Thread regarding Fry's Electronics layoffs

Both stores in AZ, Phoenix and Tempe, are ghost towns. Or, in the words of one employee, "we're down to selling tumbleweeds." It amazing how cases of water can make a shelf look full. Anything computer related is down to slim pickings. While I was in the Phoenix store, an employee was taking the shelves off the end cap. No one is saying anything, but the writing is on the wall. Fry's is on its deathbed.

Fountain Valley is a ghost town! I don't think they will make it by the end of the year, possibly sooner.

Burbank is looking sad. Video card section is bare empty. There are just a few internal 3.5" hard drives on the shelf, mainly the purple WD drives. Many aisles have empty pegs where products would hang. You do still see the labels of what used to be there. What really was bizarre was the huge section of perfume, racks of mace, a stocked BBQ section with briquettes, and sh–, they still have the p–n section too. All you have to do is check their website and you can see so many key computer components are "Sold Out". The rumor is that they haven't been getting new inventory ro resupply their stores and it is clear as day when you walk through the empty aisles.

@1mzc is true, 34 stores, not 40

They only have (had) 34 stores (not 40) with store # 48 (35th) being the warehouse that was shut down and stock moved to Las Vegas etc.

Was in Webster, TX store yesterday. It has been empty for a while, but yesterday was really bad. Poked my head in one of the warehouse areas - almost completely empty. Almost no employees visible and very view customers. But, seemed to have more cars in parking lot than you could find people in the store. Maybe employees hiding.

Also, the home theater rooms had most of the stuff unhooked or gone. TV display area was 1/3 empty. Several huge rack of bottled water (WTF?)

I am a local to it, and I spent more than three hours in the Renton, Washington store on Saturday, August 17, 2019. It was like a Zombie Apocalypse. There were a few other customers in the store, but only what seemed like a skeleton crew of staff.

My first clue was that although I had receipts for two unopened products still firmly sealed in those plastic, impenetrable packages that seem so ubiquitous these days, the Renton store would not accept them. Not even for a store credit! Who refuses store credits to patrons who wish to return unopened, legally purchased items.

I foolishly attempted to ask what looked a senior employee and he refused to answer my question wrt no visible inventory on the massive (now empty) shelves.

I have been shopping at Fry's since the very first one opened on Portage Ave in Palo Alto in 1989. It was such a great store and shopping experience. Sadly, it is no more and I fully expect the chain to do an arabesque as it morphs into the equipment equivalent of Newegg.com.

Sigh...

34 on that list and i think they operate over 40 stores, i may be wrong but that seems to be odd