Could Amazon Fresh be coming to Pasadena?
Attention, Pasadena shoppers: The voice of Alexa could be beckoning inside a market near you. Maybe. Slowly but surely in recent weeks and months, the site of the former Orchard Supply Hardware store at 3425 E. Colorado Blvd. has transformed into what  for the moment  has been generically, temporarily, officially and mysteriously dubbed, drum roll please: Tenant.  But ask a neighboring business or business leaders in the area, and theyll definitively tell you whats coming: a new Amazon Fresh, the e-retailers entry into the brick-and-mortar world of grocery stores. While company officials are not ready to make an an official announcement, a store that looks very much like an Amazon Fresh has been quietly emerging in the Crown City amid the social context of the pandemic and a business climate hit hard during the last 1 1/2 years. City officials said the permits for the property do not identify the tenant, but they add its permits are for a grocery store. Hint! On Monday, workers continued the build out of the structure, with its gray faade trimmed with white, designed by McKently Malak Architects and constructed by BergmanKPRS. A tightly kept official secret didnt appear to have stopped word from getting out. This is one of the first ones they are opening up in Southern California, which says something about the stature of California for innovative businesses, said Paul Little, president and CEO of the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce. They will be spending money in the community. On that marquee level, its very positive for Pasadena, Little said. Indeed, Southern California, in particular has become a bit of a hotbed for Amazon Fresh stores, with locales sprouting up in L.A. to Orange County to offer a new kind of tech-driven shopping experience for customers. The first opened in Woodland Hills last September, and since then the company has opened in Irvine, Northridge, North Hollywood, Whittier, Ladera Heights, Fullerton and Long Beach. Nationwide, theyve opened doors in a cluster of spots in Illinois, New Jersey and Washington. And so far so good, say industry observers, who report strong growth and note that the Amazon Fresh model has been able to distinguish itself from Whole Foods, which Amazon bought for $13.4 billion in 2017, with lower prices and a more family-friendly experience. Amazon Fresh made it easier, simpler and smarter to shop, and far more affordable, said industry analyst Burt P. Flickinger III, managing director of Strategic Resource Group, a New York-based retail consulting firm that analyzes major retail markets in the country. The Pasadena-area market demographic seems to fit a pattern for Amazon, Flickinger said, looking to place stories in relatively well-educated communities where working families are looking for value and convenient grocery shopping experience. That experience emphasizes fresh and prepared foods at a lower price point, with a mix of national and private-label brands, including Amazon brands. Cashierless technology, including online grocery pickup and delivery and pickup/returns of Amazon.com orders, and Alexa stations also ease the customers experience, allowing them to better navigate the stores aisles. Its that kind of experience that can offer clues into why Amazon might not tip off too early that its officially coming to town, Flickinger said. Amazon doesnt want the competition going to school on them, Flickinger said. They dont want competition to look at the permits and to look at detail of the plans, which could include clues on the companys intellectual property and technology. Plus, city officials said, when it comes to tenant improvements at a site, plans are usually submitted to the city without identification of the tenant  a practice common in many cities. Still, it wont be long before the tenant must submit for a sign permit. That will be the tell-all moment. In the meantime, community leaders and neighbors are gearing up for the markets arrival, though a timeline was unclear. When Orchard Supply closed, it was a big question on everybodys mind what would happen to the property, Little said. This is a positive in the sense that its being used as a retail operation.  Its a key site in East Pasadena, not far away from the renowned A Noise Within Theatre, key Gold Line rail stops and residential development in the pipeline  including the Space Bank site, where 550 apartment units are proposed, along with a mix of commercial space. The long-planned project remains in escrow and residents have voiced concerns about toxicity at the former naval weapons site. Bill Ukropiana, managing director at Coldwell Banker Commercial Pasadena, said the market  no matter what it ends up being  is in a key strategic geographic position to add vibrancy to an area that needs it. It could be a catalyst for further investment, he said. I think that as a resident of East Pasadena and active real estate broker, Im pleased were going from an empty former OSH to a vibrant local retailer, he said.