Escom open stores, Power computing acquire the rights to GVP products, Aiwa's new CD-ROM drive, Flat Earth's eco-friendly disk boxes, a new Doom clone - plus The Baguley Column
Many of the Rumbelows stores acquired by Escom have already been rebadged and re-opened. As we reported in June's Amiga Format, Escom purchased 200 of the High Street stores from Thorn EMI in an effort to build a solid retail chain in the UK.
The launch was backed by a £6 million advertising campaign in the national press and a major press launch at London's Barbican Centre, which alone would indicate Escom's intent to make a success of this venture.
Until the Rumbelows deal, Escom had only a handful of retail outlets, concentrating on the mail order side of the business. But Manfred Schmitt, president of Escom, believes Escom has a real future in retail. In Germany, over 40 per cent of PCs are purchased from retail outlets, as compared to only 17 per cent in the United Kingdom.
Escom are certain that there is an opportunity for a chain of retail shops which specialise in providing computer solutions. Their philosophy is that interested customers will not have to "fight their way past microwaves, videos and toasters to find the computer they want."
Historically, High Street stores lost out to retail because customers try equipment in a store, but buy from a mail order company for a cheaper price. Escom are confident they can deliver a high standard of service but retain a competitive edge, because they are also manufacturers.
The early indications of Escom's strategy for the future of the Amiga have been met with cautious optimism by much of the software industry.
At a recent press conference, Escom president Manfred Schmitt alluded to a price of around £200 for the entry-level Amiga, a figure which would surely guarantee a large number of software sales and put the Amiga into tens of thousands of homes across Europe.
Escom also intend to stock software in their shops, which could solve many of the distribution problems currently faced by Amiga software.
Bernard Van Tienen (left) and Manfred Schmitt feild the questions at their retail press launch.
Shoppers are already investigating this strange new store in Bath, but how long will it be before they can buy an Amiga?