03-01-2008, 05:35 AM
[quote The UnDoug]Is a Frys pretty much like a MicroCenter? I've never been to Frys, but have to MicroCenter.
I've been a Fry's B&M shopper for 23 year starting with their first store on Lakeside Drive in Sunnyvale, and I've been to MicroCenter a few times. MicroCenter seemed way more organized and professional than Fry's. There are really only two reasons to walk into a Fry's. 1) You need something quick and you know that they'll have it (they have a very large selection of products). 2) You want to buy something that is in their weekly advertisement, and you know that it's a good price before walking in the store. Other than that, you'll be paying full retail, and might be getting an open-box return
I consider shopping at Fry's to be an art developed over years of browsing and learning what products they carry and where they keep things. It's my personal warehouse for stuff that I might need in a hurry someday, and I can just walk in, walk to the section where they keep it, and walk to the register, and not need to speak to anyone that works there.
Browsing also helps you discover that they often have similar items in different parts of the store, like cables, with the expensive brand name ones near the products that would use those cables, and the cheap generic made in china ones in a totally different section of the store.
They have a no questions asked 30 day return policy on most products, and I use that sometimes when I'm not exactly sure what parts I will eventually use to solve a problem, and return the rest un-opened. Never had a problem returning something, I also check their ads every week to see if something I bought in the past 30 days went on sale for a lower price than the last sale when I bought it. They'll give you the price adjust credit within 30 days.
But they also repackage opened returns and put it back on the shelf, sometimes with a sticker saying so, sometimes not. Always carefully inspect the boxes, never buy an item that had been returned.
Go browse at Fry's sometime, it's an experience.
I've been a Fry's B&M shopper for 23 year starting with their first store on Lakeside Drive in Sunnyvale, and I've been to MicroCenter a few times. MicroCenter seemed way more organized and professional than Fry's. There are really only two reasons to walk into a Fry's. 1) You need something quick and you know that they'll have it (they have a very large selection of products). 2) You want to buy something that is in their weekly advertisement, and you know that it's a good price before walking in the store. Other than that, you'll be paying full retail, and might be getting an open-box return
I consider shopping at Fry's to be an art developed over years of browsing and learning what products they carry and where they keep things. It's my personal warehouse for stuff that I might need in a hurry someday, and I can just walk in, walk to the section where they keep it, and walk to the register, and not need to speak to anyone that works there.
Browsing also helps you discover that they often have similar items in different parts of the store, like cables, with the expensive brand name ones near the products that would use those cables, and the cheap generic made in china ones in a totally different section of the store.
They have a no questions asked 30 day return policy on most products, and I use that sometimes when I'm not exactly sure what parts I will eventually use to solve a problem, and return the rest un-opened. Never had a problem returning something, I also check their ads every week to see if something I bought in the past 30 days went on sale for a lower price than the last sale when I bought it. They'll give you the price adjust credit within 30 days.
But they also repackage opened returns and put it back on the shelf, sometimes with a sticker saying so, sometimes not. Always carefully inspect the boxes, never buy an item that had been returned.
Go browse at Fry's sometime, it's an experience.