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Is Fry’s Electronics in trouble?

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Re: Is Fry’s Electronics in trouble?

#361

Post by craftinator »

beatgammit wrote: post #343
djsumdog wrote: post #207

I don't want to see retail outlets go away. There is sometime important about being able to physically check out things like keyboards, gaming mice and headphones. I'll pay the extra premium at a BestBuy just because I can actually paid each bluetooth headphone with my device and try it out and actually hear the sound-stage and quality. I remember when MediaPlay and Circuit City went away. So are we just down to Best…

I feel the same way. I don't have Fry's/Microcenter near me, so my choices are BestBuy (overpriced, poor selection) or the internet. I try to buy from Newegg instead of Amazon because I don't want Amazon to essentially have a monopoly (not to mention that Newegg seems to package things better). I'll buy from BestBuy only in an absolute emergency, though I used to shop at Fry's and RadioShack quite a bit when both wer…

From a nostalgic point of view, I agree. Browsing, interacting, and being critical of suppliers are all important things to take into account. But, from an economic point of view, I disagree. The market has chosen the better course. I can browse online, without wandering isles; I already know what I'm looking for. I can read other customers questions and reviews; can't do that in stores. I can see how other customers have reviewed the seller; Fry's has never offered that. They don't make, nor sell, buggy whips anymore. Fry's is just another iteration of that effect. It has not followed market optimization, so it has failed.

Re: Is Fry’s Electronics in trouble?

#362

Post by perl4ever »

bluedino wrote: post #232
chrisseaton wrote: post #226

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> nobody wanted them. We got 25 at our store and almost every one of them came back. People wanted PC's.... I thought the iMac was a massive success? Didn't it save Apple from ruin almost single handedly?

It did...but this was the first one, and we were just Best Buy. Not sure if it was just or store or what. The iMac did get a lot of bad reviews and was $1299, in the days of $399 eMachines

eMachines, not to be confused with the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMac

...the overweight, less colorful cousin of the iMac.

Re: Is Fry’s Electronics in trouble?

#363

Post by perl4ever »

The closest Fry's is almost 800 miles away from me according to Google Maps. Currently if I want something local I go to Best Buy, but I remember the days of CompUSA...

In its inimitable way, Maps responds to "Fry's Electronics near " by crossing out "Fry's Electronics" rather than showing the closest one.

Re: Is Fry’s Electronics in trouble?

#364

Post by craftinator »

blhack wrote: post #139

How is it possible that they've been running in this zombie state for so many months now? The amount of money they have to be spending things like power to keep the lights on and the air at a comfortable temperature must be astronomical with almost no revenue coming in. If they were going to switch to this model, why not just lock the doors for the months where the transition is happening? Very very weird.

They've been keeping about 40% of the lights at the nearest Oregon store turned off for the last 6 months or so....

Re: Is Fry’s Electronics in trouble?

#365

Post by LargoLasskhyfv »

reaperducer wrote: post #336
dreamcompiler wrote: post #190

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I just visited Yodobashi in Akihabara and was impressed with the energy and selection, but the prices were awful: At least 50% higher than US prices for many things. Some of this might be due to the yen/dollar exchange rate but I didn't notice particularly high prices on other products in Japan--just stuff at Yodobashi.

But unlike Best Buy, at Yodobashi and BIC Camera you can buy a personal radiation monitor! Still, you're right — you're paying for convenience and selection when you go to the big electronics stores in Japan. I try to be conscious of where the things I buy are manufactured. Sadly, the last two items I bought at Yodobashi (a radio and a voice recorder) were made in China. When I asked the salespeople if they had any m…

I'd bet they stock the radiation monitors since Fukushima only. And that when another one blows up in another country it would be the same. Though i'm not absolutely sure about that, because i remember reading news headlines about a run on them, and being out of stock in germany because of that at the times.

Re: Is Fry’s Electronics in trouble?

#367

Post by redsymbol »

Here's my brilliant idea for saving Fry's.

Two of their biggest problems are

1) Not enough people coming into their store to buy, and

2) Past real-estate investments that left them with too much indoor space.

Solution:

Take half the space of each store, and turn it into a maker-space/education center.

Hold workshops there. Free, or dirt cheap, on how to do fun things with a Raspberry Pi, or build your own PC/gaming rig, or whatever.

Have spaces where people can assemble their gear. With a few knowledgeable staff around - plus the friendly neighborhood volunteers who will be naturally attracted to just come hang out at this space - to help out. And since it's right there, they can just walk over to the store and BUY ALL THE PARTS.

Make it FUN. Family friendly. A place where people want to come and just hang out, to be around other technical hobbyists...

A place where local tech enthusiasts go to meet their friends, and make new friends. And spend money.

(Heck, Fry's could even sell food and drinks. Popcorn. There would be people there who need to eat and drink; why not?)

Would this work?

Maybe. Maybe not.

But I bet it has a better chance of working than the direction they're heading now.

Re: Is Fry’s Electronics in trouble?

#368

Post by dougbarrett »

unlinked_dll wrote: post #176
dougbarrett wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Right, I find that hard to believe. I worked in the Oxnard location for a short time in 2007 and that has never been my experience. They'll dim the lights well after store closing, but it's never been dark enough that I felt like I couldn't see what I was doing.

I'm 100% serious. I have been in there maybe two dozen times in the last 2 years. The audio area in particular is quite dim, there are ceiling lights that are never turned on (underneath the weird UFO shaped outcropping).

Sorry for doubting you. I saw some pictures posted on Reddit if the Burbank store, it’s a lot more barren than I remember it being, so I don’t doubt that they’re cutting costs by not turning all the lights on.

Re: Is Fry’s Electronics in trouble?

#369

Post by Skunkleton »

yellowapple wrote: post #279
jonny_eh wrote: post #269

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But my point was that Fry's could have made changes too. It's very possible to compete with Amazon.

Fry's did make changes. Maybe not as many as Best Buy, but they do price match Amazon, last I checked.

At the same time bestbuy started price matching, the also stepped up their customer service, return policy, and stock.

Re: Is Fry’s Electronics in trouble?

#370

Post by DrScump »

mod50ack wrote: post #148
CoolGuySteve wrote: post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In NYC I've had good luck with Amazon Prime Now for urgent computer parts. I've gotten an SSD, power supply, and CPU fan for various work needs within a couple hours and without having to go on an excursion. So thank you, Rube Goldberg machine of human misery, for saving my work day on more than one occasion.

Microcenter has worked for me in NY. And they match Amazon pricing.

Perhaps ironically, Microcenter's Santa Clara store endured a death spiral a decade(?) ago that looked similar to what Fry's is suffering now.
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