cctech Digest, Vol 64, Issue 1
Adam Thornton
athornton at gmail.com
Wed Jan 1 14:30:02 CST 2020
I remember chatting a bit with John Fry who saw the sales margins in
electronics and compared them to food sales his family's supermarket
chain. He figured that the marketing that worked so well in the grocery
business would be a winner in electronics sales. Because of his
family's connections, he could also offer popular food items. High
volume and low margins.
That answers my question about why Fry's the supermarket chain (acquired by
Kroger's a few years ago) has a logo like the electronics store.
The Fry's down near NASA in Houston was also a creepy ghost town a month or
so ago. Micro Center in Houston seemed to be doing fine.
On Wed, Jan 1, 2020 at 11:00 AM <cctech-request at classiccmp.org> wrote:
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> Today's Topics:
>
> 1. One of Bay Area's last Fry's Electronics stores closes
> (Tom Gardner)
> 2. Re: One of Bay Area's last Fry's Electronics stores closes
> (Chuck Guzis)
> 3. Re: One of Bay Area's last Fry's Electronics stores closes
> (Fred Cisin)
> 4. Re: One of Bay Area's last Fry's Electronics stores closes (Ali)
> 5. RE: One of Bay Area's last Fry's Electronics stores closes (Ali)
> 6. Re: One of Bay Area's last Fry's Electronics stores closes
> (jim stephens)
> 7. Re: One of Bay Area's last Fry's Electronics stores closes
> (Fred Cisin)
> 8. Re: One of Bay Area's last Fry's Electronics stores closes
> (John Herron)
> 9. New Member Introduction (Mike Begley)
> 10. RE: One of Bay Area's last Fry's Electronics stores closes
> (Mike Begley)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Tue, 31 Dec 2019 10:34:27 -0800
> From: "Tom Gardner" <t.gardner at computer.org>
> To: <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
> Subject: One of Bay Area's last Fry's Electronics stores closes
> Message-ID: <002301d5c008$ef5ba650$ce12f2f0$@computer.org>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
>
> Palo Alto Fry?s closing <
> https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Bay-Area-locations-Frys-Electronics-closed-14939907.php>
> . Sad, but not the end of an era ? apparently the loss of lease
>
>
>
> I remember visiting an early Fry?s (first?) in Sunnyvale (541 Lakeside
> Dr?, near Oakmead and around the corner from Shugart Associates where I
> then worked). I marveled at the selection of steaks, diet cokes,
> resistors, capacitors, ICs, etc. They had partially converted a
> supermarket into an electronics store but I heard they at first kept the
> food to keep some cash flow. I think I bought steaks J The engineers and
> technicians at Shugart more than once ran over there to get breadboard
> parts.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Tue, 31 Dec 2019 11:24:27 -0800
> From: Chuck Guzis <cclist at sydex.com>
> To: cctalk at classiccmp.org
> Subject: Re: One of Bay Area's last Fry's Electronics stores closes
> Message-ID: <fa07b790-23ac-5492-48f6-631358c69d0a at sydex.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
>
> On 12/31/19 10:34 AM, Tom Gardner via cctalk wrote:
> > Palo Alto Fry?s closing
> > <
> https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Bay-Area-locations-Frys-Electronics-closed-14939907.php
> >
> > . Sad, but not the end of an era ? apparently the loss of lease
> >
> >
> > I remember visiting an early Fry?s (first?) in Sunnyvale (541
> > Lakeside Dr?, near Oakmead and around the corner from Shugart
> > Associates where I then worked). I marveled at the selection of
> > steaks, diet cokes, resistors, capacitors, ICs, etc. They had
> > partially converted a supermarket into an electronics store but I
> > heard they at first kept the food to keep some cash flow. I think I
> > bought steaks J The engineers and technicians at Shugart more than
> > once ran over there to get breadboard parts.
>
> I was at the grand opening of the Sunnyvale Fry's. A great place to
> purchase Canfield's Diet Chocolate Fudge soda, which was all the rage
> back then. A friend purchased it by the caselot.
>
> I remember chatting a bit with John Fry who saw the sales margins in
> electronics and compared them to food sales his family's supermarket
> chain. He figured that the marketing that worked so well in the grocery
> business would be a winner in electronics sales. Because of his
> family's connections, he could also offer popular food items. High
> volume and low margins.
>
> Sigh. It was a time when factory reps would come and give live
> presentations of their good stuff. And rows and rows of pegboard with
> plastic bags of components with red-and-white labels. At some point
> they got some sort of deal with Everex (which was in Fremont) and they
> had piles of that stuff cheap for sale. In that department, however,
> their tech support was close to non-existent. ("Doesn't work? Here's
> another one to try" approach).
>
> But then, the area had lots of surplus electronics places back then,
> probably because things were actually manufactured in the Santa Clara
> valley.
>
> The Palo Alto store was after my time.
>
> --Chuck
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Tue, 31 Dec 2019 13:08:54 -0800 (PST)
> From: Fred Cisin <cisin at xenosoft.com>
> To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts"
> <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
> Subject: Re: One of Bay Area's last Fry's Electronics stores closes
> Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.4.64.1912311301460.24943 at shell.lmi.net>
> Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=X-UNKNOWN; FORMAT=flowed
>
> Fry's says that they are doing fine.
> BUT, that they are moving to a "consignment" model - they now plan to pay
> their suppliers only AFTER the merchandise sells.
>
> Or at least that is what they are telling their creditors.
>
> They could revitalize the stores, if they would add Jolt Cola, Canfield's
> Diet Chocolate Fudge soda, potato chips, cookies, toothpaste, rosin-core
> lead solder, and electronic components. Maybe even collaborate with
> Fat-Brain to open a computer literacy bookstore.
>
> --
> Grumpy Ol' Fred cisin at xenosoft.com
>
> >> Palo Alto Fry???s closing <
> https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Bay-Area-locations-Frys-Electronics-closed-14939907.php>
> . Sad, but not the end of an era ??? apparently the loss of lease
> >
> > When I last visited a couple months ago, the one in Wilsonville, Oregon
> hadn???t done any restocking to speak of (except a couple video games) for
> months. The shelves were largely bare, and all the places they used to
> store excess stock were empty. I might be down that way in a few weeks, if
> so I???ll try to check on the status of the store. I know in October there
> was a news article or two claiming they were in the process of restocking,
> but based on my last visit, they seem dead.
> >
> > Zane
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 4
> Date: Tue, 31 Dec 2019 13:28:16 -0800
> From: Ali <cctalk at ibm51xx.net>
> To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts"
> <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
> Subject: Re: One of Bay Area's last Fry's Electronics stores closes
> Message-ID: <1MfprR-1jNMVN4Btx-00gIGd at mrelay.perfora.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
>
>
> -------- Original message --------From: Fred Cisin?Fry's says that they
> are doing fine.BUT, that they are moving to a "consignment" model - they
> now plan to pay their suppliers only AFTER the merchandise sells.Or at
> least that is what they are telling their creditors.They could revitalize
> the stores, if they would add Jolt Cola, Canfield's Diet Chocolate Fudge
> soda, potato chips, cookies, toothpaste, rosin-core lead solder, and
> electronic components.? Maybe even collaborate with Fat-Brain to open a
> computer literacy bookstore.--No. They are closing:
> http://www.tonetoatl.com/2019/12/Frys-Electronics-Closed-Duluth-Gwinnett-Place.htmlI
> really can't see any manufacturers lining up behind the Fry's BS. They just
> don't have the foot traffic for it.?Now as Fred says if they went back to
> filling a niche that is very empty (i.e. an electronics part retailer with
> stock of hard to get goods on hand) that may work. I hate having to order
> 50 capacitors from China everytime I need one....?
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 5
> Date: Tue, 31 Dec 2019 13:32:42 -0800
> From: "Ali" <cctalk at ibm51xx.net>
> To: "'General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts'"
> <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
> Subject: RE: One of Bay Area's last Fry's Electronics stores closes
> Message-ID: <016901d5c021$d6407560$82c16020$@net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
>
> Re-sending for legibility...
>
> >Fry's says that they
> > are doing fine.BUT, that they are moving to a "consignment" model -
> > they now plan to pay their suppliers only AFTER the merchandise
> > sells.Or at least that is what they are telling their creditors.They
> > could revitalize the stores, if they would add Jolt Cola, Canfield's
> > Diet Chocolate Fudge soda, potato chips, cookies, toothpaste, rosin-
> > core lead solder, and electronic components. Maybe even collaborate
> > with Fat-Brain to open a computer literacy bookstore.--
>
>
> No. They are closing:
> http://www.tonetoatl.com/2019/12/Frys-Electronics-Closed-Duluth-Gwinnett-Place.html
>
>
> I really can't see any manufacturers lining up behind the Fry's BS. They
> just don't have the foot traffic for it. Now as Fred says if they went back
> to filling a niche that is very empty (i.e. an electronics part retailer
> with stock of hard to get goods on hand) that may work. I hate having to
> order 50 capacitors from China every time I need one....
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 6
> Date: Tue, 31 Dec 2019 13:53:16 -0800
> From: jim stephens <jwsmail at jwsss.com>
> To: cctalk at classiccmp.org
> Subject: Re: One of Bay Area's last Fry's Electronics stores closes
> Message-ID: <e4b87d92-ab2b-de42-6975-33888b5cc384 at jwsss.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed
>
>
>
> On 12/31/2019 1:32 PM, Ali via cctalk wrote:
> > Re-sending for legibility...
> >
> >> Fry's says that they
> >> are doing fine.BUT, that they are moving to a "consignment" model -
> >> they now plan to pay their suppliers only AFTER the merchandise
> >> sells.Or at least that is what they are telling their creditors.They
> >> could revitalize the stores, if they would add Jolt Cola, Canfield's
> >> Diet Chocolate Fudge soda, potato chips, cookies, toothpaste, rosin-
> >> core lead solder, and electronic components. Maybe even collaborate
> >> with Fat-Brain to open a computer literacy bookstore.--
> >
> > No. They are closing:
> http://www.tonetoatl.com/2019/12/Frys-Electronics-Closed-Duluth-Gwinnett-Place.html
> >
> >
> > I really can't see any manufacturers lining up behind the Fry's BS. They
> just don't have the foot traffic for it. Now as Fred says if they went back
> to filling a niche that is very empty (i.e. an electronics part retailer
> with stock of hard to get goods on hand) that may work. I hate having to
> order 50 capacitors from China every time I need one....
> They actually were changing to a way of flooring the merchandise closer
> to the food industry.? Many things on the shelf in larger supermarkets
> are actually managed and stocked at the expense of the people who have
> the shelfspace.? So that becomes critical.
>
> Years ago a drug chain called Zody's used the same method, but for
> entire areas of stock, not by item.
>
> A friend had a pitabread business and went into Ralphs (Krogers in
> Southern ,CA).? The buyin for about 2' of space was about $500,000 then
> you had to supply the stock.? Payback came to you when you shipped more
> to them than they returned or discarded stale (or put in markdown).
>
> Frito-Lay as well as some of the alcohol aisle actually send in
> personnel twice a day to do the stocking.? The store staff doesn't touch
> it.
>
> Anyway it doesn't seem to be happening, i heard the story Fred has 3
> months ago, and it doesn't take this long to do the deal if it's going
> to work.
>
> Years ago when they expanded a friend who had a similar electronics
> business said that the electronics side of Fry's was done with large
> amounts of debt.? My friend's store was well positioned to expand, but
> they wouldn't do the debt model Fry's did.
>
> That said, either Fry's is profitable, or they've paid down their debt
> to where they can withstand what is going on.? If it were a business
> with a large debt load the banks wouldn't let them take a week, must
> less 3 months and counting to do what is going on.
>
> And those 100,000sf store rent keeps on ticking full or empty.
>
> thanks
> Jim
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 7
> Date: Tue, 31 Dec 2019 14:02:13 -0800 (PST)
> From: Fred Cisin <cisin at xenosoft.com>
> To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts"
> <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
> Subject: Re: One of Bay Area's last Fry's Electronics stores closes
> Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.4.64.1912311359300.24943 at shell.lmi.net>
> Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed
>
> Who else, but Fry's, has had the impact that third parties have posted
> Fry's employment applications?
>
> jhttp://homepage.smc.edu/engfer_mark/frys.htm
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 8
> Date: Tue, 31 Dec 2019 16:28:34 -0600
> From: John Herron <barythrin at gmail.com>
> To: Fred Cisin <cisin at xenosoft.com>, "General Discussion: On-Topic
> and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
> Subject: Re: One of Bay Area's last Fry's Electronics stores closes
> Message-ID:
> <
> CAEOGs+hu+qFbb--rJKLdA8PK7Lk8jfFzOCPXQE5krx76Ber+JQ at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
>
> Two brilliant minds on this list drinking Canfield's Diet Chocolate Fudge
> soda? Guess I need to hop on this mystery band wagon.
>
> Our Fry's in Austin has also suffered over months of almost nothing on
> shelves. Definitely doesn't have the feeling of a company doing well.
> They've lost several sales from friends and myself that would have bought
> an item if we could see it in person and had it "now".
>
> Ashame they (and online shopping?) knocked out almost all the other
> retailers and competition from town.
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 9
> Date: Wed, 1 Jan 2020 04:24:03 +0000
> From: Mike Begley <spam at hell.org>
> To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts"
> <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
> Subject: New Member Introduction
> Message-ID:
> <
> MWHPR1801MB1870FFAA07F9ED7D333F4A96AC210 at MWHPR1801MB1870.namprd18.prod.outlook.com
> >
>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
>
> Hello! New member to cctalk here. I am located in Seattle, and in the
> past have worked for a couple largish companies in the Seattle area you've
> heard of.
>
> Through the 80s and 90s I had accumulated a fairly sizable collection of
> classic (and not yet classic) computers. Mostly this was along two
> branches of machines - Atari 8 bit computers and 80s-era minicomputers &
> workstations, including a couple smaller VAXen, a PDP-8 and a large stack
> of HP9000/300 machines. Also I had a couple of no-name S-100 machines and
> a pretty nice one from California Computer Systems.
>
> When I moved from the Midwest following college I had to abandon much of
> that collection. In the last several years I have started to reconstitute
> that collection, at least in the basics. I'm still looking for a genuine
> VT100 (or stretch goal - VT278), and in 2020 I'm planning to finally bring
> up a simulated VAX cluster using Raspberry Pis and SIMH, since original
> hardware is pretty much impossible to find anymore (and fragile when you
> can find it). It's frustrating to be hunting for things I had three or
> four of at one point...
>
> Happy to be here,
> -mike begley
> spam at hell.org
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 10
> Date: Wed, 1 Jan 2020 04:38:35 +0000
> From: Mike Begley <spam at hell.org>
> To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts"
> <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
> Subject: RE: One of Bay Area's last Fry's Electronics stores closes
> Message-ID:
> <
> MWHPR1801MB1870BB1A1A2E01BB2D6ECC06AC210 at MWHPR1801MB1870.namprd18.prod.outlook.com
> >
>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
>
> >>
> >> Palo Alto Fry?s closing <
> https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Bay-Area-locations-Frys-Electronics-closed-14939907.php
> >> . Sad, but not the end of an era ? apparently the loss of lease
> >
> > When I last visited a couple months ago, the one in Wilsonville, Oregon
> hadn?t done any restocking to speak of
> > (except a couple video games) for months. The shelves were largely
> bare, and all the places they used to store
> > excess stock were empty. I might be down that way in a few weeks, if so
> I?ll try to check on the status of the
> > store. I know in October there was a news article or two claiming they
> were in the process of restocking,
> > but based on my last visit, they seem dead.
>
> I went to the one outside Seattle a few months ago, and the shelves were
> perhaps 15-20% full, at best. It was kinda creepy and kinda sad. We
> chatted with one of the stockers, and they said that they just didn't have
> the traffic to bring in inventory, so it's the chicken & the egg problem.
> They're were also allocating part of the store to do online fulfillment,
> and just trying to ramp up their online presence.
>
> I doubt they'll last until spring. There's no way they can afford the
> rent, inventory and payroll on the amount of customers they have these days.
>
> -mike
> spam at hell.org
>
>
>
>
> End of cctech Digest, Vol 64, Issue 1
> *************************************
>
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