It has now been over two weeks since Fry’s officially closed. This was, at least for me and many others, not just another brick-and-mortar retailer shutting down. Fry’s shaped the culture of Silicon Valley and built an entire community of “Hi-Tech Professionals!” I enjoyed over 15 thrilling years there and we worked on many strategies to improve the customer experience.

Customers loved the fact that Fry’s offered the widest selection of the latest consumer electronics. Fry’s supported Brands by letting them launch new products and by driving sales. If I were a vendor, I would describe the experience something like this - Ship in a ton of inventory and watch it magically sell-through in a very short period. Successful vendors could repeat this process over and over. Many strategies made Fry’s successful, but their ability to maintain a well-directed sales force made them a force to be reckoned with. This involved clear and ongoing training and communication... 

Today, we take technologies like Zoom for granted. But in the ’90s, Fry’s had already created their own Video-Conference Network: a powerful tool enabling live-interactive communication between the headquarters and stores. Establishing this network was significant at the time due to the lack of supporting technology and infrastructure.

The V-Con studio was used to host sales training sessions, product seminars, management meetings, and team communications throughout the organization. It enabled brands to introduce products immediately and directly to Fry’s sales associates and customers. Fry's understood how to deliver a "brand message" and stay connected with their customers.

Top retailers like Amazon and Walmart follow Fry’s early example by embracing new technologies to digitally engage consumers. Retailers are reaping the benefits of a more connected customer experience. Stay tuned for a discussion on recent successes and a new post-pandemic retail future!