Fry's Electronics suddenly calls it quits

Fry's is/was the last major big box electronics store and on Feb 24th annoucned that it will be closing all 31 stores and shuting down permanently.  They had the following to say on their website.

After nearly 36 years in business as the one-stop-shop and online resource for high-tech professionals across nine states and 31 stores, Fry’s Electronics, Inc. (“Fry’s” or “Company”), has made the difficult decision to shut down its operations and close its business permanently as a result of changes in the retail industry and the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. The Company will implement the shut down through an orderly wind down process that it believes will be in the best interests of the Company, its creditors, and other stakeholders.

The Company ceased regular operations and began the wind-down process on February 24, 2021. It is hoped that undertaking the wind-down through this orderly process will reduce costs, avoid additional liabilities, minimize the impact on our customers, vendors, landlords and associates, and maximize the value of the Company’s assets for its creditors and other stakeholders.

This news makes me increadbly sad and yet I am not suprised.  When visiting LA, Vegas and Seattle I would make a point of visting the local Fry's to check out what deals they had and maybe buy an electronics kit.  It was an awesome experence and reminded me of visiting CompUSA back in the day.

Sadly, it was extremely clear that Fry's must have done the bulk of their business on holidays because during the week the store(s) were dead.  Most of the shelves were empty, demo units were damaged and the prices were 10-15% more than what you would pay online. 

It would seem that "the situation" is what killed this iconic chain of electronic stores leaving a huge void in that retail space.

Related Web URL: http://frys.com/