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Help - Fry's Electronics (Patreon)

Published:
2021-02-25 04:15:23
Imported:
2023-05

Content

Fry's Electronics shut down recently so a bunch of people have been asking me to make a video about it. It's a pretty mysterious company that's hard to find enough information to put together a comprehensive story but I may still try to do my best with it since it's in the news at the moment. 

Can anyone here offer anything that may help in writing it? Good resources for information, speculation, personal experiences, anything that may come in handy. 

Additional question: Is this a topic you're even interested in? It seems like a big story that people are attached to and curious about but they only had around 30 locations, mostly in the southwest, so I'm curious if this would have appeal to a general audience. What do you think?

Comments

Kevin Furr

As for their demise, obviously ecommerce but specifically as an occasional PC builder I'd say you go to Newegg first and Amazon second. If you have a MicroCenter store in your town you go there third. Last time I build a PC five years ago, I didn't buy anything at Fry's save maybe some heat transfer paste. And there's plenty of competition for everything else they sold like TVs, appliances, etc. Almost their most unique draw may have been the basic electronics hobbyist components (after Radio Shack went belly up) but that can't have made much money.

Kevin Furr
>>54360372

Probably cheaper for one. Also convenience: it's just very easy to find exactly the thing you need online, if you have in mind a specific brand and part number or model for something. You're online figuring that out anyway, maybe looking up what type of DRAM sticks you need using Newegg anyway, so just order on Newegg. Maybe Fry's had it but why bother to drive to the store and talk to some human to figure that out? And as the years passed Fry's selection got worse til you'd just assume the stuff you really need would be elsewhere. As an example I'd often browse computer cases at Fry's, bought one there in 2008, but in later years they just didn't have high-end cases I'd want, they just had low-end junk. In recent years Fry's started a "we'll match Internet pricing" pledge, but to me, if I found something on Amazon why not just order it on Amazon rather than go to Fry's to negotiate the same deal? That's a case of sure it helps Fry's but it doesn't do much for me. Finally, even using brick & mortar, Dallas has a MicroCenter, which is an excellent PC parts retailer. MicroCenter still carries the good stuff that Fry's abandoned years ago. For my 2015 build I bought a few items at MicroCenter, they had the good, current high-end stuff Fry's didn't.

Anonymous

Fry’s USED to be the go to place for all things related to technology. It’s where I went to buy all the components for building computers. I probably built or upgraded 3-4 computers with parts I bought from them. Oddly enough, I even bought my red Swingline stapler from Fry’s! I think their downfall started around 2010 or so. From my perspective, it was really more of a problem attracting and retaining knowledgeable and competent employees. First, they were understaffed which led to an ugly customer experience trying to get some help to make a purchase. Then, when you did speak with someone, it often felt like they didn’t know what they were talking about. It seemed to be more about the commission or whatever incentive was out there than what the customer really wanted or needed. The other downside was that you had to be really careful when making selections because they would put returned items back on the shelf. It was commonplace to get home, open the box, and find all the seals broken and a dead component inside. Then, when returning it, the hassle involved just made for an even more irritating situation. They want to blame everything but themselves for their failure. I think their lack of attention to the customer and to taking care of their employees is ultimately what began their end. Then, there’s the front end. They had at least 40 POS lanes and had a person directing the next in line to an available cashier. Upon exit, someone else would demand to review the receipt and look through all the bags. I got to where I ignored and walked right past that person with my purchase because it felt like such an intrusion. I saw videos of people walking through Fry’s stores over the last couple of years and was amazed at how depressing it looked. I was near the one in Plano, TX right before Christmas 2020 and stopped to take a look. The shelves were almost completely empty. The items they did have were either obsolete or generic office supplies that were made in China. The computers where employees once wrote up orders or searched stock were all running Windows XP with the “not genuine” verbiage on the desktop. The only well-stocked part of the store was an aisle of knock-off fragrances with comical names. A few of those ended up being the last thing I bought at Fry’s — we have a family tradition where I give everyone a knock-off terrible smelling fragrance for Christmas. I took a few pictures around the store while I was in there because I sensed it would be one of the final times to ever have the opportunity to go into what was once the Mecca for nerds like me. I’d be happy to share the photos I have if you do decide to make a video about them. A friend of mine is friends with someone who worked for Fry’s in the early 2000’s. I can see if he knows and would be willing to share any insider information if you’d like. I saw mention of Microcenter above. Microcenter became my go-to place around 2009. The employees there are knowledgeable, friendly, and learn the needs of their customers. Some of the employees at the Dallas area store have been there for a few years. Last time I went to Microcenter, it felt a little like Fry’s did when their downturn began. I sure hope they fix that because it would be a shame to lose them.

Anonymous

When everything switched to being online in march 2020, everything I wanted was out of stock on Amazon (good quality speakers, microphones, webcams, office supplies, etc.), so I went to the nearby Fry’s (Murphy Canyon, San Diego). I was shocked at the surplus Fry’s had of LITERALLY everything. It was more shocking when I realized they were the only place in San Diego that I knew of that sold KN95 masks (20 pcs per pack for $30), and they had thousands of boxes of them for a few months and nobody seemed to know about it!

Kevin Furr

I just posted a sad pic of empty shelves over on your community board.

Brett Walton

Fry’s has always had computer part I needed. Also Fry’s has claimed to beat online retailers such as Newegg and Amazon on prices.

Anonymous

I first experienced Fry's when I moved to the SF Bay Area after college in the early 2000s, so I'm not as up to speed on their origin story, though it seems kind of fascinating (dad sells Fry's CA grocery store chain which exists to this day under the same name but different ownership in different regions, son separately opens electronics store and uses the same name/logo, etc.). What struck me about Fry's as being different from other big box electronics stores was their whole scrappy, wild west kind of vibe. They felt way more independent and less corporate, and they had a crazy range of products from like individual electronic components (you could walk in and buy a single capacitor, the last of a dying breed now that The Shack is no longer with us), to computer parts, to appliances, to random toys, perfumes, and "as seen on TV" stuff. Their stores were all individually themed and were frankly kind of bonkers. Their prices were good enough that it wasn't crazy to buy from them vs. Amazon or Newegg, even without the hassle of price matching. Many of their locations had a full service snack bar (why?). They had an insane checkout/register setup where they would have about 50 registers, only five of them would be staffed (even in the good times), and you would wait for a green light to appear above one and then approach with your items. It felt like an ill-fated mid-80s idea of POS optimization that they just clung to until the end. Maybe emblematic of some of their other issues? Their demise is also potentially interesting and it seems like it's been a long time coming. Even before COVID, they were clearly having issues. Over the past decade my local locations seemed to be getting worse and worse with shelves emptying and lots of sections just being in total disarray. I believe they're privately held so there isn't a ton of transparency around it, but their ultimate downfall is pretty mysterious. Some employees were told that they were "switching suppliers" and everything would be back to normal soon, but that seems pretty sketchy. This vid does a pretty good job of documenting a similar effect to what I was seeing locally (this is August 2019): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8bEcgJRShw In some ways it seems like a miracle that they survived as long as they did through all of 2020. Would be super interesting to know what was actually happening behind closed doors in those last few years.

Jon

Hi Mike, I would concur with everything Kevin said above. I used to shop occasionally at the Fry's Electronics store off I-69 on the Northeast side of Indianapolis, IN. I knew it was part of a chain but I never knew how many stores they had or where they were located. It was probably 7 or 8 years ago that I went into the store for the first time after a friend of mine told me about it. My background is electrical engineering and Fry's Electronics was like a magical wonderland. They carried TVs and Appliances (very much like a Best Buy) but they also carried a wide variety of electronic components such as power supplies, connectors, memory chips, cables, etc. (it reminded me of Radio Shack back in their glory days in the 1980s). Fry's also carried a wide assortment of security cameras, LED strips, and tons of computers, drones, and electronic "toys". But like Kevin said, a couple years ago something changed. I did not know if it was just the store in Indianapolis or if all Fry's stores changed but they quit carrying a lot of the "fun" stuff that made me want to go there. My last time there (maybe 2 years ago) there were a lot of empty shelves. It didn't quite look like they were going out of business but I just got the vibe that they were on hard times. I never did any research on them so I may be way off base but that is just the impression I had during my last visit. In terms of speculation, I am guessing that the number of electronics hobbyists / enthusiasts (like myself) who were interested in building their own devices has been declining for years. There are a few places that still serve this niche market such as Digikey.com but in any geographic location there are probably not enough hobbyists to support a traditional brick & mortar store. With that side of their business declining, I am guessing they were beat out on TVs and appliances by the likes of Best Buy and Amazon. Again, just my speculation. In terms of interest, I am sure you would make the story of this company interesting but it is not one that would be at the top of my list since on the surface it appears like another big box store probably being done in by a combination of declining market for some of their products and e-commerce for the rest of their products.

companyman
>>54361003

You don't have to go too far out of your way Brian. I'm starting to get a picture of what's been going on. However it would be fantastic if you had pictures to share that would fit well into the video.

Anonymous

Fry's is a weird place. They're absolutely massive, and each one has its own theming. I grew up around the corner from the one in Fremont, CA, and I always remember it being an absolute madhouse when I was younger. You literally couldn't drive past the Fry's on a weekend without hitting bad traffic coming in and out of the parking lot. The place was always PACKED. My mother and I used to go all the time back when big-box PC games were in, and they had a great selection. We also bought all of our computers and printers from Fry's, and they had a repair shop in-house for getting Fry's-warranted computers fixed. As a kid, Fry's was an experience. They had one of those massive sound-booth things for people to test out surround sound systems, a cafe in the middle of the store, and a really interesting queue set up. As time went on, however, Fry's started to change. I think as electronics and computer software got more advanced, and digital download started getting big, Fry's was left unsure of what their branding should be. When music, movies, and games all have to be bought separately, there needs to be a lot of space available for shelving and displaying these things. Fry's got to a point where there simply wasn't enough inventory, and they tried to fill the spaces (at least at my local Fry's) with some very odd stuff, like perfume and kid's toys. We'll always have a lot of nostalgia in the Bay for Fry's, especially the weird circuit-man mascot in his cowboy hat, telling us our "best buys are always at Fry's!" I'd personally love a video on the topic, since Fry's was a huge part of my childhood in a booming Silicon Valley. Thank you for the great work!

Stephen Gillie

Fry's opened a location in Renton, about 30 minutes south of Seattle, a little over a decade ago. It's basically an "electronics grocery store" - kind of like what Party City is for party supplies. For a young adult gamer, it was like being a kid in a candy store. After passing the awkwardly-oversized entrance, you're in front of aisle after aisle of computer equipment. The store was divided into 4 parts with a small coffee shop in the middle, and going counter-clockwise around the store felt natural. The first section starts at the door and moving right - small with fans and lights, then small cards, then larger cards, power supplies, accessory cables, and finally into Arduino and hobbyist gear. Motherboards and CPUs displayed against the right wall, with cases further down. The second section, behind the aisles of computer hardware and turning left along the back wall, were computer accessories - shelves of keyboards, mice, USB dongles, chairs, speakers, and monitors. Continuing counter-clockwise along the back of the store was the home theater area, awash with the flattest of screen and most dynamic of speaker. Salespeople milled here hopefully, ready for any sales adventure. This section also turns left to move towards the front of the store, with consoles and console games bordering the next section. Finally, the front-left quadrant was kinda random, with household appliances (stoves and fridges and washer/dryers) alongside cell phones, gimmicks, batteries, and impulse buys. This fed into the cash registers at the front of the store. You'd snake through a long line, then wait for the next available checkstand. And there were several people there to assist the unattentive. This part was always anxiety-inducing. Did I mention a coffee shop? There were usually customers in the very slow moving line, and I do not remember chairs there. A little ahead of its time? I went back about 3 months ago, and it was a sad shell of its former glory.