Nary a day passes
without some fresh revelation on the travails of Haggen,
the Bellingham grocer that grew from 18 locations to
164 by gobbling up stores divested in the
Albertsons/Safeway merger.
To recap, Haggen filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last week. Haggen also sued Albertsons for $1 billion, claiming the grocery giant sabotaged its expansion. Haggen operates three Kitsap County stores in Bremerton, Port Orchard and Silverdale.
Business reporters have been sifting through the bankruptcy filings to gain some insight into the future of the troubled grocer. Here are some recent Haggen headlines:
- Despite the lawsuit, the Seattle Times reports Haggen is seeking approval for Albertsons to hire back employees from the stores it divested. There was a one-year ban on Albertsons hiring employees from its former stores.
- Also from the Times, Albertsons will buy some of Haggen’s pharmacy business.
- Haggen also wants to hire a firm that would help the grocer explore the sale of its stores and the company as a whole, according to the Oregonian.
- Q13 reports employees held a rally at the Haggen in Spanaway, one of 27 stores already slated for closure. The Tacoma News Tribune lamented the way “corporate blundering” was hurting workers and communities.
- As Haggen struggles, Albertsons is blazing ahead with a plan to go public.
