Gateway closing all its retail stores, eliminating 2,500 jobs

Associated Press ^ | 4-1-04

[Oldeconomybuyer]

POWAY, Calif. (AP) -- Troubled computer maker Gateway Inc. announced Thursday it will shutter all of its retail stores next week, eliminating 2,500 jobs.

The company, based in the San Diego suburb of Poway, said its 188 stores will close on April 9 and workers will be let go as the store operations wind down.

[Guillermo]

Bush!

[Huck]

It's about time.

[MineralMan]

Oops! I knew this was going to happen. When the stores first opened, at least the one in my area, you couldn't walk in, buy a computer, then walk out. Next door to the Gateway store was a Best Buy, where you could do just that.

Silly Gateway.

[Drango]

Willllllieeeeeeeeeeeeeee

[Support Free Republic]

Donate Here By Secure Server

[The South Texan]

What happened to Gateway? Thee computers are not that bad. Was this retail store concept part of their demise?

[annyokie]

No lie. No need for bricks and mortar with Gateway.

[Viking2002]

Their 'retail' stores were more like new car showrooms, without the inventory. Bad marketing move.

[InterceptPoint]

I walked into a Gateway store once and wandered around for 15 minutes waiting for one of the 5 or 6 salespeople who seemed to have nothing to do to ask me, for example, if I was interested in buying a computer. No soap. No sale. I walked out. It has been clear for well over a year that Gateway made a huge (make that hugh) mistake going into B&M retail. No surprise to me that they are bailing out. Dell has them beat and beat bad. I predict there will be no such thing as Gateway Computer in five years maybe less.

[Dane]

Bush!

Nah it was that cow with the Steve Wright voice. Sorry but buying a computer from a talking bovine didn't click with me.

Although expect an avalanche of replies of doom and gloomers blaming this on everyhting but Gateway themselves.

[Bobby777]

I noticed that too a few years ago when I went in ... then, a few weeks ago, I noticed the building was empty ...

In 1989/1990, Gateway had a chance to really sit on top of the computer market ... and then their quality just went downhill ... I was afraid to buy one after client after client kept tossing the Gateway's out in favor of Compaq or Dell (which of couse are not perfect either) ...

Micron PC was hot for awhile but I've not heard much of them lately ...

[annyokie]

They make an excellent computer, if you are knowledgable enough to build your own online. Hubby has a Gateway notebook. Their sales reps suck and are arrogant Gen Z types for the most part.

They made an astute business decision and decided to do the Dell thing.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

...I knew this was going to happen...

Me too. The stores were a drain and never profitable.

[Porterville]

All of them?? Can you say, "Clearance sale?"

[CasearianDaoist]

Same thing happened to me. They were actually quite rude to me. Their loss.

[johnfrink]

Apple stores, on the other hand, are pretty cool. Very well laid out, staffed with very knowledgeable staff, and overall a very pleasant environment.

[Rodney King]

I thought Gateway was the best in the early 90's. Then, around 1995, there was a 2.5 hour wait for tech support. In my opinion that's when they lost the war with Dell. Does anyone know if these stores have a lot of samples of the Plasma TV's? There is one near me, perhaps I can grab a floor model plasma TV on the cheap.

[spectre]

My husband's heart is going to be broken. I've been telling him to buy that Plasma TV!

They had the best prices in town..shoot.

sw

[nmh]

Of course that is the fault of Bush too. Anything that goes wrong is always HIS fault.