Fry's Electronics shutting down 30 stores in 9 states

[NamMedevac_70]

They are shutting down all stores immediately. I always enjoyed shopping at their California and Oregon locations RIP.

https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2021/02/frys-electronics-is-no-more-and-all-30-stores-will-soon-close/

[NamMedevac_70]

kscaddo wrote:
I've not been to Fry's in Dallas for probably 20 years or so. All the sales associates seemed to be from 3rd. world African countries. I could never communicate. I liked all the stuff they had but really could not get a bit of help. I had always assumed this was their corporate culture. Perhaps I was wrong, but again it's been 20 years.

That was not my experience in the Portland, Oregon and Sacramento stores about 5 to 6 years ago. Great big fun house for me. They had everything and very helpful and knowledgeable. When management and/or shareholders decide to finish off a business they usually start cost cutting and providing poor customer service as prelude to close down. Very cruel to the loyal decent employees that help build their business but this is yankee land and home of the. Replacing quality people with eaters who care less.

[MrWizard]

I love Fry's, I too saw the notice the day it was published, my last two laptops were from Fry's, my digital camera came from Fry's, and my inkjet printer and other devices, most of the blank Cds DVDs came from Fry's, the Burbank Fry's and the Canoga Park store are about equal ,distance from me in opposite directions, giving me 2 choices, but now being closed, sad times indeed, I do have a good parts store close by, very close by, but that's all they have is parts, not pcs, not tablets, printers, camera, TV,DVD players, audio components,car stereos, not all the things that Frys carried

[time2roll]

The big box category killer format alone is no longer the retail answer to low prices and service. RIP Fry's 😞

[kscaddo]

I've not been to Fry's in Dallas for probably 20 years or so. All the sales associates seemed to be from 3rd. world African countries. I could never communicate. I liked all the stuff they had but really could not get a bit of help. I had always assumed this was their corporate culture. Perhaps I was wrong, but again it's been 20 years.

[FlatBroke]

Just before Radio Shack closed up there was hardly an employee that could tell you how to even plug in one of their products. Internet shopping is faster, cheaper and less stressful.

[Downunda]

I visited Fry's LA store when I was in the USA in 2002... it was kinda like the holy grail. Same thing in this country for computer swap meets where all of us enthusiasts used to regularly jostle around buying parts and software. The swap meets are pretty much done these days. In a way its a sad sign of the times.
Downunda - Melbourne Australia

[Sandia_Man]

It was inevitable from what I've seen the last time I visited their PHX location last year, the store is as big as a super walmart with inventory you could easily fit in a regular sized grocery store. Always fun to shop at when they were still going strong, my main problem was they rarely had in stock what was advertised in their flyers, and therefore aggressively tried to upsell products you were not interested in.

[valhalla360]

Bill.Satellite wrote:
I, too, loved visiting a Fry's store (usually the Vegas store) but I must say I rarely bought anything. I think the posts above well explain why the business failed. How many folks are needing parts for their computer or are still building their own. The computers are so cheap they have become a disposable item.

Bingo...same reason radio shack is no more.

And even if you do build your own computers, unless there is some last minute need, you can find a greater variety of parts online and usually at cheaper prices.

[Lwiddis]

Saturdays used to be wall to wall people. Last time I was there...very lonely. Sign of the times.

[vermilye]

While I was impressed with the first Fry's I entered, I still prefer our local electronics parts shop. Stewart W. Smith will have what ever you are looking for in the way of parts. A bit of a mess (check the photo in the link) but somewhere, what you are looking for is there.

[BB_TX]

I never really bought a lot there. But I knew that most likely I could find what I did want. Will miss just browsing their store.

[hypoxia]

Last time I was in one it was a ghost town. No one shopping, no one to help and very little inventory.

[Fizz]

When we wintered in Arizona I would hit the trifecta at least once a month.
Fry's, Cabela, Harbor Freight.
Great way to spend a day.

[Bill_Satellite]

I, too, loved visiting a Fry's store (usually the Vegas store) but I must say I rarely bought anything. I think the posts above well explain why the business failed. How many folks are needing parts for their computer or are still building their own. The computers are so cheap they have become a disposable item.