2) Based on the feedback I collected from customers and employees of Fry’s, I have broken the journey into two main parts: 1 – “HOW DID WE END UP HERE” - In this section I am documenting the issues/needs/wants of customers that leads them to Fry’s (retail or online store). 2 – “EXPERIENCING FRYs” – Unlike any other electronics store, shopping inside of the heavily themed store is an experience upon itself.
3) History: In the 70’s Charles Fry sold his supermarket chain for $14+ million. He gave each of his sons, Dave, John and Randy, approx $1 million dollars. The sons, along with another investor, opened their first Fry’s Electronics in Sunnyvale in 1985. This first store was only 20,000 square feet – today’s stores range in size from 50,000 to over 180,000 square feet. One of Fry’s claims to fame is that they were the first retail outlet in the country to sell off-the-shelf microprocessors.
22) Unfortunately, owning the newest and greatest toys can become an expensive hobby. To lower this barrier, Fry’s offers no interest/special financing deals for select items. Of course, missing a payment will cause huge penalties, but for the responsible buyer, it's an effective way of making product more easily obtainable.
One area you may have never thought of Fry’s for is your business telecom and internet access needs. They offer everything from dial-up access to dedicated fiber lines.
27) Notes: On my Customer Journey I charted friends, family, and acquaintances' knowledge and reasons for going to Fry’s. This process really opened my eyes to the unique and diverse clientele that shops at Fry’s and a better understanding of the product's Fry’s sales.
I love Kids Discover magazine and now they have a website with FREE (normally each) resources. Here is a link to a whole bunch of Teacher Guides and Power Vocabulary to go with their magazines. I love FREE!
13) Outside of the tech-retail world, Fry’s is: - The Presenting sponsor of the Fyr’s Open. The Fry’s Open was the season opener for the new PGA Tour schedule. -A major sponsor of the Northern California PGA Section’s fundraising event, The Langley. This premier fundraising event is designed to honor golf’s legends, and proceeds are donated to community programs. -The sponsor of the Guinness Book of World Record Paper Airplane Flight (2012) contest. This helps Fry's in their philanthropic…
12) Some people come to Fry’s not because they need something specific, but to find something they did not realize they need. With over 50,000 items in stock, Fry’s has something for almost anyone (if you spend enough time wandering the aisles). Additionally, because the stores are themed, wandering the aisles is a real adventure in itself (see slide 17 regarding store themes). For example, pictured is a 3-piece Snowman Family with lights on sale.
9) For those of us that still have ink-jet printers, the cost of a refill is about 4-6x cheaper than buying a new cartridge. Similar to Costco, Walgreens, and Walmart, Fry’s offers low cost refills. Because this is not a is a big money maker, the hope here is that this convenient offering will bring people into the store that will also buy something else.
16) From their start in Silicon Valley, Fry’s Electronics has grown to over a $2 billion company. If you have the pleasure of visiting one of their stores you are in for a treat. With 34 themed stores in 9 states, visiting a Fry’s cannot be compared to visiting any other big box retailer.