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Fry's Electronics is closing all stores

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Re: Fry's Electronics is closing all stores

#201

Post by joncrane »

BuyMyBitcoins wrote: post #3

I’m not surprised, but this makes me feel incredibly sad. I built my first PC using parts from there. I’m going to miss it. But once Fry’s pivoted to be a consignment store that was mostly empty and selling pallets of bottled water and perfume, it was obvious the business was about to die. Curiously, Microcenter has managed to live on and seems fairly robust. I can’t help but think Fry’s tried to sell too many differ…

I was pleasantly surprised by Microcenter in November of last year. I was looking for a laptop and apparently Microcenter has a house brand called Powerspec. It turns out they are a very user-focused brand that a) has no bloatware preinstalled and b) has high performance and every single port you could possibly want.

When I went, there was a little bit of hovering but overall the staff were nice.

Protip: whenever you shop there, even if no one helped you, choose an employee and let them put their sticker on the merchandise you are buying. They track who helped which customer by a sticker the staff can put on your item. If you like to be left alone to shop, find an employee who left you alone on your way to the registers!

Re: Fry's Electronics is closing all stores

#202

Post by [deleted] »

soheil wrote: post #23

This makes me so sad. I was just there not too long ago and it looked like a ghost town, the selection all gone, mainly just empty spaces. I think to experience a store like that ever again one has to travel somewhere like Shenzhen [0] [0] https://yandex.com/images/search?text=shenzhen%20electronics...

[deleted]

Re: Fry's Electronics is closing all stores

#203

Post by someperson »

rainyMammoth wrote: post #131
someperson wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the Bay Area do people often bring dogs into retail stores?

unfortunately dogs owner seem genuinely incapable to realize that some people are allergic and are simply not comfortable with unpredictable animals in public places.

Side note: The comment I responded to has since been edited. It originally said that that the last time he went to Fry's a customer's dog pooped and the next guy entering the store nearly stepped in it (and he made a joke about how the store is going to shit).

Re: Fry's Electronics is closing all stores

#204

Post by ethbr0 »

mc32 wrote: post #58
ethbr0 wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

GPUs were always the dumbest possible products for brick and mortar. Extremely limited customer base, fast tech iteration cycle, and inflexible margins.

CPUs and RAM used to go up and down weekly at least in the grey market "distributor" segment. Fry's and Central, etc, had enough markup they didn't have to worry too much about that. Also, I think Central and other smaller ones were more JIT for low margin products with unstable pricing (they'd have daily deliveries from their grey market distributors). But surprisingly, GPUs hold their value these days.

True! It's effectively come full circle. Although a ton of that seems like increased "industrial" (mining, render, etc) use of chips + retail segmentation + supply limits.

Re: Fry's Electronics is closing all stores

#205

Post by dimmke »

The last time I went to a Fry's was 2-3 years ago. I needed a very specific cable that was somewhat obscure. Their teenage employees couldn't help me and after searching it was nowhere to be found in their giant store. What's the point of having such a big store if you can't become the place for that kind of thing?

I bought the cable later that day on Amazon for $6. It came two days later and worked perfectly. That was when I knew Fry's was probably doomed.

Although it's interesting to me that Microcenter seems to be doing better. I think on average their stores are definitely smaller.

Re: Fry's Electronics is closing all stores

#207

Post by dimmke »

brobdingnagians wrote: post #191
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.

I agree with this. There are so many other stores that do loss prevention in a way that is effective but very muted if you aren't a thief. The way Fry's did it almost felt like disdain towards their customers.

Re: Fry's Electronics is closing all stores

#208

Post by meepmorp »

joncrane wrote: post #201
BuyMyBitcoins wrote: post #3

I’m not surprised, but this makes me feel incredibly sad. I built my first PC using parts from there. I’m going to miss it. But once Fry’s pivoted to be a consignment store that was mostly empty and selling pallets of bottled water and perfume, it was obvious the business was about to die. Curiously, Microcenter has managed to live on and seems fairly robust. I can’t help but think Fry’s tried to sell too many differ…

I was pleasantly surprised by Microcenter in November of last year. I was looking for a laptop and apparently Microcenter has a house brand called Powerspec. It turns out they are a very user-focused brand that a) has no bloatware preinstalled and b) has high performance and every single port you could possibly want . When I went, there was a little bit of hovering but overall the staff were nice. Protip: whenever yo…

I was in a Microcenter over the holidays, and was pleasantly surprised by the variety of things they stock. And the pricing was unexpectedly, for me at least, the same as or better than NewEgg on the items I checked.

Best of all, they weren't pushy and hostile when I refused to give my phone number, a pleasant change from years back.

Re: Fry's Electronics is closing all stores

#209

Post by dahdum »

noncoml wrote: post #24
mc32 wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Central Computer is still kicking around -for now. This is all changing. It's not the same. You used to have a bunch of grey market PC parts distributors all over the east bay (uProcessor, add on Cards, RAM, HDD, etc) that used to sell to beige box PC makers (and individuals) but they went the way of the dodo too (ASI is legit distributor now). Also, remember WeirdStuff? Gone too. It's a mature industry and the biz h…

> Central Computer is still kicking around -for now. I used to be a big fun of them. But their markup + must be a bundle, buy 3 more items rule for RTX30x0 cards, really put me off.

The RTX cards are going for 2-3x retail on the secondary market, without bundle restrictions they'd be instantly scalped. It's a temporary situation that benefits both CC and normal customers.

Re: Fry's Electronics is closing all stores

#210

Post by [deleted] »

heleninboodler wrote: post #87
taurath wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ah weirdstuff is gone? I suppose the only businesses left along those lines are the startup graveyard furniture stores

You haven't lived the life of a late 90's bay area nerd if you've never grabbed your copy of Computer Shopper and hit Fry's, Weird Stuff and Central Computer in a single afternoon. With friends. :D

[deleted]
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