"Fry's Electronics" - what's going on with this store? (1 Viewer)

[Scott Merryfield]

Is that a more recent development? My past experiences with Amazon were I had to pay return shipping unless it was due to a damaged product. Amazon didn’t support returning if I simply didn’t like a product, like normal B&M stores do. So I didn’t buy things that I might plausibly want to return.

Technically, if you answer your reason for return as "didn't like the item" or some such thing, they will charge for return shipping. My returns have been for defective or damaged items, except in one instance. I purchased a necklace for my wife, and what showed up looked really ugly -- the pendant was much bigger than it appeared in the picture. I returned that with a reason of something like "not what I expected" and was not required to pay return shipping.

Amazon now has a no questions asked policy for returning clothes, so you can return something at their cost if you do not like what you receive.

 

[RobertR]

https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/09...emise-as-customers-worry-about-empty-shelves/ -- Long story short: Trump Tarriffs on Chinese made electronics are whats killing Frys..

I'd say it has more to do with Amazon and Frys not keeping up with the times.

 

[Sam Posten]

https://www.sfchronicle.com/busines...ronics-in-trouble-Company-denies-14945559.php

 

[Traveling Matt]

https://www.sfchronicle.com/busines...ronics-in-trouble-Company-denies-14945559.php

I was in a Fry's in a different town recently and spoke with a tech associate there who also said the reason was the transition to consigned goods. He pointed out some consigned items that had recently been stocked and said the whole process has taken longer than they anticipated.

Time will tell if that's actually the (full) story.

 

[John Dirk]

I grew up in the Bay Area which was also the birthplace of Fry's Electronics. I was recently there [to watch the Superbowl with family] and ran into a guy in Home Depot looking for some RJ45 connectors. He was talking to a Home Depot employee at the time. When I heard the employee tell him they didn't have any [in my area they do, but...] I chimed in and told him to try Fry's. His reply was "are they still around" even though there was a Fry's literally next door and clearly visible from the parking lot.

Personally, I loved Fry's back in the day, [Remember Computer Shopper?] but their return policies were always scary. You could return things but they put you through a process for the privilege.

At this point I don't mind seeing them go, because their time has passed, but I will miss them. Best Buy is likely the next victim.

 

[Clinton McClure]

We never had Fry’s here but I used to spend a ton of time browsing the aisles at Computer City (later known as Comp USA), Circuit City, and Best Buy.

 

[Thomas Newton]

We never had Fry’s here but I used to spend a ton of time browsing the aisles at Computer City (later known as Comp USA), Circuit City, and Best Buy.

Computer City was a Tandy-owned competitor to CompUSA before being bought by CompUSA. Where I lived, the two were a mile apart, and I don't believe that it was too long after the CompUSA acquisition that they closed that Computer City location.

 

[Clinton McClure]

Computer City was a Tandy-owned competitor to CompUSA before being bought by CompUSA. Where I lived, the two were a mile apart, and I don't believe that it was too long after the CompUSA acquisition that they closed that Computer City location.

There were two Computer City locations that I remember - one in Little Rock and one in North Little Rock. I bought my first Windows 95 PC at the North Little Rock store. It was an HP Pavilion mini tower. Man, it seems like just yesterday. I don’t recall seeing any Comp USA stores until they took over Computer City and both locations put up new signage. The name change never bothered me because the store layout and inventory stayed the same.

 

[Sam Posten]

Pour one out, it’s dead Jim...

 

[Lord Dalek]

Pour one out, it’s dead Jim...

Wilsonville was my Fry's as a teen. Kinda feels like a relative has died.

 

[B-ROLL]

I just received a regular email from them this morning with the sale good through 02/28

I clicked on the view web link

and get a

503 Service Unavailable​

Our apologies for the temporary inconvenience. The requested URL generated 503 "Service Unavailable" error.
We are working on resolving the issue.

Code: lb105.503

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

KRON is reporting that Fry's is closing down nationwide.

Fry’s Electronics permanently closes all stores nationwide

It is unclear at this time why the company is closing.

www.kron4.com

 

[Lord Dalek]

Egghead
CompUSA
Fry's
Micro Center.

 

[David_B_K]

I am sad but not surprised. There is one quite near my house. I used to stop there after work if I needed anything electronic- cables, connectors, hard drives, printers, Blu-rays. My current TV is from Fry's. However, for the last two years, I have been unable to find most of what I needed as their shelves became increasingly bare. I walked in last summer to get an HDMI cable and it was practically empty. Haven't been back. I actually wondered if that store was still open.

 

[Greg.K]

Ah, man... this was such a great store back in its day.

 

[Dave Moritz]

They have been showing signs of this possibly happening for some time now but it is still hard seeing this company finally go! Fry's use to be a great place to shop and a good place to get good prices on things. I have a bad feeling Sears will be gone soon as well. Sears how ever is one of the oldest retailers in this country and it will be sad when they go under. This still doesn't change the fact that Fry's going under is a sad day and again it doesn't surprise me as the last few times I was there you could see they where not keeping up stock in there stores. I feel bad for all the employees that will not be without a job and at the worst time!

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

Official word from the company.

https://www.frys.com/

 

[t1g3r5fan]

Wilsonville was my Fry's as a teen. Kinda feels like a relative has died.

I used to go there to pick up Blu-rays and DVD; I stopped going there when their selection started to thin out dramatically. I had a feeling the last time I was there a few years ago that the end was near for them.

 

[Traveling Matt]

This really sucks. Fry's was so great for small electronics purchases, like obscure cables that you didn't want to buy online and return-ship if it wasn't the right one. You can't go back and forth online for a single cable without wasting many days or weeks! They also had a computer repair desk in store where you could get advice from an actual person. It was a tremendous value.

 

[Malcolm R]

Unfortunate timing, as a number of economists forsee a retail boom in the second half of this year. Though it sounds like Fry's was slow to embrace online shopping, which was likely a contributing factor. Best Buy just reported their best quarter in 25 years, but they have a pretty robust online system.