Why Are Fry’s Store Shelves Empty Two Weeks Before Christmas?

[Elderberry]

CBS Sacramento 12/9/2019

The parking lot was nearly empty, a sign on the door said “now hiring full-time merchandisers” and inside the store the shelves were largely bare.

On a Saturday afternoon just over two weeks before Christmas, the Toy Land at Fry’s Electronics in Roseville was deserted. There were no customers, there were no toys. One of the few salespeople on the floor said the Fry’s store in Natomas looked the same. He said staff had been told the company was “restructuring.”

Online reports show the same thing is happening at other Fry’s stores around the country and suggest the company is switching to a consignment business model, where shelves are stocked with products that Fry’s doesn’t have to pay for until they are sold.

A Fry’s spokesman told the Dallas Morning News the company is not liquidating or planning to close any stores. Spokesman Manuel Valerio told the Dallas newspaper the company’s 34 stores in nine states will have product again “over the next several weeks,” but that report was published Nov. 15.

More: https://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2019/12/09/why-are-frys-store-shelves-empty-two-weeks-before-christmas/

I went to the Fry's in Webster TX  a few days ago and many of the shelves are mostly empty.

[Wingnut]

A Fry’s spokesman told the Dallas Morning News the company is not liquidating or planning to close any stores.

So long Fry's.  It was nice to know you.

[Ghost Bear]

According to my buddy who used to check there regularly for deals on computer parts, they have been slowly going out of business for months. Basically selling off existing inventory and not adding new inventory.

[Wingnut]

According to my buddy who used to check there regularly for deals on computer parts, they have been slowly going out of business for months. Basically selling off existing inventory and not adding new inventory.

They are going the way of Circuit City.

[truth_seeker]

I was at a SoCal Frys store during the last year, and I was shocked  by the failure appearance.

Empty parking lot, few shoppers, much reduced stock on shelves.

Ironically Frys helped to drive Circuit City out of business.

In my area Best Buy is surviving so far. And we have a MicroCenter.

[Applewood]

Don't have a Fry's anywhere near me, but from the description of its stores, it sounds like a local Kmart before it and the others closed. 

[catfish1957]

Don't have a Fry's anywhere near me, but from the description of its stores, it sounds like a local Kmart before it and the others closed.

I always noticed that one of the big volume item for Frys was peripheral supplies, much more htan their Circuit City and Best Buy competitors.  I always saw them as blend of Best Buy and Radio Shack.    I think the growth of Amazon has put a damper in that profitabilty of their business model.

[Fishrrman]

Ghost sighed:
"They are going the way of Circuit City"

Brought to my mind CompUSA before they went under.

[GtHawk]

I was at a SoCal Frys store during the last year, and I was shocked  by the failure appearance.

Empty parking lot, few shoppers, much reduced stock on shelves.

Ironically Frys helped to drive Circuit City out of business.

In my area Best Buy is surviving so far. And we have a MicroCenter.

I can't speak for anywhere else but the Frys that are located in Anaheim and Fountain Valley are always pretty busy, especially on the weekend, also their shelves in some departments have been sparsely stocked for years, nothing new there.

[corbe]

Ghost sighed:
"They are going the way of Circuit City"

Brought to my mind CompUSA before they went under.

   @Fishrrman I was a Manager in the Tech Dept of Computer City in San Antonio when we got bought out by CompUSA and Slim (mechico), he promptly liquidated/bankrupted the whole thing, never looked at Retail again. 
   Started my own computer company, retired 3 years ago, happy.

   Back on topic, I'll miss Fry's.  They were the go to place for me in Houston (I45N store) to build a system on the fly if the need arises.