I have never been to one but heard they were quite popular. https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/202..._8DM73UoVFTdXln-aYgXNt-JihukClgHvllj2l-pKKt_I
Unfortunately, WAS is the keyword. They have struggled for a LONG time, but CoViD (as well as on-line purchasing from sites like Amazon) has been their death knell. Their parking lots have been EMPTY, and probably more employees at any one time than total number of customers in a whole day. In their "hey-day," (1990's to about 2010) they had a thriving business, but not any more.
That's a shame, they were a very cool spot. Not many retailers at scale with test equipment and components on the floor...they may be one of the last. They never got to the Northeast but I always stopped by when out in Vegas.
So maybe buying the corporate 747 and little fleet of smaller jets some years back wasn't the greatest idea Dave W7UUU
I loved Fry's when I lived in L.A. in the 90s. The Burbank store was my regular. Where else could you get a bulk roll of kapton tape, real-sugar Pepsi, a 2ch oscilloscope, a chest freezer, a 79ยข hot dog lunch, a Xeon microprocessor, and the latest issue of Cat Fancy* all off the shelf under one roof? They burned down a fortune killing Circuit City and then staying ahead of Best Buy. Didn't leave them in a good position when Amazon showed up. I was in the Phoenix AZ store 7/2019, stripped ghost town even then. Surprised they made it into 2020 let alone out. *Not an actual shopping list
I don't recall ever seeing one of their stores in this area. I have heard of them over the years. We seem to express regret when a local business closes while at the same time engaging in online purchases. Just human nature, I guess. I don't criticize those who want to spend their available funds wisely. Is there a long-term downside? Perhaps.
The Sunnyvale Fry's on Kern Ave. was amazing in the early '90s. Oscilloscopes, signal generators, wire wrap gear, lots of components and prototyping supplies, etc. And Jolt Cola! And it was right across the street from Weird Stuff Warehouse, which sold all kinds of great Silicon Valley surplus stuff at bargain prices. And Ham Radio outlet was a short walk away across the Lawrence Expressway. My last visit to Fry's was several months B.C. (before covid). I knew at the time it would be my last. They had quit selling the interesting stuff.
