TECHNOLOGY - Nov. 2, 1993

Computer Superstores: Those cathedrals of the modern age, computer superstores, are starting to attract loyal pilgrims who worship low prices on hardware and software. And now there are cathedrals aplenty in Orange County.

Fry’s Electronics opened a megastore last week in a warehouse at Euclid Street and the San Diego Freeway. A sort of Crystal Cathedral of computer retailers, the Fry’s store in Fountain Valley is four or five times bigger than the typical computer superstore.

Already, shoppers are mesmerized. On Saturday, the store offered customers a hot dog and a Coke for 25 cents. The line for the cashiers snaked around the entire store, which covers a couple of city blocks.

The first wave of computer superstore chains opened in Orange County in 1990. CompUSA opened a 25,000-square-foot store in Fountain Valley, and the first Computer City store nationwide opened in Garden Grove. Like their counterparts in consumer electronics, the warehouse-size stores focus on high volume, broad selection of brand-name equipment and low prices.

Now the race to open bigger and better stores is heating up. Besides the Fry’s store, Orange County will also see additions from CompUSA, Computer City and Micro Center, which says it will open a 45,000-square-foot store in Tustin this month.

Computer City, the superstore retailer owned by Tandy Corp., is opening three stores this week in Southern California: in Brea, Torrance and Cerritos. The company, based in Ft. Worth, Tex., already has stores in Garden Grove and Santa Ana. And CompUSA has been looking for sites in South Orange County.