TheBang

Something like this, that would have competed with Radio Shack, rather than a big box retailer like Fry's or Best Buy:

Sacramento Electronic Supply Co Webstore

or these guys:

https://www.cyberguys.com/store-locator/

And you didn't specify how long is "REALLY LONG" but Target has a 25' cable for $19, apparently a good price, in stock at most stores:

https://www.target.com/p/philips-25-...k/-/A-53243154

Alan Smithee

Decided to look them up on Yelp today, and their Northgate store is showing as "temporarily closed". It's probably gone now unless that miracle of new merchandise coming in ever happens. Their Roseville store is showing as still open, wonder if they brought over the stock from the closed store to try and make it look stocked. So sad, they were the last hope for a decent place to buy movies here. You can't even find new releases on their website, not that you'd need to order there with so many other places to order from.

Josh-da-man

I can't believe they're still hanging on.

I would've though the pandemic would have finished them off.

Alan Smithee

They lost a big chance to take advantage of it too- likely people needed some work-from-home supplies and such, but they had nothing to sell. I saw a YouTube video of one store that got a bunch of "Silo" TVs, cheap ones that only do 720 resolution and the company behind them is already out of business, but those were the only TVs they were able to get in stock. Any other company would have given up by last Christmas, it's speculated they're just bleeding everything dry before then. Would be amusing to see any other store go through this but not one that was so great in the past.

Noonan

No vendor was going to send them product on a line of credit; even if it was pandemic related items they knew would sell. And I highly doubt they were willing/able to pay up front.

fujishig

Did they even reopen for in store pickup during the pandemic? The last time I went to Fry's (years ago), in store pickup was a joke, and social distancing in that line was impossible. Not that you could find stuff on the website to order. Having huge stores that nobody can go into probably doesn't help.

slop101

I didn't go in, but there were far more cars in the Fry's lot recently than there had been just pre-pandemic. Or maybe people are just squatting there, as there's no one to call a tow-truck on them.

Alan Smithee

Sacramento store, which began life as Incredible Universe, is officially kaput. Was listed as “temporarily closed” on Fry’s website for a while but signage was recently removed. I feel like leaving some flowers outside...

The Antipodean

Was that the one near Citrus Heights with the train out front? Last time I was in there when I was back in the US, it definitely felt like a ghost town. A shame, several years ago I got some most excellent DVD bargains there...

Alan Smithee

That one is in Roseville, which hasn’t been around as long. It was also a good store when they first opened and I felt very fortunate to have TWO Fry’s within driving distance but now they barely have enough stock for one. A friend was just there today and put a video on Facebook laughing at how pathetic their stock was, though they managed to get a bunch of face masks and hand sanitizer in.

Maxflier

R.I.P. Fry’s

DJariya

Giantrobo

Wooow

B5Erik

Yeah, this took a lot longer than I expected.

I went into the San Marcos, CA store in December of 2019 to do some Christmas shopping, and they had MAYBE 10% of the inventory that they had 5 years earlier.

It was sad. Depressing.

Fry's was a GREAT store. I loved shopping there. I bought a ton of DVD's and Blu Rays there over the years, as well as a computer, Blu Ray player, etc. I've missed shopping there for a couple years - ever since their inventory started shrinking.

Alan Smithee

Had to happen sooner or later, barring a miracle mega-shipment of new inventory- but anyone else would've given up much faster. They don't even have any stock to hold a going out of business sale. But it's sad, since they used to be such a great place to shop. Wonder what will become of their huge empty stores now- the one in Roseville wasn't around very long (and I don't remember what was there before it was built.)

Last significant purchase I made there was a Pioneer center speaker, which was when it was first readily apparent that they were running out of inventory. Also bought a Blu-Ray of "Kill Your Friends", the last of countless discs I bought there. I thought I'd have them to lean back on with all the real media stores going under, but twas not to be.

"Your Best Buys Were Usually At Fry's"

Alan Smithee

The Northgate parking lot frequently had "side shows" going on, where people would do stupid stunts with their cars. Remember one going on as I was leaving the store, with tons of people crowded around. (On the news recently they showed someone who got seriously injured watching one of these, as a car plowed right into them.) The parking lot has been gated off ever since the store closed, most likely to prevent more of that.

DJariya

I went to Fry's a lot in the late 90s and early 2000s It was a fun place to shop for physical media as well as computer stuff and video games. But, as with many B&M stores, online business killed it. Especially Amazon.

It's a shame.

Alan Smithee

https://www.frys.com/ :

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.

The Company is in the process of reaching out to its customers with repairs and consignment vendors to help them understand what this will mean for them and the proposed next steps.

If you have questions, please contact us using the following email addresses:

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          • For customers who have equipment currently being repaired, please email [email protected], to arrange for return of your equipment.
            
            
            
          • For customers with items needing repair under a Performance Service Contract, please call (800) 811-1745.
            
            
            
          • For consignment vendors needing to pick up their consignment inventory at Fry’s locations, please email [email protected].
            

Please understand if we are a bit slow to respond given the large volume of questions. The Company appreciates your patience and support through this process.

Sincerely,

Fry’s Electronics

rduncan

Fry’s Electronics is shutting its doors for good

https://www.theverge.com/circuitbrea...f-business?fbc

Edit: OOPS, didn't see posting immediately above.

milo bloom

I enjoyed going there but looking back I wonder if they tried to do too much. I did appreciate that they had a really interesting variety of DVDs, and it was nice to be able to buy computer parts there, but they just had so much other stuff they couldn't really focus. And of course online shopping has taken much of that.

Here in the Chicago suburbs we still have places like Micro Center in Westmont that still sells computer parts plus complete systems and iPhones and such, so there's a market for it.

slop101

For a while, during the PS3/360 days, they were one of the only place that had discounts on new videogames.
And they also carried tons of Criterion dvd/blu-rays at a good discount.

funkyryno

Up until 8-10 years ago, my local Fry's store was pretty awesome. I loved going there and just browsing, although my wife always refused to go near the PC hardware section because it smelled of body odor. Then the long, slow decline began ...

fujishig

Yeah, they had great sales, but they had a new one like every three days. I still remember those massive newspaper ads.

I also remember going to Walmart to pricematch a Fry's ad (I think for the Star Wars DVD set) and being told they didn't consider them a competitor.

Why So Blu?

Blame COVID. Riiiiiiiight. They've been dead for years. Last time I stepped foot at a Fry's was back in 2005.

B5Erik

Nah, I shopped there regularly. They still had a very large inventory up to about 2015. From there it was a slow spiral downward.