Warehouse Stationery Now Sells Number 1 U.S. Computer Brand Throughout New Zealand
State-of-the-art Gateway Computers Now Available ‘In Your Town’
Auckland, 16 June 2000 – Warehouse Stationery today announced the launch of computer sales from its stores throughout
the country. The retail giant will partner with Gateway Computers, the Number 1 Computer Brand in the United States
Consumer Market and one of the top 5 leading computer manufacturers in the world. The partnership will give New Zealand
consumers improved access to the latest technology ordered in the store over the Internet and delivered fresh from the
factory. This national retail strategy is focused on opening up access to superior technology for Kiwis in regional
centres as well as major urban areas.
“Extending our range to include computers is a natural evolution for Warehouse Stationery, rounding out our customer
offering,” explains Managing Director of the Warehouse Group, Stephen Tindall. “The move further strengthens Warehouse
Stationery as an essential destination for all business and home office needs. Gateway is a natural fit for us. They
follow a similar philiopsohy of keeping it personal and making it simple. Although Gateway started out in an Iowa barn
only 14 years ago, their brand is one of the most well recognised in North America today.” The alliance with Warehouse
Stationery is yet another first for Gateway following their success in being the first in the world to deliver the AMD
1GHz Athlon™ processor.
Drawing on its success throughout the world, where sales have risen nearly eight-fold over the last six years to US$8.6
billion in 1999, Gateway is set to extend its New Zealand coverage in line with its business model. “The Warehouse
Stationery Stores represent a completely new way for New Zealanders to purchase PCs,” says Paul Heath, Gateway’s
Managing Director Australia and New Zealand. “It will be a guided experience online in the store where consumers will be
able to buy directly from the manufacturer.
“The new stores will deliver an entirely new shopping experience. PCs are now not only a basic business need, but also a
growing part of everyday life. These stores will provide an environment where everyday consumers can look, touch, ask
and learn before purchasing in complete confidence. This is real.”
Unlike other computer shops, Warehouse Stationery Gateway stores are hassle-free zones where customers can test-drive
PCs to find the one most suited for them. As many PC buyers today want to use their machines to surf the web, the PCs
are connected to the Internet so customers can see how they perform.
Once a basic model is selected, customers can work with a Gateway-trained consultant to customise it to their needs.
Their order is then conveyed directly to Gateway’s factory floor where the computer is built to your specifications and
delivered promptly to the buyer’s door.
The partnership represents a number of firsts – for New Zealand consumers, for Gateway and for Warehouse Stationery.
“This is the first time that a tier-1 international brand has been directly represented in retail outlets throughout New
Zealand, from Whangarei to Dunedin,” says Heath. “ It will be, for many New Zealanders, the first time that they have
been able to order over the Internet from within a store. And it is the first time that major retailer, Warehouse
Stationery, has ventured into the PC market.
“When Gateway first opened its Gateway Stores in the U.S. in 1996, many so-called experts said that retail computer
outlets were a dying breed. There are now more than 240 worldwide, and that number will rise to 275 by year’s end. In
the last several months, we have opened new stores in Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia. They are succeeding because
they give consumers what they really want: top-rate machines, first-rate service and value that is unparalleled in the
market place.”
The Warehouse Stationery Gateway Store
Gateway’s technology stores-within-a store– which will range in size from 20 to 30 square metres – are inspired by the
company’s beginnings on a cattle farm in America’s Midwest. They sport imagery associated with these roots, such as the
cow spots. In addition to showcasing Gateway’s award-winning desktops and laptops, they will have online ordering
capability.
Gateway’s Focus on Direct Sales
The new Gateway Warehouse Stationery stores are only one of five ways for Kiwis to get their hands on a personalised PC
from Gateway. They can also visit a Gateway store in Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch, use Gateway’s toll-free
telephone hotline 0 800 377 677 or go direct to Gateway’s website at http://www.nz.gateway.com, while corporate
customers can meet with a team of specialist consultants. Each channel enables customers to create a fully customised
computer direct from the factory. This ensures that the machine is built with the most up-to-date technology and
freshest components – not ones that may have been aging on a warehouse shelf. And it eliminates the middleman, which
reduces the cost of the machine. In addition the Gateway technical support help line operates seven days a week.
Gateway’s flexible, built-to-order model enables customers to order the new chips with immediate effect, enabling them
to find just the right balance between computing power and value for their own need. “Gateway is committed to giving
customers immediate access to the latest technology combined with the ability to customise a solution specifically for
their requirements,” said Jenny Young, Marketing Director for Gateway Australia and New Zealand. “Whether they are
building an IT infrastructure for their business or purchasing a home system for surfing the Internet and gaming,
customers rely on Gateway to deliver cutting-edge technology.”
Availability
All Gateway desktops are built to the specific requirements of each customer. Systems can be built with a variety of
processors, memory configurations, monitors, video accelerators, modems, high-speed networking solutions, hard drives,
CD-ROM speeds and software solutions. For more information about Gateway products please call 0800 377-677 or visit the
Web site at http://www.nz.gateway.com or visit a Gateway Store.
About Gateway
Since beginning life as a two-man start-up in 1985, Gateway has grown to be one of America's 250 largest corporations,
with sales last year in excess of US$8.6 billion and 3.5 million PCs. The company has 19,000 employees worldwide,
including 1,600 in the Asia/Pacific region, where the company operates in New Zealand, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and
Malaysia, as well as Australia where the company has 300 staff. Purchases in the region are processed and delivered
directly from Gateway's state-of-the-art ISO9002 manufacturing facility in Malacca, Malaysia. For more information,
visit Gateway at http://www.nz.gateway.com
Gateway’s New Zealand head office is located at Cnr William Pickering & Armstrong Road, Albany Industrial Estate, Auckland (PO Box 10 11 44 NSMC Auckland)
Tel +64 9 414 0200
2000 Gateway. All rights reserved. All brands and product names are trademarks of their respective companies.
ENDS