California Hit Hardest California saw the most closings, with nine stores shuttering their doors. Gateway will now have about 300 stores in the United States. The company also plans to review the status of the approximate 50 Gateway Country stores outside the United States, Williams says. Gateway first opened a Gateway Country store in North Carolina in 1996. The stores offer hands-on demonstrations of PCs, software, services, and training.
Customers can order their PCs through the store for delivery at their home.
Like many tech-related companies, Gateway's early 2001 financial results were mixed, and in January the company announced it would cut 10 percent of its workforce. Gateway also has taken measures to simplify its product lines to cut costs.