They could have been frozen. I've seen frost damaged product still out for sale at Fred Meyer recently and I know of someone who bought fuchsia starts and had them all collapse later. Frost damage doesn't always show up right away and some Fred Meyer's have better/more cover over the garden center than others and some face South and some face right into the East wind and suffer more damage.

I just had the same problem. I bought some gartenmeister fuchsia and coleus at Fred Meyer planted them and a few days later we got hit with a frosty morning and the coleus bit the dust and and fuchsia started wilting. I had even put plastic over them that night. I took them back to the store yesterday and they replaced them no questioned asked. The very helpful employee in the garden center said he had lost a bunch of coleus too. I knew I had taken a chance buying them in the first place as I was worried they would get bit by the cool weather.

I wonder if they are getting a lot of returns. I returned mine today with no problem. I then went to QFC and bought them there at $1 which is cheaper than FM. They really appear healthy.

They should have moved their Fuchsia Saturday to a later date. It was just too cold.

I still have my hanging baskets and fuchsia pots in my heated greenhouse. Luckily, mine weren't hit by frost at the nurseries and I've had no losses (I bought from several locations including Al's, Portland Nursery and Fred Meyer)