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Fry's Electronics is closing all stores

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Re: Fry's Electronics is closing all stores

#191

Post by brobdingnagians »

ericbarrett wrote: post #125

Lots of nostalgia about Fry’s here. Well, I have a different take. Fry’s was my first job, and my first introduction to wage slavery. They never at any point cared about employee health or well-being. Breaks were the state minimum. Pay was the state minimum. The entire staff (and there were hundreds back in the day, when the checkout line would back up into the store even with 20 registers open) shared one 7x7 beige…

We mainly stopped going there because they treated customers like they might be stealing something. We didn't like being treated like potential thieves; I know they probably have a problem with shoplifting, but being constantly treated like that isn't pleasant.

Re: Fry's Electronics is closing all stores

#192

Post by meragrin_ »

parsimo2010 wrote: post #170

So it’s now after midnight PST and the website is still operating. Is this a false alarm or do we have any new information suggesting that the website and stores will be closing on a specific date? Because I’m starting to suspect that an unnamed employee at a single store might not be the most reliable source of information about the chain’s nationwide operations.

If it is indeed http://frys.com/, the message is up now.

Re: Fry's Electronics is closing all stores

#193

Post by wegs »

maksum wrote: post #185
Larrikin wrote: post #165

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As some one who went to a microcenter exactly once for a GPU that wasn't ridiculously marked up when I was getting in to Ethereum,but would like to start building my own computer, what does Microcenter offer I can't get from New Egg and Amazon?

They sometimes have deals that beat NewEgg and Amazon prices, like CPU motherboard combos, parts on clearance, etc. They also will price match Amazon and NewEgg prices. The staff at my closest Micro Center is knowledgeable, and of course it’s nice going to a physical store. Shopping for monitors was much nicer being able to physically look at it, rather than trying to comb reviews and hope the one you ordered online…

Same-day shopping, returns, being able to look at things, and talk to people count for something too.

I can't count the number of times when I bought a motherboard, and didn't realize my old AT power supply no longer worked with an ATX motherboard, or some other random standard, connector, or form factor changed. You can ask an employee "Will these five parts make a computer?" and get an answer, or even configure one up on their web site.

Plus, sometimes there are defective parts. You buy a part that doesn't work. You plug together motherboard, RAM, CPU, and power supply, hit the power switch, and very little happens, with no real way to debug. I won't say that's easy or seamless with Microcenter, but if you have five parts from Newegg and Amazon, you're basically SOL.

And if you forgot something -- and I've never built a computer where I didn't forget something -- you can pick it up. All the little things are just easier. Building a PC requires a ton of screws, cables, and adapters. I've never had the right set come with parts. Sometimes, the motherboard, case, and peripheral will all come with the same $0.50 part (Yay! I have two extra I don't need), or none will.

With COVID19, I've missed Microcenter; they don't do curbside pickup, and generally have avoided taking any sorts of basic safety measures. It's odd.

Re: Fry's Electronics is closing all stores

#194

Post by ravenstine »

Dang, Fry's is one of the only stores in town to sell PLA filament. Beyond that, it's surprising that they've lasted as long as they have. Their electronic components are a huge ripoff, their computers are shitty and overpriced, and their stores have been decaying for decades.

Re: Fry's Electronics is closing all stores

#195

Post by koolba »

TwoBit wrote: post #179
aesyondu wrote: post #153

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The repair bar employees would regularly rifle through customers’ hard drivers and keep the juciest pictures Pretty creepy. And this is from a well known company/establishment.

I remember taking my computer into repair at some Chinese shop. When I came to pivk it up, all their floor demos were showing the pictures and animations I had collected.

Did you call them out on it?

Re: Fry's Electronics is closing all stores

#196

Post by macintux »

wegs wrote: post #193
maksum wrote: post #185

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They sometimes have deals that beat NewEgg and Amazon prices, like CPU motherboard combos, parts on clearance, etc. They also will price match Amazon and NewEgg prices. The staff at my closest Micro Center is knowledgeable, and of course it’s nice going to a physical store. Shopping for monitors was much nicer being able to physically look at it, rather than trying to comb reviews and hope the one you ordered online…

Same-day shopping, returns, being able to look at things, and talk to people count for something too. I can't count the number of times when I bought a motherboard, and didn't realize my old AT power supply no longer worked with an ATX motherboard, or some other random standard, connector, or form factor changed. You can ask an employee "Will these five parts make a computer?" and get an answer, or even configure one…

As someone who has frequently toyed with getting more serious about electronics over the years, I find the ability to browse components in person invaluable.

Unfortunately my Frys has been crumbling for years (nothing says “commitment to excellence” like dozens of buckets around the store capturing rain water), and I finally gave up going.

Re: Fry's Electronics is closing all stores

#197

Post by Treblemaker »

tasty_freeze wrote: post #118

I graduated college in 1985 and moved cross country to Sunnyvale for work. Fry's was a supermarket chain, and at the time there was one and only one location that was trying out carrying computer stuff, on the east side of Lawrence Ave I think, before they moved to the west side of Lawrence. They weren't yet fully committed to it. Half the store was produce and such -- milk, eggs, lettuce, etc, and the other half was…

Came here to post the same thing (and it was pretty much the same parts!) Our standing Fry's joke was about how one side of the aisle had chips, but the other side had chips. I haven't been there since early 90's, though, so at least it remains as it once was in memory (of questionable density at this point).

Re: Fry's Electronics is closing all stores

#198

Post by sokoloff »

wegs wrote: post #193
maksum wrote: post #185

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They sometimes have deals that beat NewEgg and Amazon prices, like CPU motherboard combos, parts on clearance, etc. They also will price match Amazon and NewEgg prices. The staff at my closest Micro Center is knowledgeable, and of course it’s nice going to a physical store. Shopping for monitors was much nicer being able to physically look at it, rather than trying to comb reviews and hope the one you ordered online…

Same-day shopping, returns, being able to look at things, and talk to people count for something too. I can't count the number of times when I bought a motherboard, and didn't realize my old AT power supply no longer worked with an ATX motherboard, or some other random standard, connector, or form factor changed. You can ask an employee "Will these five parts make a computer?" and get an answer, or even configure one…

My local microcenter (Cambridge, MA) is clearly taking basic safety measures and seems more or less similar to the local grocery store practices.

Re: Fry's Electronics is closing all stores

#199

Post by sokoloff »

easton wrote: post #64
m463 wrote: post #8

I went there about 2 years ago. It was a graveyard. I just wanted a USB extension cable, and they only had one, and active extension cable that must have been languishing on the shelf for 10 years. What I don't understand is how best buy has survived and Frys (I think a much better store) did not survive.

Because Best Buy realized they were going to be killed by Amazon and adapted, adding things like price match and more vendor support stuff (like the Samsung store within store thing). If you didn’t and didn’t sell staples (like groceries, where it’s difficult for Amazon to compete), it’s been a rough go of it for big box retailers.

That Samsung thing is annoying and maybe counter-productive for them.

Pre-COVID, I went to a BestBuy for a specific Samsung microSD. Looked all over the flash memory and they didn’t have it, despite it showing in-stock online. Now, because I needed it, I asked for help, employee sighs and walks me over to flash area, we don’t find it. I show them my phone and they realize “oh, that’s over in the Samsung section!” What the hell?

Re: Fry's Electronics is closing all stores

#200

Post by zamadatix »

slg wrote: post #11

Every Fry's I have been to in the last decade has felt like the store was already in the process of going out of business. That said, I will miss the place. Sometimes you just need a piece of electronics today and Fry's had a much wider selection than stores like Best Buy.

No kidding, one day I needed simple DDR4 RAM to get a computer to boot. Didn't care the size, didn't care the speed. Most stores had nothing at all, I remember Best Buy had some older DDR3 (in 2020, and by older I mean I honestly wouldn't be surprised if it was from the mid 2000s). Fry's didn't have anything I would have ordered online but they did have 2x16 GB DDR4.
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