Fry’s Electronics is an iconic electronics retailer that was founded in 1985 in California. The company grew to have over 30 brick-and-mortar stores across 9 states at its peak. However, in the past few years, Fry’s has shut down all of its physical retail locations as it struggles to adapt to the rise of online shopping. This has led many to wonder – does Fry’s Electronics sell online?
Brief history of Fry’s Electronics
Fry’s Electronics was founded in 1985 by John Fry and his brothers Randall and David. The first Fry’s store opened in Sunnyvale, California and focused on selling computer hardware and software.
In the 1990s and early 2000s, Fry’s expanded rapidly by acquiring smaller competitors and opening new big-box style stores across California, Texas, Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. The stores were known for carrying a huge selection of electronics at competitive prices. They also drew crowds for the elaborate theming of each location, which were designed with different motifs like Alice in Wonderland and Mayan civilization.
Fry’s eventually became one of the largest electronics retailers in the U.S., competing against chains like Best Buy. At its peak in the late 1990s and early 2000s, there were over 30 Fry’s locations and nine Fry’s Electronics superstores.
The decline of Fry’s brick-and-mortar stores
However, Fry’s Electronics failed to adapt quickly enough to the shift to online retail in the 2000s and 2010s. The rise of e-commerce giants like Amazon rapidly eroded foot traffic at Fry’s physical stores. Fry’s also faced growing competition from other online electronics retailers.
Fry’s lagged behind Best Buy and other competitors when it came to building up a robust e-commerce business. It maintained an outdated website and lacked many of the conveniences like online ordering and in-store pickup that consumers began to expect. There were also complaints about poor inventory management and high prices compared to online retailers.
In response, Fry’s began closing underperforming locations starting in the late 2010s. The pace of closures accelerated in 2020 and 2021 as COVID-19 impacted foot traffic and sales. By February 24, 2021, all 31 remaining Fry’s Electronics stores had closed permanently.
The launch of frys.com
With the closure of its physical stores, many observers assumed Fry’s Electronics would simply cease to exist. However, in June 2021, Fry’s launched its new online store at Frys.com.
The website appears to be an attempt to reinvent Fry’s Electronics as an online-only retailer. The new frys.com provides the ability to browse and order electronics online for delivery. Its selection focuses primarily on computers and components, electronics, and smart home technology.
Product selection
The product selection on Frys.com currently includes:
- Laptops
- Desktop PCs
- PC components – CPUs, motherboards, RAM, graphics cards
- Computer monitors
- Printers
- Networking equipment – routers, modems, WiFi extenders
- Smart home technology – smart locks, security cameras, video doorbells, smart thermostats
- PC and smartphone accessories – cables, chargers, headsets
- Gaming accessories – gaming keyboards, mice, chairs
While not as extensive as the selection at Fry’s brick-and-mortar stores in its heyday, Frys.com does appear to offer a decent range of tech and electronics products typically found at major online retailers. The inventory includes products from well-known brands like Asus, Dell, Samsung, and HP.
Online ordering experience
The online ordering process on Frys.com includes:
- Ability to browse for products, view details pages, and add items to a cart
- Shopping cart page to manage items being purchased
- Secure checkout process – create account or guest checkout
- Multiple shipping options including free shipping on orders over $35
- Accepted payment methods include all major credit cards, PayPal, and Google Pay
The experience feels similar to checking out at most major online retailers. During testing, I was able to add a monitor, WiFi router, and some cables to my cart, apply a promo code, view shipping rates, and complete the checkout process. Overall, the online ordering functionality appeared to work smoothly.
Unclear if Frys.com will scale up
The launch of Frys.com suggests that Fry’s Electronics is attempting to transition into being primarily an online retailer after shuttering its brick-and-mortar locations. However, it remains unclear what Fry’s long-term plans are for its e-commerce business.
Some key unanswered questions:
- Will Fry’s significantly expand Frys.com’s product selection to match its previous in-store inventory?
- Does Fry’s have the resources and staff needed to scale up Frys.com?
- Will Fry’s expand delivery and pickup options for online orders?
- Can Frys.com compete on price and convenience with giants like Amazon and Best Buy?
Fry’s also faces an uphill battle to regain consumer trust and mindshare after shuttering all of its stores. Generations of customers used to be able to rely on Fry’s for immediate access to all kinds of electronics. The company will need to re-establish itself as an online-focused retailer.
Conclusion
In summary, Fry’s Electronics is operating an online store at Frys.com after closing all of its physical retail locations in 2021. The website offers a range of tech and electronics products with online ordering and delivery capabilities. However, it remains to be seen whether Fry’s will significantly build out its e-commerce business to replace its previous national footprint and in-store selection. The company faces significant challenges going forward as an online-only retailer. Fry’s ability to adapt to e-commerce after thriving for decades as a brick-and-mortar chain remains uncertain. But for now, consumers do have the option to shop for electronics and have them delivered directly from Fry’s by ordering online at Frys.com.