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Hewlett to sell business PC's online
HP Business Store to debut June 8
By David Callaway, CBS MarketWatch
Last Update: 12:40 PM ET May 31, 1999 NewsWatch
PALO ALTO (CBS.MW) -- Hewlett-Packard will begin selling personal computers and printers to businesses over the Web, expanding its online business to better compete with rivals Dell and Gateway, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Hewlett-Packard (HWP: news, msgs) will announce Tuesday a new online selling site that will be called HP Business Store and will complement the Palo Alto, Ca.-based computer company's existing business selling computers online to consumers.
The new site will begin operating June 8, the paper said. A spokeswoman for Hewlett-Packard was not available to comment Monday on the report.
The new site will bring Hewlett-Packard into direct competition with Dell (DELL: news, msgs) and Gateway (GTW: news, msgs), which are among the leaders in direct selling of computer products to users over the Internet.
The company expects about 15 percent of its business customers to use the site initially, although it wants to expand its online services because it expects more than a third of its business and retail sales to come over the Web within a few years.
The company told the Chronicle that prices at the online site will generally match existing business prices and that dealers need not be concerned the online business will undercut them.
Hewlett-Packard shares closed up 1 11/16 Friday at 94 5/16.
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