Karl Manke’s Barber and Beauty Shop owner Karl Manke gives an update on ‘The Evening Edit’.
Fry’s Electronics, known for the bizarre themes in some of its stores, from Aztec to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, is closing.
The go-to chain for tech tinkerers looking for an obscure part said in an online post Wednesday that the COVID-19 pandemic had made it impossible to continue.
“The company will implement the shutdown through an orderly resolution process that the company believes is in the best interest of the company, its creditors and other stakeholders,” Fry said in a statement.
The statement continued, “The company discontinued its regular operations and began the winding down process on February 24, 2021. It is hoped that winding down through this orderly process will reduce costs, avoid additional liabilities and minimize the impact on our customers. , sellers, landlords, and employees, and maximize the value of the company’s assets to its creditors and other stakeholders. “
The statement added, “The company is in the process of reaching out to its customers with repair and consignment vendors to help them understand what this means for them and what the suggested next steps are.”
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Founded 36 years ago, the chain was concentrated on the West Coast but had 31 stores in nine states.
Neil Saunders, CEO of GlobalData, called it “the end of an era and a sad day” for an army of loyal customers.
Fans immediately took to Twitter post images and memories (good and bad).
The pandemic wreaked havoc on retailers, but Fry’s was already hammered by online competition and a battle between heavyweights Best Buy and Amazon.
The wild themes became more of a burden than an experience, Saunders said, and as the chain began to struggle, gaps began to appear on the shelves in the cavernous stores, making them a shell of what they once were.
“Fry’s really was a company built for the electronic boom of the 1980s. At the time, it was a meeting place for enthusiasts of an industry on fire, ”said Saunders. “Those days are long gone, however, and now also has an icon that represented them.”
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Fry’s Electronics Inc. said its operations have ceased and site downsizing will begin immediately.
Customers with in-store repaired electronics will be asked to pick them up.
The chain’s online presence appears to be largely closed.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.