Electronics Frys

In 1985 Fry’s Electronics was founded in Sunnyvale, California by the three Fry brothers, John, Randy, and Dave; and Kathy Kolder. Fry’s Electronics was founded to provide a one-stop-shopping environment for the Hi-Tech Professional. According to their website Fry's retails over 50,000 electronic items within each of their 29 stores. There are currently 6 stores in Northern California, 1 store in Central California, 8 stores in Southern California, 7 stores in Texas, 2 stores in Arizona, and 1 store each in Oregon, Nevada, Washington, Illinois, and Georgia. The stores range in size from 50,000 to over 180,000 square feet. Fry's also provides customers with added shopping opportunities via its online center at Fry's Outpost.com. Fry’s Electronics also offers its customers a special theme in each of their stores as a tribute to the local traditions and their contribution to Americana and world history. For example the store in Campbell, California has an ancient Egyptian theme has a 20-foot sphinx and King Tut tombs and the San Jose store pays tribute to the first astronomers, the Mayans, with settings from Chichenitza. In Southern California the Fountain Valley store hails the ruins of ancient Rome, complete with a flowing aqueduct and the Anaheim store places you on the NASA flight deck for the Endeavor Space Shuttle, complete with launches on big screens all weekend long. In Texas the theme of the Dallas store is the Lazy-K ranch, complete with a herd of longhorn cattle, while Houston features lets you view the history of Texas oil,

complete with oil derricks. Shopping at Fry’s Electronics is an experience that people love or hate. There is little in between. Those that like it often say that they like the themes of the various stores, their wide selections, low prices and gimmicks like the wall of television screens at some locations. Those who don’t like shopping at Fry’s Electronics have a long list of complaints including long delays at checkouts, bad experiences with sales staff, out of stock sale items, complex rules that aren’t always posted, being over charged. But those who like them far out way those that don’t and that’s what makes Fry’s a special part of the American electronics scene.