot for the store. It began life as one of the best places to buy computer components and import video games, and, once upon a time, was arguably the go-to retailer in the UK when it came to Japanese hardware and software.
Things have changed somewhat since then, with CeX abandoning 'new' stock, turning its back on the import sector, and refocusing its efforts on becoming a multi-purpose swap shop for pretty much any consumer electrical item, as well as DVDs, modern games, and retro.
A former staff member took to Reddit recently to hold their own AMA, claiming that the store had "screwed me over". While there were questions about bad customer interactions and whether or not staff are aware that they're often taking in stolen goods, the opening query is one we've probably all pondered at some point: just what is that smell that seems to pervade every branch of CeX, irrespective of its location?
"I can't speak for every store, but mine specifically was customers," replies the former CeX staffer. "I have covered for other stores in the past and I can't lie, some staff members are a bit... smelly. Or sometimes there's a musty smell? I'm pretty sure it's from OLD consoles that have been sitting in lofts for ages so it just smells like must and mold for AGES."
Of course, those of us old enough to recall the glory days of the indie gaming store in the '80s and '90s will be intimately familiar with the rather odd scents these shops used to possess, so it's perhaps unfair to claim that CeX is in any way unique in smelling the same. Perhaps your local store is different? Let us know with a comment below.