About a year after it was converted to a Haggen, the grocery store at 3925 236th Ave. N.E. in unincorporated King County near Redmond will return to operating under the Albertsons banner.
This follows Haggen’s announcement that it accepted Albertsons LLC’s bid to acquire 29 core stores — including the Redmond-area location.
As a result, a previously announced auction scheduled for today has been canceled, a Haggen press release states. The release continues, stating that the agreement with Albertsons remains subject to finalizing documentation and requires bankruptcy court approval.
Haggen filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Sept. 8, 2015, according to an Albertsons press release.
A second Haggen release states that the bankruptcy court will consider approval of the sale agreement on March 29.
According to the Albertsons release, the company expects to close on the transaction in the coming weeks, pending the customary legal and bankruptcy court approvals.
“We are excited about the opportunity to have the backing of Albertsons and look forward to be part of the Albertsons grocery family,” said Haggen CEO John Clougher in the release. “Haggen has been a part of the Pacific Northwest and the Bellingham community for more than eight decades and we will continue the traditions of operating great Haggen stores focused on community involvement, fresh northwest products and great service.”
The Redmond-area store will be one of 14 stores in Washington and Oregon returning to the Albertsons banner, according to the Albertsons release. These stores will be operated by Albertsons’ Seattle and Portland, Ore. divisions.
As previously reported, the Redmond-area location was one of 26 stores (previously Albertsons or Safeways) in Washington that were converted to Haggen stores in February, March and June of 2015.
“Haggen’s original core group of Pacific Northwest stores set the gold standard in the markets they serve for quality fresh products and exceptional service,” said Albertsons chairman and CEO Bob Miller in the Albertsons release. “We are proud to now be associated with this tradition, and want to assure Haggen’s dedicated shoppers that the stores will continue to offer customers the freshest local products available and exceptional service, with the same great employees at the stores.”
According to the release, Albertsons plans to hire substantially all store employees and honor existing labor agreements to staff the stores.
The proposed plan would create a separate business unit for 14 Haggen stores, the release continues, which are part of the original Haggen “legacy” store chain. These locations would continue to be operated separately from Bellingham under their existing Haggen name. The remaining store (previously a Safeway) in Oak Harbor will also continue to operate as a Haggen.
According to the second Haggen release, customers can be assured that the company’s focus on sustainably sourced and locally produced products will not change. The company has a history of operating as a partner to the communities it serves and will continue to do so, the release states.
