Fry’s Electronics on Life Support

[mbz321]

No surprise here. Real tech geeks aren't buying things in a store anyway unless they need instant gratification. MIcroCenter seems to do well because their stores are smaller, very spread out, and they pack a lot into them. Fry's OTOH, just seems like they are way too large for the amount of merchandise they are selling.

[rwsandiego]

I have been to the store near Mission Valley (San Diego) and it is a BIG store!

But, WAY more employees than customers!

Selection was weird but prices were competitive.

My one and only Fry's experience was at that store back in the early 2000's shortly after moving to San Diego. Don't remember what I was looking for, but everyone said to go to Fry's and so I went.

I've not made a secret out of my love for BIG stores. Still lament the fact that I don't live near "my" 90K +square foot Jewel-Osco and 100K+ square foot Target in Evanston. However, there is a difference between "big, organized, and well-stocked" and "big, messy, and disorganized." Fry's Electronics was definitely the latter. I could not find what I wanted, could not get a sales associate to help me, and could not leave fast enough because of the weird layout and dozens of people milling around aimlessly. I felt like a firefly trapped in a jar.

[veteran+]

Perfect description of what I recently experienced, except fewer customers.

And I love giant stores as well (along with polished concrete floors........LOL)! But I am probably biased because I managed many of these types of stores!

[J-Man]

I've bought a few things from Fry's over the years and it was always quite an experience down in Sacramento. The store isn't in the best neighborhood but is right off I-80 and always seems really busy.

The Sacramento store, like the one in Tempe shown in the video, began its life as Incredible Universe.

[wnetmacman]

Fry's, whose beginnings come from the same family who founded the now Kroger-owned grocery of the same name, has always been a little 'seedier' to me. Nothing's every fully in stock, or in the same place. I've been to all three of the Houston-area stores, and it just never gets better.

Houston has one major competitor in Micro Center, and I've been in both the Houston and Dallas locations, and they are always on top of their game. I've never understood how smaller Micro Center did so well against Fry's until recently, when I was in Houston for work. Fry's pricing was far off Micro Center. And getting help in Fry's was like pulling teeth. Micro Center was better, faster, and more helpful.

I'll be sad to see them go if they fail, however, because at one time, they were really good for DIY, as was said above.

[Alpha8472]

Fry's could rent out space in their large stores or downsize to save money. The Concord,California store is a newer store and was built smaller. It is easier to navigate and it is well stocked. A smaller sized store is a better fit for Fry's.

[Super S]

I've bought a few things from Fry's over the years and it was always quite an experience down in Sacramento. The store isn't in the best neighborhood but is right off I-80 and always seems really busy.

The Sacramento store, like the one in Tempe shown in the video, began its life as Incredible Universe.

Wilsonville also started as Incredible Universe.

[SamSpade]

Wilsonville also started as Incredible Universe.

... and has a decaying roof (at least, the last time I was there).

[babs]

Wilsonville also started as Incredible Universe.

... and has a decaying roof (at least, the last time I was there).

The entire Incredible Universe store in Wilsonville looks decayed. Goofy layout too.

[Brian Lutz]

It seems a lot of the Incredible Universe stores became Fry's stores, but the one in Auburn WA (which was part of the Supermall/Outlet Collection) became into a Sam's Club, which closed last year when the rest of the Sam's Club stores in the area closed. As far as I can tell it's currently sitting vacant.