Haggen to close stores in four western states
– Haggen, the West Coast regional grocer, has announced that it has decided to close or sell a number of locations in California, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. Most of the stores being closed or sold were acquired as part of the transaction in which Albertsons LLC and Safeway divested 146 stores. Additional stores will be sold or closed in the future as part of Haggen’s “right-sizing strategy,” according to the company. The company has not determined how many jobs will be affected as a result of the closures and sales they say.
“Haggen’s goal going forward is to ensure a stable, healthy company that will benefit our customers, associates, vendors, creditors, stakeholders as well as the communities we serve,” said Haggen CEO Pacific Southwest Bill Shaner. “By making the tough choice to close and sell some stores, we will be able to invest in stores that have the potential to thrive under the Haggen banner.”
Through the acquisition, Haggen expanded from 18 stores with 16 pharmacies and 2,000 employees in the Pacific Northwest to 164 stores and 106 pharmacies employing more than 10,000 people in Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada and Arizona.
John Clougher, Haggen CEO Pacific Northwest, said, “Though Haggen has grown substantially, we remain committed to our core values and to support regional farms, ranches and food producers and strengthen the communities around our stores.”
Clougher and Shaner gave the following joint statement, “We’re grateful to have an outstanding team along with the support of our vendor partners, financial backers and friends in the community as we take our next steps forward. Looking ahead, we will work hard every single day to earn the trust and business of our guests. We will continue to support community events and donate to schools. We will offer our customers the freshest and most local products we can find and the genuine service they deserve. And we will engage in lively discussions about how we can improve. We will remain actively involved in making our communities even better, and we will stay committed to the values that have always guided Haggen.”
Stores slated for closure include five stores in Arizona, 16 in California, five in Oregon, and one store in Washington. The only store in San Luis Obispo due to close is Los Osos. To see the complete list of stores to be closed, click here.
