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Is Fry’s Electronics in trouble?
151–160 of 379 posts
Re: Is Fry’s Electronics in trouble?
#152Earlier quoted context omitted.
I've been to the Boston, Chicago, and DC-area Microcenters, and had good experiences with all of them (although the Boston one could use a larger parking lot). Never actually been to a Fry's store--it seems that Fry's mostly set up west of the Mississippi and Microcenter east of it.
Are the prices better than Amazon? I've never been to an electronics store that is doing better since 2000 except for the Apple Store, but I live in CA. Even Best Buy in CA is empty and more expensive for the most part.
I live in CA, too (Santa Clara), and in the last few years -- that's a very important qualifier! -- I've found Best Buy to be... pretty reasonable. It's certainly not empty, stocks are up to date, and their prices tend to be competitive not just with Fry's but with Amazon. A few years ago I bought a Mac-specific mechanical keyboard -- a Matias Tactile Pro 3 -- for a good $40 less than Matias's own online store would have charged, which IIRC was actually $10 less than Amazon's price.
Also, as far as I know, Best Buy will do price-matching against Amazon, just like Fry's does, except with much less fuss about it. And Best Buy is way better about actually pricing their stuff competitively with Amazon to start with rather than hoping you just don't notice.
Re: Is Fry’s Electronics in trouble?
#153I'm 99% sure the Austin one is slowly closing. Less stuff every time. No graphics cards last time. I stopped going. Microcenter come to Austin. We have money. Please!!
Re: Is Fry’s Electronics in trouble?
#154Based on my last visit, yes.
The receipt-check at the exit was already enough to send my business elsewhere, but the dismal, "perpetually looks like a going out of business sale", store interior cemented it.
A cancer ward has more hope in it.
Re: Is Fry’s Electronics in trouble?
#155I'm not surprised that the Palo Alto store is closing. It was built in an abandoned warehouse, and the land is now far more valuable than the store.
It hasn't been a useful place for electronic parts for ten years. For computer components, try Central Computer. For electronic parts, DigiKey or Mouser.
Re: Is Fry’s Electronics in trouble?
#156Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Amazon has been a better experience for a long time now. You mean Amazon doesn't police your receipt and merchandise at a checkpoint as you got out of the store?
You aren't actually required to have your receipt checked. I just walk straight out and ignore them.
You’re in their store. If you don’t want to follow their rules, don’t enter their store.
Re: Is Fry’s Electronics in trouble?
#157Answer: of course, yes. When I visited Fry's in the DFW area last year (Irving Store off of LBJ freeway) I was shocked at how low energy and sad the place was. It was just one big pile of despair. Just a handful of people were shuffling in and out. They shelves were in complete disrepair, and there were areas where there was no stock on shelves. Computers on display were broken, twisted wrecks. The home theater areas…
> It's clear Amazon and online retailing has decimated them And yet, somehow, Best Buy is doing fine apparently. https://www.forbes.com/sites/jillgriffin/2018/07/27/best-buy...
Best Buy price matches to Amazon. They also work with cashback services and often times gives you a $5 coupon after purchasing a certain amount. Finally, they also let you return open boxes, no questions asked. Forgot to mention, you can do same day pick up for an item.
Re: Is Fry’s Electronics in trouble?
#158Earlier quoted context omitted.
The one near Indianapolis is like that, too. I'd never been in one before (none anywhere near me in Michigan), and was excited to experience it when vacationing with my family last year. Was shocked at how bad it was—it looked like it was in the process of being liquidated (huge empty spaces), and the merchandise was mostly garbage. It was like a junky flea market without the energy.
Watching that store spiral downhill has been very depressing. The roof leaks water everywhere, so they have shopping carts with buckets all over the store; the computer section is now entirely empty ("we're switching to a consignment model") is what one employee told me; just very, very sad. I'd guess perhaps they spent too much on real estate (that store could be 1/3rd its size and still fit everything) but no idea.
That location used to be an AutoNation used car megastore, and its only advertising-friendly feature is being visible from I-69.
Since Fishers succumbed to Carmel disease and started putting traffic circles in everywhere, it's even more difficult to get to from the north.
I'd say they spent too little on real estate, and tried to repurpose a bad building in a bad location. They would have done better in the old shuttered Marsh supermarket on 96th St., if it had closed up shop before they moved in to Indy. Actually, they could probably move right now, for all the shelf-stock they're likely to still have on hand. The old building should just be razed and replaced with class-B office park offices. It has never had enough casual traffic to be good retail.
Re: Is Fry’s Electronics in trouble?
#159Earlier quoted context omitted.
I don't know if this policy is chain wide, but I was very unhappy with the weird shakedown when you leave. There's a person there that stops you and matches your receipt to your purchased items. No attempt to be friendly about it either.
Which is not legal in many states, unless they have 'probable cause' or you pay a membership and agree to it beforehand (c.f. Costco).
In Texas, back in the day at least(you know, when one would actually visit Frys) you could just ignore them.
Re: Is Fry’s Electronics in trouble?
#160I’m having a really hard time tinkering away at my beginner electronics project in San Francisco because I keep sitting down to do it and then realise I need a new component and then having to stop, place an order on adafruit and then wait a week for it to arrive. Online stores aren’t great when you are just in need of a $1 component. ideally you’d be able to just nip to a real store and quickly get what you need
There's a solution for that. Move to Shenzhen. Anywhere else and you're mostly SOL.