Has Frys Electronics Missed the Boat?
As the general public turns to the Internet for their shopping needs, it is important for brick and mortar businesses to marry their online and offline marketing campaigns. There are examples of traditional businesses doing a great job at this, but some seem to have missed the boat.
Frys Electronics is one of them. They have huge warehouse style stores from California to Georgia, and are a major player in the electronics sales business. My local Frys store advertises their sale items on the back of the sports page in my regional newspaper. Having missed this Sunday's paper, I looked online for my local store's specials. Instead of finding the specials on Frys website, I found them on frys-electronics-ads.com.
This website scans local Frys ads and posts them on their website, along side Google ads. They post how long the ads are valid for, what stores they are for, and what items are on sale. It seems that this service should be on Fry's website, rather than this one.
Looking at Fry's website, they have this statement front and center:
Prices good for online purchases only, and are not available at Fry's retail locations.
In addition to this, there is no mention of ads for their brick and mortar stores. They are doing their best to separate their online and offline marketing campaigns, when they should be doing the opposite.
One of their major competitors, Circuit City, is doing a much better job at marrying their marketing campaigns. They allow consumers to shop online, and pick up in store. Although this is very simple in nature, it solves one of the major problems with shopping online; shipping costs and waiting for your product to arrive.
It's ironic that an electronic superstore like Frys can't get their Internet marketing campaign in line with their traditional marketing. Until they do, they will continue to lose revenue to frys-electonics-ads.com's Google ads and direct competitors like Circuit City.
It would be better if Fry's had a section on their site where you could put in your area code, and get the specials for the stores in your area.
Enjoy the post? Here are some more that may interest you.
Trackbacks (0)
There are no trackbacks for this post yet.
Reader Comments (7)
- werty, December 9, 2006
-
Even as an electronics superstore online, their website is terribly lacking. It is next to impossible to navigate and find anything...at least in my opinion. it seems like the main focus is always a set of a few small items that have great prices, rather then being able to find a specific item deeper in the site.
I think another thing they have to deal with is the diffusion of muliple brands. Wasn't it Frys in the real world and Outpost on the interweb? I think they just recently got the domain frys.
I think circuit city has the best website of these 3 major electronics chains... I think just by adding the social element to their site (product reviews) they leave BestBuy in the dust.
I would not say that they missed the boat completely, surely for this years xmas, but I think they could still make something of their site and brand with the right guidence from the right people. It would cost them a ton of money to do it right, and tie everything together, but I think there is still a void for better electronics superstore both online and off.
- Ryan, December 9, 2006
- Joe Rawlinson, December 11, 2006
-
Companies need to realize that customers view them as a single entity and not two distinct departments for online and off. Your Fry's example definitely highlights this problem that unfortunately many companies still don't understand.
- Danny Sullivan, December 12, 2006
-
I really see nothing wrong here. It's completely consistent with the insane way that Fry's operates its retail stores. Do we not shop there solely for that type of confusion and abuse :)
- Ryan, December 12, 2006
-
This is true Danny, as Tara Hunt says "embrace the chaos!" ;)
- Steve, December 18, 2006
-
The Fry's Brothers have definitely taken the art of retail Pump and Dump to a new level! I go there only when I know exactly what I want and that they do in fact have the best price.
These guys spend nothing in actualy making themselves the Hi-Tech Professional hangout they claim to be, either online or at the brick and mortar. Their stores proclaim "Welcome Hi-Tech Professionals", and as one myself am always utterly disgusted by the incompetence in their people and their processes. To expect an inteligent answer from the throngs of the Clearasil Crew they fill their Associate Ranks with is about as ridiculous as considering to ask a question in the first place! Add to this that you can't even get a basic wireless connection at their stores (to answer your own question!) and disgusting is topped with a steaming hot pile of pathetic!
If these guys could get their act together online and in person, they could triple their sales!
- Johnny, March 8, 2007
-
Fry's Electronics has the worst customer service. Here is my ultimate anti-Fry's webpage. Hopefully, we can all put them out of business.
