FRY'd Grand Opening in my area where do all the people come from?

[Guest Anonymous]

so if anyone here knows about frys electronics and what not i was wondering if the stores by them were as huge and overwheleming as mine is. where i live there is these places as follow within a 1/2 hour drive: tweeter, barrets, holm audio, simply stereo, the little guys, home theater experts, best buy, grants, radio shack, circuit city, and no frys there are a lot more little places but these are the ones i have been to on more than one stop, and the biggest store used to be best buy and it was really big, this frys is about 4 times the size of my best buy and it has a cafe in the middle and its just so huge, i went there and got a new cell phone but when i was checking out there were 74 cashiers, i kid you not when i say there was 74 cashiers and every single one was being used and what not, the parking lot was packed to the brim... i mean it was just huge, i went home and took a nap after that it just felt like i was out running all day.... but what amazes me is that i drive by these places all the time and have the pleasure to have time to stop in and what not and play around, but i want to know where all these new coustomers are coming form, i have never seen a place so busy besides abt, but that is a different type of store..... so where do the people come from

[WMcD]

Yeah, a buddy took me to the one in Palo Alto. Very big.

There are two in Dallas and recently one in the suburbs of Chicago.

All are very large.

The masses are easy to explain. The folks wanting a new CD go there. So are the ones wanting a cheap boom box, a new computer, a new TV, a blender, a microwave, a vacuum cleaner, new game box.

They have it all. It is just like "The Mall". The people used to spread out and go to specialty stores. So it is not really of question of where do they come from. Rather, it is where did they used to go to, that they're not any more. Those shops are going out of business.

Gil

[skonopa]

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On 7/31/2004 9:56:56 PM William F. Gil McDermott wrote:

There are two in Dallas and recently one in the suburbs of Chicago.

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One in the suburhs of Chicago? I wonder how long before there are any on the East Coast, which is where I am. I've never been in one (I've only beeen west a couple times. Once to visit Lost Wages, and another time to go skiing in British Columbia, and probably a third time this winter to ski Brekenridge in Colorado).

Hoever, one of my friends that does alot of traveling for his job has been in one and he said that place had everything!. I wonder if this will become the "Wally*World" of electronics. How are the prices at Frye's? Are they really cheap, like they are trying to undercut the local competition, ala, Wally*World? However, I have heard you could get just about any computer component you need in that place, which is what I would love. There are several local computer shops around, as well as a Best Buy, but there are times when I need something, and nobody around has it. As a result, I either have to wait until a computer show, or get it on-line.

As for the large crowds experienced, I am willing to bet most of it was the "let's check out the new place" type crowd. Happens here whenever a new store or restaurant comes in. You could not even get near the place for the first week or two when it opens up. After awhile, it settles down. For example, when the Guitar Center opened up here in Fredericksburg, VA, there was actually a line of people waiting for thier turn to go into the store! Now, you could walk into the place and there is hardly anybody in there. However, none of the local guitar places, such as Picker's Supply or Apple Music (both downtown Fredericksburg) seem to be hurting for business. I've fairly recently gone into Picker's Supply, and that place still has a sizable crowd in there.

[Fish]

Unless Frys has changed in the past several years it was about like the Wally World of electronics etc,not really that great for audio equipment.The Frys I went to in Dallas was not very crowded at all.When the Guitar Center opened in Dallas in the 80's there was also a line about a thousand long.12 packs of guitar strings for the price of one,12 pairs of drum sticks for the price of one etc.As was said,most of the crowd goes to check out the "new place"in hopes of a better selection and a better deal.

[TBrennan]

I went to the new Fry's in Downers Grove (western suburb of Chicago) tonight. Bought a 128 mb Memory Stick for my Sony camera for $36. Bought DVD of Viva Las Vegas for a sawbuck. They actually have the Polish epic pictures With Fire and Sword and The Deluge in stock on DVD.

Thay have TONS of computer stuff; cases, drives and all; it appears that a DIY computer builder can get everything he needs there.

My girlfriend was looking at toasters and coffee makers while I looked at DVDs. Last week she bought a RIO MP3 player and a USB hub there.

[cyclonecj]

They just opened a new one in Concord, CA about 15 minutes away from me. I confess, they already have a small portion of my last few paychecks.

I used to have to drive about 1 hour for the Fremont or Sacramento store.

Here's a little piece of history for ya.... Fry's started right here in El Sobrante, just about a mile from me. It started as a grocery store. When the owner passed it on to his son, he closed it because he wanted to go into the electronics business. I think he did well.

The original building is still here, but it's now a mini-mall. It was an empty building for many, many years

[Tyson68]

Sure is getting to be a small world.

Of the places you mentioned:

Simply Stereo- This is where I bought my Academy the year it came out. My dad bought a demo RS-3 set from there a couple of years ago.

One you didn't mention was Hi Fi Hutch, this is where I bought my Forte II's in '89.

I'll have to check out this Fry's, those places are only about 45 minutes from me.

Tyson

[Ray Garrison]

Wow Tom, it really is a small world.

I lived in Downers Grove when I was in 3rd and 4th grade - 1963 or thereabouts. Carpenter Street. Biggest store in town then was a W. T. Grants. Guess things have changed...

[Dopey]

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On 7/31/2004 9:13:57 PM Gramas701 wrote:

i have never seen a place so busy besides abt, but that is a different type of store..... so where do the people come from

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Mexico

[skonopa]

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On 7/31/2004 10:30:27 PM TBrennan wrote:

Thay have TONS of computer stuff; cases, drives and all; it appears that a DIY computer builder can get everything he needs there.

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That is why I would love to have access to one of those stores! I hand-build all of my computers now-a-days. No Dells, no Compaqs, no HP's, no Gateways, no eMachines, etc. All built myself. In this area, I either have to get things on-line, go to a computer show, or go to at least three different stores (Infinity Computers - own and operated by three of my best friends, whome I've known long before they started the business, Richardson's Electronics, and the trusty'ol Best Buy). Between the three places, there is always that one thing that nobdy has that I may need, especially more esoteric stuff like SATA cables or the truly high-capacity harddrives.

I still rather support the local business, especially Infinity Computers, since I personally know the owners and have been long-time friends with them, but it would be nice to have a one-stop shop that also has alot of the little cables and other odds-and-ends that I thought I already had in stock in my workshop, but come time to build a machine, turns out I didn't have the part. Also, some of those smaller shops don't keep hours worth a damn, like Richardson's Electronics. That place is usually closed before I get back from work!

[Piranha]

Around here we refer to Fry's as adult Disneyland. You can literally spend hours in one if electronics are your fancy. They have some really great deals in their weekly ads. They also have a huge CD and DVD section. And if you need computer hardware, peripherals, media, etc., this is definitely the place to go.

The audio equipment is not all that. The salesman really love Bose at the ones around here. Imagine that???

[3dzapper]

I wish they would come to the Northeast. I have been waiting for a Cabela's for a while. Now it's a Fry's and a Cabela's. In RI we have Tweeters, Circuit City, BB and not much else besides Wally World.

Rick

[Piranha]

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On 8/1/2004 7:39:27 PM 3dzapper wrote:

I wish they would come to the Northeast. I have been waiting for a Cabela's for a while. Now it's a Fry's and a Cabela's. In RI we have Tweeters, Circuit City, BB and not much else besides Wally World.

Rick----------------

None of those retailers come close to Fry's from an inventory standpoint. Tweeter has a lot better audio selection I must admit.

But as with anything, there are some down sides to the huge inventory and low pricing. Little to no customer service, and returns are always made to be extremely time consuming. Oh yeah, be sure that when you buy something it is not a returned item. Make sure it has never been opened. Fry's is famous for just putting returns right back on the shelf as new. Are there any other gripes from the existing Fry's customer base?

If you're careful, don't need your hand held, and have patience, Fry's can be a good place to shope for electronics.

[TBrennan]

The Cabella's catalog is real cool, especially all those photos of gorgeous hunky guys drinking coffee together in their long underwear up in the woodsy hunting lodge.

[3dzapper]

Tom, I didn't know!!!!!

Rick

"Not that there is any thing wrong with that"

[Guest Anonymous]

the one that just opened in chicago is about 5 min from my house and it is huge btw, fry's owned the land for about 7 years and just never started any construction until this year and it opened maybe a month ago if that.. also frys only advertises in the chicago suntimes no tv adds no nothing... and if any of you are from chicago you know about the troubles the sun times are in what a mess that is the audio selection at frys is a total joke, but starting pay at frys is 6.50 plus commision so you know they love blose because they have the highest mark up then any other speaker in that store so they make the most money and also they have unilateral pricing systems so the customer can't get a better deal and what not.... i really am not a fan of polk audio home stuff, althgouh i will admit i do have polk outdoor speakers....

[Piranha]

I guess they don't have the budget for TV ads and such. Heck, they don't even have a decent webpage.

What's the theme of the store in Downers Grove, IL?

[dougdrake]

Fry's online arm is www.outpost.com

[TBrennan]

Piranha----No theme, just lots of stuff. LOTS of stuff.

[gullahisland]

Fry's is the biggest piece of crap store. Yeah...they've got everything, but good luck if you have any difficulty with your purchase 'cuz you're SCREWED!

They started here in the Bay Area. The founders were the heirs of the Fry's Grocery Store chain. They decided to convert one of the grocery stores into an electronics outlet and the rest is history.

Outpost.com used to be my FAVORITE place to shop online (next to amazon.com), but now that they've been acquired by Fry's, I steer clear.

The sales staff (hah!) is pathetically inept, and you have to stand in freakin' line for 30 minutes to make your purchase. I don't get it. It's just like Wal-Mart inasmuch as you get s#!tty service from unknowledgable androids and then stand in line praying to God that you bought the right piece of hardware 'cuz heaven forbid you should have to return it you'll be treated like a criminal and may be stuck with your purchase if you didn't save EVERY last piece of packaging and provided their "return policy" hasn't changed in the last 24-hours.

Anyway, there was an interesting article in the local throw-away paper about one of the Fry brothers wanting to turn the former Flying Lady into the new Institute For Mathematics. For those not familiar with The Flying Lady, it was a restaurant, airplane museum, car museum, golf course founded by Irv Perch - founder of American Clipper RVs and the "Aristocrat". You'll remember the back of them stated proudly; "You're following an Aristocrat"

-Dan