For them that don't know from Fry's, it was originally a chain of grocery stores in the lower SF Bay Area. The patriarch brought some of the kids into the business, and they started adding electronic parts to the grocery stores (literally, "Chips N Dips" across from "Chips N DIPs").
They eventually stopped selling groceries, and started selling the more-typical stereo and hi-fi equipment and even washer/dryers, but even now, there's much more emphasis on the geeky stuff, like ICs and transistors and such, soldering stations and tools, even a few oscilloscopes (one of the only places I know anywhere where you can touch an oscilloscope before buying it). They also sell a bit of Ham Radio stuff, but there are other places that are better for that.
Almost every location has a "theme." The one in Campbell is Egyptian themed, the one in San Jose is like a jungle. Most have rare vintage electronic stuff on display in display cases. Giant vacuum tubes used in radio stations, an original Apple I computer, and a Jacob's Ladder about 30 feet tall. (I can't believe they ever turn that on. It must fry every cellphone within blocks.)
The downside to Fry's is that the sales staff is almost entirely clue-free, since they seem to turn over staff a little more rapidly than the average fast food restaurant. If you want to buy anything expensive, you also need to deal with them, since they work on commission. Also, the merchandise is usually pessimally organized, so good luck finding what you need.
Apparently they have a very high "shrinkage" problem, and people really do get their friends to ring up an expensive memory chip as a pack of gum, so this means that the entire place is under EXTREME camera surveillance, and that when you leave, your bags will be searched.
On the plus side, Fry's has a lenient return policy. On the minus side, this means that the goods you can buy are almost entirely used/returned/rewrapped. Some of it is actually labelled as such, but most is not. Getting a supposedly brand-new scanner and finding religious tracts or naked pictures in it is just part of the Fry's Experience.
Fry's has a website, but it is pretty much unrelated to the retail stores. To find what's for sale in the stores, pick up the San Jose Mercury News, and you'll probably see 6-24 pages of ads from them. Beware that the 500 GB hard drive they are selling for $50 is probably out of warranty no matter what they say, and that they will have maybe 5 units to buy in each location.
Also, allow a while for checking out, especially if there's a big sale or a holiday involved.
All that being said, Fry's is a Very Special Place in the Bay Area.
She wants to see what all the fuss is about and see that there are more nutty people out there like me!
