The big-box tech retailer — which sold a mix of consumer electronics, home appliances, computer hardware, toys, software, movies and music — had a presence in the metro Phoenix area from the late ‘90s until the chain went out of business in 2021. The prices were lower than at other local stores, and the selection was voluminous, including hard-to-find PC components.
Valley resident Alexis Noriega was a longtime patron of Fry’s Electronics because of its selection. She told Phoenix New Times it was “the best place to find early anime releases in the ‘90s and early 2000s while you got the latest GPU for your homebuilt (computer).”
Matt Hinds of Tempe was a regular at the Tempe store, which was located on Baseline Road just east of Interstate 10.
“I started going to Fry's in the late 90s because I lived on Mill and the 60. At that time, it was mostly for the purpose of fantasizing about buying all the new things there because I was poor, but it was still a fun experience,” he says.
Like many of the chain’s other locations, each Fry’s Electronics in the Valley had a distinct theme and décor that was typically inspired by something unique to the area. The Tempe store featured a golf motif while the Thunderbird Road resembled an Aztec temple, including an outdoor facade resembling the entrance to a temple (complete with two giant dragons). The theme carried over to the location's interior, including a life-sized diorama of costumed mannequins sacrificing antiquated PCs and outdated electronics to their gods.
Here’s a look back at both Fry’s Electronics locations from the chain’s heyday.
A vintage of the Tempe location of Incredible Universe, a big-box consumer electronics retailer that went out of business in 1997. Fry's Electronics purchased the location, which became the chain's first Valley location.
Tempe History Museum
The Tempe location of Fry's Electronics, which was located on Baseline Road west of Interstate 10.
Bryce Edwards/CC BY 2.0/Wikimedia Commons
Many Fry's Electronics stores across the U.S. featured a specific theme. The theme of the Tempe location was golf and included cart-shaped kiosks where customers could sign up for the Fry's Electronics loyalty program.
Ranger714/CC BY 2.0/Wikimedia Commons
The home office section at the Tempe location of Fry's Electronics.
Ranger714/CC BY 2.0/Wikimedia Commons
A statue of Mario stands over a selection of bottled water for sale at the Tempe location of Fry's Electronics.
Valley native Charles Magahern uses a putting green near the exit of the Tempe location of Fry's Electronics in 2014.
Jim Magahern
Domenic Dao of Gilbert (left) worked as an audio-visual salesman at the Fry's Electronics store in Tempe from 1999 to 2016.
Domenic Dao
The selection at Fry's Electronics was varied and even included cayenne pepper spray.
Peter Woodman" target="_blank">Peter Woodman
The Fry's Electronics store on Thunderbird Road and 31st Avenue in north Phoenix, which opened in 1999 and resembled an Aztec temple.
theboondork.com
A life-sized diorama of costume mannequins resemble Aztec figures sacrificing antiquated PCs and outdated electronics to their gods.
Debbie Wyatt
The Aztec theme extended throughout the Fry's Electronics on Thunderbird Road in Phoenix.
theboondork.com
Barren shelves inside the Fry's Electronics store on Thunderbird Road in Phoenix towards after the chain's switch to a consignment model with manufacturers and distributors in 2019 severely limited its inventory.
Kris Bliznick
