Pavillions Arcadia

[Jeff]

Looks like Pavillions has been downgraded to a regular Von's store. Drove by it Saturday and noticed it. Still has a panda, Jamba Juice and Starbucks. Wonder if Pavillions is on the way out. This Pavillions is huge and always has a decent crowd in it when I've stopped by.

[pseudo3d]

Since Safeway pretty much laid waste to the name, it would make sense if Albertsons is swapping names. Still, they're not going to let go of the brand anytime soon, and a relaunch isn't outside the realm of possibility.

[klkla]

Interesting development. When I worked for the company the Arcadia Pavilions was the second highest volume store in the chain with sales over $800,000 weekly.

It will be interesting to see if this is a one-time conversion due to a change in local demographics or the beginning of the end for the Pavilions brand.

[pseudo3d]

Interesting development. When I worked for the company the Arcadia Pavilions was the second highest volume store in the chain with sales over $800,000 weekly.

It will be interesting to see if this is a one-time conversion due to a change in local demographics or the beginning of the end for the Pavilions brand.

I read that there was another Pavilions that became a Vons within the last past month just by changing names. I think the true answer is between those questions. The stores aren't "downgrading" at least anymore than what Safeway did to them, but the Pavilions name is definitely going to be kept somehow, someway. After all, Albertsons had second thoughts about Lucky during their legal feud with Grocery Outlet, ultimately resulting in the use of Albertsons-owned Lucky stores to this day (if only two).

Perhaps Albertsons would like to re-launch Pavilions someday in the near future, perhaps as a Trader Joe's-type competitor featuring "the new, the unusual, the best of everything" once more. One can hope, right?

[ClownLoach]

Westminster was also converted. They're phasing out the Pavilions brand.

[veteran+]

Interesting development. When I worked for the company the Arcadia Pavilions was the second highest volume store in the chain with sales over $800,000 weekly.

It will be interesting to see if this is a one-time conversion due to a change in local demographics or the beginning of the end for the Pavilions brand.

West Hollywood was the highest volume Pavilions, right?

I wonder if they would change the name of that store (I do not think so).

[pseudo3d]

Westminster was also converted. They're phasing out the Pavilions brand.

While I agree the remaining Pavilions are largely going to disappear, I disagree that they're going to phase out entirely, and keep at least one or two stores open to hold onto the trademark at least. In addition to the Lucky example, Albertsons bought Smitty's (Missouri) in the late 1990s (a licensed spin-off of Smitty's of Arizona, though by the time Albertsons bought it, GM was reduced to a regular grocery store mix from what I can tell) from David Trottier, and registered "Smitty's by Albertsons" as a trademark. Then when Price Cutter bought the stores back they rebranded one of their stores Smitty's to keep Trottier from reopening under that name. I'm not sure of any remaining Smitty's...online articles seem to indicate one converted to Price Cutter Plus in 2006, and one at 601 South Jefferson Avenue in Lebanon ran its lease in 2014.

[steps]

From what I'm aware of and keeping track of Pavilions locations, most of the "downgrades" have happened because of demographic changes. These Pavilions were opened in affluent areas at the time where the population shopped that type of store. The more successful Pavilions are on the Westside of LA (Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Culver City, etc) where the population is affluent but very diverse. Pavilions as a brand needs a refresh to market itself different from Vons & Albertsons. I don't see that happening though, it would be nice.

Pavilions isn't what is used to be.

[storewanderer]

Were any changes made to the store itself or was it literally a sign swap?

I know it got a standard Lifestyle remodel a few years ago in conjunction with a center store reset (took down the Pavilions lifestyle decor and installed the standard one)...

I am not really sure why the name change. Vons and Pavilions are identical; same items, same prices, same ad. Why bother with a name change? Everyone knows they are the same.

I know some of the past conversions when an area's demographics changed resulted in some dumbing down of the stores but I don't really see that being the case in Arcadia, there is zero reason to downgrade that store's features in any way; the area is solid with growing incomes. It is heavily Asian but I fail to see how "Vons" will cater any better or worse to Asian customers than "Pavilions."

[pseudo3d]

Were any changes made to the store itself or was it literally a sign swap?

I know it got a standard Lifestyle remodel a few years ago in conjunction with a center store reset (took down the Pavilions lifestyle decor and installed the standard one)...

I am not really sure why the name change. Vons and Pavilions are identical; same items, same prices, same ad. Why bother with a name change? Everyone knows they are the same.

I know some of the past conversions when an area's demographics changed resulted in some dumbing down of the stores but I don't really see that being the case in Arcadia, there is zero reason to downgrade that store's features in any way; the area is solid with growing incomes. It is heavily Asian but I fail to see how "Vons" will cater any better or worse to Asian customers than "Pavilions."

I think the point is these aren't downgrades but rather just name swaps. As you say, they're the same. There are two reasons (not mutually exclusive) why this going on. I think if they're keeping the nicest stores as Pavilions, it lends credence to the second theory.

- Albertsons SoCal found it too confusing to have THREE stores essentially with the thing, especially since two of them have been the same for a while.
- Albertsons SoCal wants to relaunch Pavilions as an upscale format at some point in the future.