SoCalShopper1023 wrote: ↑May 7th, 2024, 2:48 pm
On E. California Blvd near S. Lake Ave
This is an interesting store that I thought deserved a mention on this forums. I always pass by this store since it's down the street from my gym. A few nights ago, I decided to walk in to buy myself a post workout snack.
This has to be
the smallest store in the Pavilions chain, and possibly one of the smallest sized store in the So Cal ACI division. The aisles are very narrow, and the frozen/wine/and Deli departments are all crammed in a small little corner. Plus there's no self checkout available at this store.
The store looks pretty old but not in terrible shape. It still has the original standard Lifestyle decor, that has been left untouched aside from the typical ACI lighting "upgrades".
With all the former Pavilions stores that have been converted to a Vons (Arcadia, Monrovia, Long Beach etc) I am surprised this tiny store has been left as a Pavilions, as there's nothing particular about this store that makes it worthy of a Pavilions.
It's as if Safeway, then ACI forgot about this store and it slip under their radar
The #1 criteria for keeping or gaining the Pavilions nameplate is liquor sales. If those aren't there it changes to a Vons or Albertsons.
All the pictures look very nicely merchandised, clean, well maintained, and upgraded amenities such as better meat cases are in place. I can show you "forgotten" ACI stores, this ain't one of them.
Pavilions last decade of remodeled stores also get a new seafood line from Santa Monica Seafood. One Pavilions (La Jolla) is testing two additional concepts, a scratch bakery and a ultra deluxe meat counter with a professional butcher on duty who walks the packaged meats when not serving behind the counter. Montecito is testing a new line of fancy bagels and a full bagel menu like you'd expect to see at Einstein with egg sandwiches and such.
None of the other features are unique (Boars Head, expanded produce, etc) and exist at select Vons as well.
My understanding is Pasadena is exceptionally difficult to work with on new construction, expansions, major remodels. My last company tried for two decades to relocate their small and cramped Pasadena store and finally gave up.
I would imagine this store is like many other tiny SoCal markets, insanely profitable and impossible to work with. Ideally this would be a site for a rebuild instead of a remodel, where they built out to the curb and did basement or rooftop parking. But those types of projects require years and years of red tape, meetings, lobbying city hall, listening to progress blocking NIMBY voters who would rather have a tiny, insufficient grocery store rather than be annoyed by construction sounds for a year while it's rebuilt and so forth. All of those are common in Pasadena and as a result I think this store won't look much different for decades to come.
Your knowledge of Safeway, et al is greatly appreciated.