Gateway products to get more shelf space in U.K.

Gateway is taking a few steps to expand its presence in the U.K. market before the holiday buying season, the company said Monday.

The PC maker is striking a deal to sell some of its products through Comet, an electronics retailer with stores across the United Kingdom. Gateway is also expanding an existing agreement with business equipment retailer Staples to include more products.

The pact with Comet includes several new items: 17- and 19-inch flat-screen TFT displays, the Gateway 8550GB notebook, and two desktops--the Gateway 710GB and Gateway 524GB. Gateway said in a statement that the notebook will sell for about $1,818 (999 pounds) and that the 710GB desktop will sell for about $1,074 (590 pounds). Other prices weren't detailed.

Comet is part of Kesa Electricals, which has a presence in seven European countries.

Staples, meanwhile, will now offer two of Gateway's eMachines desktop PCs and a 17-inch eMachines LCD display, Gateway said. Targeted at budget-conscious buyers, the eMachines E3010 and the eMachines E4020 desktops will be available for prices as low as $491 each (270 pounds), the PC maker said.

Since the closure of its own Gateway Country stores, the Irwin, Calif.-based company has been working with major retailers to augment its direct-sales business. In the United States and Canada, Gateway and its eMachines brand of PCs are now available in more than 7,000 stores, including Best Buy, Circuit City, CompUSA and Office Depot.

Gateway purchased eMachines last year.