SAN FRANCISCO — On Wednesday, February 24, company Fry’s Electronics announced in a statement that it will be closing all stores due to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as other changes.

In a statement posted on the company’s website, Fry’s Electronics said that it will be closing its 31 stores located in nine states “after nearly 36 years in business as the one-stop shop and online resource for high-tech professionals.”

The company highlighted the coronavirus pandemic as one of the reasons for the company’s permanent closure and “as a result of changes in the retail industry.”

On February 24, 2021, the company “ceased regular operations and began the wind-down process.”

Fry’s Electronics was founded in 1985 in Sunnyvale, California by Kathy Kolder and three brothers: Dave, John, and Randy Fry.  John Fry has been CEO (Chief Executive Officer) since the company’s founding.

When the company celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2010, Kathy Kolder told The Mercury News:

“I never envisioned we’d be here 25 years later.  We thought we’d be around 10 years and then maybe do another start-up.  But we’ve found that retail is constantly renewing itself, especially with electronics.  It’s been a constant challenge to stay ahead of the curve and whatever we were being thrown.”

According to the company’s LinkedIn profile, Fry’s Electronics had more than two dozen stores, including 17 in California and 8 in Texas.