BURIEN, Wash. — People around Western Washington will soon have one less option to buy groceries.
The plan is for all of the Haggen stores closing to be liquidated by mid-November. During the process, the stores will remain open.
A few weeks ago, Haggen first announced it would close 27 grocery stores. Now, Haggen is adding 100 more stores to that list and asking the U.S. Bankruptcy Court to close 127 stores.
Fourteen Haggen stores in Burien, Tacoma, Port Orchard, Everett, Shoreline and Renton are on the chopping block. See the list of stores here.
The Burien store on South 128th Street and First Avenue South is already in the process of being liquidated.
Customers and workers say they've already seen a drop in business at the stores.
“A lot of times when I went in there it looked like a ghost town. I was expecting a tumbleweed to blow in,” said customer Mike McDonnell.
“I’d say the biggest sense that you get from customers is they’re not there. I mean, it is barren,” said Haggen meat cutter Terry O’Toole.
Albertsons may hire back some of the displaced Haggen workers.
Under the expansion deal, new Haggen workers weren't allowed to go back to Albertsons for a year, but Haggen is trying to get the Federal Trade Commission to waive that requirement.
KIRO
