Popular SoCal grocery store to close for good — with major retail chain set to take its place

Vons is gons.

An Orange County location of the popular Southern California grocery store chain will close its doors after more than 6 years in business.

The Vons in Anaheim Hills Festival shopping center will close on January 2. 2027, parent company Albertsons confirmed to the California Post.

Located just off California Route 91 at 8010 E. Santa Ana Canyon Road, the store has been a supermarket for over 30 years.

The store opened in 1993 as a Pavilions, before being converted to a Vons in 2020. Both Vons and Pavilions are owned by Albertsons.

“Closing a store is always a tough decision and one we do not take lightly,” a Vons spokesperson told the Post. “Like other retailers, we continuously evaluate store performance and market dynamics, and with our focus on growth, occasionally it’s necessary to close locations that aren’t growing or meeting financial expectations.”

The Orange County store, which also houses a bakery, deli, and pharmacy, will be replaced by a Dick’s Sporting Goods, a local social media sleuth first reported. An employee who did not want to be identified confirmed the switch to the Post.

The pharmacy will close to the public on December 18.

Vons is currently “working to identify opportunities” to transfer the 76 employees at the store to other locations, the company said.

The closure news comes as the nearest Vons location, just up the 91 Freeway, is scheduled to have a grand re-opening on January 8, 2027 — after getting a remodel.

Shoppers in the immediate area appeared to be shocked by the sad news of the closure.

“Such a bummer. It’s so nice having a grocery store in the [plaza]!!” one shopper wrote on a popular Instagram post announcing the shutdown.

“Had a feeling they were getting ready to shut down when the Panda Express inside closed,” said another commenter.

“Super bummed. I love the pharmacy there. I hate CVS. I like that the Festival Vons is bigger. I sure the hell don’t need Dicks Sporting Goods,” remarked a third.

Vons isnt the only California grocer announcing closures in recent days.

Asian supermarket chain 99 Market one of the nation’s largest Asian grocery chains, is closing two locations this month in Pleasanton and Chino, laying off a total of 103 employees.

And Golden State staple Safeway is also closing a Bay Area location this month — having already shuttered locations in San Francisco, Hayward, Pinole and Vallejo in recent years.

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