The Byte subsidiary of Specialist Computer Holdings Plc, previewed here at the beginning of the year (CI No 2,088) opened its first computer superstore in Gateshead, North-East England yesterday. The 16,000 square foot store, two years in planning, was a UKP1m investment for Byte which hopes for a UKP1m per month turnover to profit. The site holds stock worth over UKP1m and will target home users and small and medium businesses. Byte plans a further 13 stores throughout the UK including a site in London’s Square Mile in December. Its next store will be in Solihull, West Midlands, on the doorstep of ICL Plc’s recently-acquired Icon superstore (CI No 2,223). Specialist Computer chairman Peter Rigby criticised competitors for being too large: Competitors with up to 35,000 square feet are over-sized. Large stores have large overheads, he said, implying that he had considered buying the PC World chain of superstores, which was instead scooped up by Dixons Group Plc in March. The Gateshead store supplies most major software brands and sells 80 different hardware systems, from suppliers including Apple Computer Corp, Compaq Computer Corp, AST research Inc and IBM Corp. It offers training courses, software installation and on-site maintenance. Finance terms are available via a store credit card with credit up to UKP1,200.
