The End of Escom (PCGH-Retro, July 15)

… 1996: Escom was once the second largest chain of PC dealers in Germany, right after the market leader Vobis. An aggressive pricing policy when selling self-assembled computers gave the company a market share of more than 10 percent in 1994, thanks to the booming Windows PCs and the trend is rising. But Escom grew too fast, the takeovers of a British and a Dutch retail chain and their inventories turned out to be momentous mistakes; the purchase of the Amiga rights from Commodore in 1995 gave Escom a valuable brand, but hardly any capital could be made from it. In the same year, a loss was incurred for the first time – and that was the beginning of the end: On July 15, 1996, Escom had to file for bankruptcy.