Tuesday, November 26, 2002
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Fry's plans to open by Christmas

Holiday opening could boost sales

Fry's Electronics first Nevada store is located near the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard South and Interstate 215. Photo by John Gurzinski.

Fry's Electronics plans to open its first Nevada store in time to cash in on the lucrative holiday shopping season, a company spokesman said Monday.

The San Jose, Calif.-based electronics retailer has not set a firm date for opening its 21st U.S. store, but spokesman Manuel Valerio said Fry's Las Vegas location would likely debut sometime in mid- to late-December.

"The Las Vegas area is ripe for a store of our type (and) we hope to be up and running in time for Christmas," said Valerio, whose company also operates stores in Arizona, California, Oregon and Texas. "So many people there have shopped at our stores in other states, (and) the city's growing size and demographics make it important to us."

Although it has yet to serve its first local customer, Fry's has already become a familiar site for people who regularly drive past its large red and yellow building located near the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard South and Interstate 215. Valerio said he hopes locals will quickly become acquainted with what's inside the store as well.

The approximately 155,000-square-foot site will include nearly 70,000 products ranging from televisions and computers to large appliances such as washers, dryers and refrigerators. In addition, Fry's will also offer electronic components such as software, computer cables, chips and motherboards, Valerio said.

"Some other stores may have a niche they concentrate on, but we try to provide all of those (products) under one roof," Valerio said. "We pride ourselves on being a one-stop shopping opportunity for people who are electronics and computer experts as well as the layperson who just wants to buy home audio or video products."

Although members of its management team will be transferred from established stores, Fry's is currently hiring workers in Las Vegas. Prospective employees should visit the site to pick up an application, Valerio said. Overall, the company expects to employ 300 people in Southern Nevada.

The company has no current plans to open a second Southern Nevada store but would consider expanding if local sales volume exceeds expectations, Valerio said.

Fry's will enter a market filled with established competitors including Eden Prairie, Minn.-based Best Buy, which opened its fourth local store in late September, as well as Richmond, Va.-based Circuit City, which also has four Southern Nevada locations. In addition, Fry's will likely compete with Fort Worth, Texas-based Radio Shack's approximately 30 local stores for sales of electronic components.

Increased competition already played a role in a Alameda, Calif.-based Good Guys' decision to earlier this year close under-performing stores at 3778 S. Maryland Parkway and 621 Mall Ring Circle in Henderson. It has since consolidated its efforts into a newly renovated WOW! Multimedia Superstore it operates in conjunction with music and video giant Tower Records at 4580 W. Sahara Ave., said Good Guys spokeswoman Kristen Lark.

Despite the presence of so many established competitors, George Connor, a retail analyst with real estate brokerage Colliers International, called Fry's a "category killer" whose wide selection and volume will almost immediately affect prices and other sales practices at rival electronic stores around town.

"I think they'll do extremely well here, particularly with all of the home sales we're seeing," Connor said. "When people buy homes, they tend to buy bigger and better electronic items to go with their new homes. ... Fry's has such a diverse inventory that I think it's going to draw business away from other (existing) stores."

To further distinguish its stores' appearance from its larger competitors and their uniform interior designs, each Fry's store has its own distinct theme. A location in Fountain Valley, Calif., for example, is adorned with faux Roman ruins while its Phoenix site includes a giant serpent and Aztec designs. In Houston, Fry's theme pays tribute to the local oil industry with gushing derricks, Valerio said.

Such elaborate displays are common on the Strip, but Valerio believes locals will be impressed with what Fry's will unveil. He declined to provide further details on the Las Vegas store's pending theme, however.

"The partners have asked we keep that one a pleasant surprise until the doors open, but it will certainly be befitting of the spectacular environments that are already there," Valerio said.