Saturday, July 13, 2019

How long can they circle the drain?



I haven't been going to Fry's these days because it makes me feel sad. Plus there is just nothing interesting to buy or browse right now.

But...... I had been hearing some crazy stories, like some stores are not even stocking 9 volt batteries, so we decided to pop in today. And it had to have been the saddest place on earth to work. Last time I was in a few months ago - I noticed they had widened all their isles.

But, this time you could tell they were just taking isles out because you can still see the outlines of them on the floors.

Lots of empty isles.









their battery isle was sparse, but I didn't check for 9 volts because the rest was just so shocking.







This is the TV section with empty isles.







From the other side.





They haven't sold Mac stuff in a while, but they have never put anything else in its place.



This area they took out two racks.



The things they ARE selling is odd like backpacks.



And garden sheers.



And they were fully stocked on mace. Mr S. said that maybe they knew the apocalypse was coming and they needed to be prepared. which sort of does explain some of the stuff they are selling.



Stationary. You won't have the internets anymore when the apocalypse hits. So maybe you need old time paper.





More garden stuff.



The first three isles are toys, perfume, and as seen on TV. Really hard any electronics at all these days.









Staplers? Maybe to put up missing posters in the apocalypse?







And the sad thing about this whole thing is that it isn't completely Fry's fault. Google and facebook and those guys have sucked so much productivity out of the economy - there is just really nothing new to buy right now. Those guys said - screw making products - these humans are gold mines! Let's just make money off of that. And then they proceeded to buy, or destroy any company that had an actual product.

No one on earth can tell me that this is a "booming" economy. I am not a Trump hater or a never Trumper. I admitted voting for Trump before it was fashionable. I am a capitalist.

4 comments:

  1. I'm a Trump voter as well and when I voted for him there was only so much he was going to be able to do. At least he calls CEO's of companies and ask them to keep the jobs here in the US or what can be done to do so. That would not have happened under most Democrats or even a Team R member.

    The retail apocalypse was already in full swing before Trump came along. Of course, the CEO's of Sears and other failing stores did not even make the effort to fix anything, and these people are supposed 'the best' with their fancy MBA degrees. No Lee Iacoccas' in retail these days?

    Shadowstats shows a slight decrease in employment using his methodology but its not enough.

    I was actually sad to here of Ross Perot's death and Lee Iacocca (he was floated as potential presidential candidate). Ross's ideas were not perfect but at least he did not want the job so he could graft the country of loot like the Bush and Clinton crime families.

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  2. I was in the Palo Alto Fry's a couple of weeks ago, but only in search of a USB WiFi dongle (near the front of the store). What little of the store I passed through on that errand wasn't shocking, but it wasn't exactly inspiring either. Nothing like the Good Old Days.
    I'd been somewhat concerned that there's nothing like Fry's in the Knoxville area, but now there's nothing like Fry's in the Bay Area either. (Well, there's Central Computers here. Have to see if there's anything vaguely like that around Knoxville.)
    Hello Newegg, and Amazon, and....

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  3. Lot's of empty spaces at many stores.

    Here's something to consider as a new hobby: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-13/competitive-rabbit-hopping/11302844


    BunnyGoat

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  4. Leaperman - ""The last thing capitalists want is free enterprise. McDonald's and Burger King are mortal enemies, but there's one thing that'll unite them like lost brothers--a Taco Bell going up on the block. They'll do anything to keep 'em down in the fast-food ghetto.""

    No truer words have been spoken. I had a roofer friend once. He used to tell me that every roofing job he saw going up by someone else- he would check and make sure they had a permit on it - or he would turn them in.

    Now all smart people will pull a permit, but I didn't realize that contractors narked each other out all the time. And then I was like - that is what ALL you businesses do. If someone is making a stink - your competition is probably involved. But that roofer friend eventually turned out to be a loser. Not a capitalist. Tons of people like capitalism for themselves but not others. And that is just shitty.

    BunnyGoat - I can't even make Lacy unlearn digging her litter out of her box. Getting her to hop in a straight line over obstacles....... That is a lot of patience.

    A Texan - "I'm a Trump voter as well and when I voted for him there was only so much he was going to be able to do. At least he calls CEO's of companies and ask them to keep the jobs here in the US or what can be done to do so. That would not have happened under most Democrats or even a Team R member. "

    Agree. It's sad that not a single politician has stood up to these people. And they are laughing all the way. They just keep giving all of our stuff away to everyone else. Then they wonder why they can't afford a house or why everything is so expensive. I just think it won't be painless. It's sort of amazing that everyone seems to be tolerating it this well so far.

    Eric - "I was in the Palo Alto Fry's a couple of weeks ago, but only in search of a USB WiFi dongle (near the front of the store). What little of the store I passed through on that errand wasn't shocking, but it wasn't exactly inspiring either. Nothing like the Good Old Days.

    I think they will let Palo Alto fail last. It's gotta be Fry's best market. Recession proof. Always feels great there. But even in Fremont they make it look better towards the front. I'm going to have to hit one of their lesser markets. San Jose is struggling on a good day.

    ReplyDelete