Byte goes head-on against PC World

Byte will match PC World for sales of computer goods following its takeover of Escom's concessions in Office World stores.

"We think this makes us the largest chain," said Steve Rigby. "By sales volume Byte is the same as PC World."

Byte has taken on 46 of the Office World concessions and agreed to open a store in each new Office World outlet. There are currently 10 Byte superstores, with a further 10 planned before March 1997, and at least 10 more Office Worlds expected to open in the same period.

"You have to have a national presence," said Rigby "and this gives us it. The logic was to grow our business dramatically and we'd looked at concessions before but trying to find a good partner is not easy. Office World is a good match."

Byte has taken on a number of former Escom staff to fill the 200 vacancies the Office World deal has created. The first Byte concessions will start trading at the end of August.