Fry’s bites the dust

“Well, that was sudden but sounds like them,” was my immediate reaction because customer service, product knowledge and basic human interactions were alien concepts to the Austin location. Ergo, them being open one day and then shut down nationwide seemed to fit their personality. I figure the person who made the decision is related to Mr. Burns yet delivered the news like Comic Book Guy.

Then I gave it some more thought, especially after reading an “obit” from Fast Company. Fry’s had been on the ropes. Made me think back to my last visit…before the dark times, I guess will be called PP or PC (Pre-Pandemic/Pre-Covid). I wish I remembered why I even went there. Anyway, the place resembled a ghost of what it had been. Partially-empty shelves and if they weren’t, non-electronic items took their place (LEGO® sets, toys, perfume, etc.). I knew they appeared to be struggling since the “traffic cop” you met at the end of the impulse-item gauntlet but before the cashier, was gone. Heck, even the number of cashier stations had been reduced.

So long and although the lists of complaints I could make would be long, I still treasure the good memories. They managed to outweigh the negative thanks to the reasonable prices, the variety and let’s face it, “brick and mortar” is more convenient than having to wait several days for Web orders. Heck, in Austin, many people’s ears perked up when someone said, “Hey, I need to get something at Fry’s, anyone want to tag along?” They did help me modify a few of my portables with bigger hard drives or handy backups. Fry’s weekend or weekly days made the local excuse for a daily newspaper worth reading every Friday. “What’s on sale? Oh yeah, ethernet cables!” If you knew what you needed, it was awesome. If you needed help, sadly, the numerous, poor schlubs forced to wear ties (until the end) made Ralph Wiggum informed. I always felt bad for them, they seemed to be refugees from Dellcatraz and now they were job hunting for something better than this retail limbo.

Thanks Fry’s. It was great while it lasted. I’m confident you would’ve lasted a few more years if you had better customer service. Here’s a pointer for next time, “no interest” is a policy for financing products to get people to buy stuff, it is not a mantra for your staff.

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