Fry’s Electronics was once a popular Valley spot to buy software, computer parts and household appliances. The California-based chain shut down its stores in 2021, blaming changes in the retail industry and challenges posed by the pandemic.
On Tuesday, some fans of the former retailer got to look around the Phoenix store one last time, as part of a public preview for an auction of its remaining items.
The store on Thunderbird, just off the Interstate 17, is unmistakable. Its Aztec temple-themed exterior now sticks out like a sore thumb behind the chain-link fences surrounding the shuttered store.
Dennis Alonso is a Scottsdale resident who used to shop there.
“It was a cool place for sure,” Alonso said, taking photos of what was left. “It was a pretty good place to find technology before we were all hooked on Amazon and easy ordering of things.”
At its peak, Fry’s Electronics had 31 stores in nine states, including two in the Valley. Like the location on Thunderbird, some were decorated with elaborate motifs. Another Fry’s in Tempe was golf-themed.
Alonso said his family got a kick out of going to the Phoenix location because of the decor.
“My son and I, ya know, he’s down there. He’s 25. He used to come here. It was like a big treat when he was 10, 12 years old,” Alonso said.
He was standing underneath what used to be a display of Aztec mannequins carrying old TVs and computers up the steps of a temple.
The fake people were no longer there, but the store was still full of signs and shelving, as well as fake palm trees, stone chandeliers and a 10-foot-tall snake statue — all of which were available to bid on.
In the parking lot, Jason Wade was taking photos in front of the store where two stone snakes still bordered the mostly covered up logo.
When asked if he was going to bid on anything, he said: “I mean, assuming that they’re affordable and that they can fit in my Corolla, sure. I’m from Sacramento so I remember going regularly to Fry’s Electronics and just hanging out and I haven’t been to one in at least five years, so it’s kind of a blast from the past.”
Wade was there for another reason, too. He and his friends are urban explorers who post videos online of shut down or abandoned buildings.
“This is a very rare opportunity for urban explorers to get to do it without trespassing,” Wade said.
Lulu West, another urban explorer, joined Wade to look through the empty Fry’s.
“With this group we actually did a cat rescue at the Fiesta Mall before they demolished it,” West said. “We were allowed in there. We worked with the owner of the building who was demolishing it and even the police department and everything so we went in there and rescued some feral cats.”
After the items from the auction are removed, the Fry’s building will be demolished, too. The city of Phoenix bought the building and 12.5-acre site last year with plans to build a new Cactus Park police precinct and fire station.
Amanda Markham is a project manager with the Phoenix Police Department. She said the demolition will start in September and take about four to six weeks to complete.
“It’s going to be a shared public safety space,” Markham said. “So approximately eight acres will house our precinct and four acres will be reserved for our future fire station.”
The new police precinct will feature a vehicle maintenance bay, shooting range, fuel facilities, and evidence storage and processing areas.
Markham said the design phase will kick off later this year with construction beginning in 2026 and the opening scheduled for either late 2027 or early 2028.
“The one we currently have, we’ve just completely grown out of,” Markham said.
The new precinct will have a sustainability focus with solar covered parking and energy efficient features.
Phoenix Vice Mayor Ann O'Brien is looking forward to the new site, but she has fond memories of taking her son to Fry’s.
“I remember it just being really big and an amazing place to go and kind of get lost in when you needed to find a new router or something for your computer,” O'Brien said.
She said the current precinct on 39th Avenue and Cactus Road was built before the police department started hiring women.
“There are still ashtrays in the bathroom stalls of the precinct,” O'Brien said. “The Fry’s Electronics building was a major part of this community, and I just couldn’t be more thrilled that we’re able to turn that location into something that is equally as important for our community members and providing better public safety to them.”
While the Thunderbird store won’t be around anymore, some Valley residents will get to keep a little piece of it forever.
