Incredible Universe: Remembering Electronics as Entertainment
Incredible Universe turned electronics shopping into a spectacle with enormous stores, demonstration stages, and entertainment. Explore its 1992 debut in Wilsonville, Oregon, rapid expansion, and short-lived place in retail history.
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Opening
When Incredible Universe opened its first store in Wilsonville, Oregon, on September 17, 1992, the attraction created a major traffic tie-up on the highway leading to it.
An October 1992 industry newsletter documented the crowds. It also reported that a second store was scheduled to open in Arlington, Texas, on October 1. The concept was already attracting attention before most Americans had seen one.
Incredible Universe offered an ambitious idea: make buying electronics feel like attending an event.
Its enormous stores combined merchandise with presentations and entertainment. Yet the chain’s life was brief. Tandy decided to exit the business in late 1996, and the following year brought closures and property sales.
At a Glance
| Detail | History |
|---|---|
| Place | Incredible Universe |
| Also known as | IU |
| Historical location | First store in Wilsonville, Oregon; early expansion included Arlington, Texas |
| Category | Electronics, computer, and appliance superstore |
| Opened/established | 1992; Wilsonville opened September 17 |
| Closed/disappeared | Tandy announced its exit in late 1996; closures and sales followed in 1997 |
| Current status | Original chain defunct; former properties require individual verification |
| Remembered for | Huge buildings, broad selection, demonstration stages, and shopping as entertainment |
Opening information comes from contemporary industry reporting. Tandy’s annual report documents the business exit and subsequent sales.
How It Began
Incredible Universe was launched by Tandy Corporation, the company associated with RadioShack.
Its first two locations introduced a much larger approach to electronics retailing. Wilsonville opened in September 1992, followed by the planned Arlington opening that October.
The strategy was straightforward but ambitious. A huge selection and an entertaining environment would encourage customers to make the store a destination.
A company-history account describes stores averaging about 185,000 square feet. Their size was intended to become part of the attraction, turning shopping into entertainment.
Customers could explore technology in person, compare products, and spend time browsing a building designed to impress.
What Made It Special
Electronics shopping on an enormous scale
Incredible Universe made size central to its identity.
Its stores brought computers, consumer electronics, and major appliances into vast spaces. The company-history account notes that Tandy tried to find the right balance between computer merchandise and household appliances such as refrigerators, washers, and dryers.
For visitors, that range could turn a practical purchase into a longer outing. A trip for one product offered plenty of reasons to explore other departments.
A stage inside the store
Contemporary reporting about the original concept described an 8,000-square-foot rotunda near the entrance.
Plans included a stage, a disc jockey booth, and sixteen 43-inch screens. The space was intended for music videos, karaoke performers, and product videos.
That arrangement put activity near the center of the shopping experience. Electronics could be demonstrated and presented rather than simply placed on shelves.
A destination with extra attractions
Later reporting describes Incredible Universe locations with restaurants, childcare facilities, and large presentation stages. Features varied by location, so a detail remembered at one store should not automatically be assigned to every branch.
These additions supported the idea of a longer visit. Customers could browse, watch a demonstration, and take a break without treating the store as a quick stop.
A snapshot of 1990s technology
Incredible Universe’s short life places it firmly within a particular chapter of retail history.
Its appeal depended on seeing products in person and exploring a broad selection under one roof. The store itself was part of the experience.
That makes its history useful beyond nostalgia. It offers a case study in how a retailer tried to make physical shopping memorable.
The Final Chapter
The scale that attracted attention also created a difficult business challenge.
A company-history account reports that sales could resemble those of a smaller store, despite Incredible Universe’s much larger footprint. Tandy struggled to make the merchandise mix and operating concept work.
Tandy’s own annual report provides a clearer record of the shutdown.
Two stores closed during the second quarter of 1996 because of inadequate sales. Later that year, the company decided to exit the remaining 17-store Incredible Universe business. Its report identified a highly competitive electronics market as the setting for the restructuring.
The end involved more than turning out the lights.
In July 1997, Tandy completed the sale of six stores’ real estate, related assets, and inventory to Fry’s Electronics and its affiliates. Other properties were sold separately, while some remained awaiting disposal.
Incredible Universe’s retail identity disappeared, but several locations continued into another chapter of electronics shopping.
What’s There Now?
There is no single answer for the entire chain.
Tandy’s annual report establishes that six locations were sold to Fry’s in 1997. It also documents other property sales. Those records explain the immediate aftermath, but they do not establish who occupies each site today.
A local story should begin with a confirmed street address. Current property records, planning documents, business location pages, and dated photographs can then establish what survives.
An old building may retain recognizable features. However, its size or shape alone is not enough to confirm that it once housed Incredible Universe.
Current-site verification: No individual property has been verified for this chain overview as of October 12, 2026.
Do You Remember Incredible Universe?
Which Incredible Universe location did you visit, and what first caught your attention: the building’s size, the stage, or the product displays?
Did you buy your first computer or another memorable piece of technology there?
Share your story in the comments, including the city and approximate year.
If you have photographs, advertisements, receipts, store maps, or employee materials, tell Forgotten Spots about them. Please include any known dates and whether you own the material or have permission to share it.
These details can help preserve the history of a retailer whose ambitions were much larger than its lifespan.
Sources and Credits
- W5YI Report — October 1, 1992. Contemporary reporting on the Wilsonville opening and planned Arlington opening.
- Television Digest — August 1992 archive. Contemporary description of the planned rotunda, stage, screens, and entertainment features.
- Tandy Corporation — 1997 Annual Report. Primary corporate source documenting restructuring, closures, and the sale of six locations to Fry’s.
- Encyclopedia.com — Fry’s Electronics company history. Historical account of Incredible Universe’s scale, retail strategy, and business difficulties.
- SFGATE — “The kitschy history of the Bay Area’s themed Fry’s Electronics”. Retrospective describing additional store attractions.