The Pavilions supermarket at 845 E. California Blvd., a longtime grocery anchor near Caltech, plans to close by mid-August, according to a report published Wednesday, July 8, by ColoradoBoulevard.net's Janine Tedros.

The closure would leave a large vacancy at the corner of California Boulevard and South Lake Avenue, eliminating one of the few walkable full-service grocery options for Caltech students, faculty, and residents in the surrounding neighborhood.

Sources familiar with the store's plans told ColoradoBoulevard.net that years of underperformance drove the decision. Rising operating costs, persistent retail theft, and an expiring lease all factored in. Employees were initially told the store would close at the end of July, but more recent internal discussions pushed that timeline to the second week of August. The store's lease expires around the first week of September.

Pavilions is operated by Vons, the Southern California division of Albertsons Companies. Neither Albertsons nor Vons has issued a public statement confirming the closure or its timeline.

The store sits at the southern edge of the South Lake Avenue Business District. Pavilions has long served as the anchor tenant drawing foot traffic to surrounding shops in the center, and its departure could reduce visits to neighboring businesses that depend on grocery shoppers stopping in.

The closure fits a broader pattern across Southern California. Albertsons and Kroger both closed multiple locations in 2025 and laid off hundreds of employees as inflation squeezed consumers and rising labor costs tightened margins, the Los Angeles Times reported in March 2026.

The nearest Pavilions location is at 1213 Fair Oaks Ave. in South Pasadena.

No information has surfaced about a potential new tenant for the space, and the property owner has not been publicly identified. The store remains open seven days a week, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., until the final closing date is set.