After an ambitious business expansion gone wrong, Haggen Inc. announced Thursday it wants to close all of its California stores, including 19 locations in San Diego County.
The announcement follows news earlier this month that the Pacific Northwest grocery store chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection amid dismal sales.
In court papers, Haggen outlined a plan to close 100 stores, asking a bankruptcy judge's permission to do so.
A list of all the stores closing shows that 19 San Diego County stores will be impacted:
- Carlsbad: 7660 El Camino Real
- Chula Vista: 360 East H St.
- El Cajon: 1608 Broadway St.
- El Cajon: 13439 Camino Canada
- San Diego: 2235 University Ave.
- San Diego: Turqoise Street.
- Carlsbad: 955 Carlsbad Village Dr.
- Del Mar: 2707 Via De La Valle
- La Mesa: 3681 Avocado Ave.
- Poway: 14837 Pomerado Road
- Rancho Bernardo: 12475 Rancho Bernardo Road
- San Diego: 7895 Highland Village Place
- San Diego: 10740 Westview Parkway
- San Diego: 5950 Balboa Ave.
- Santee: 9870 Magnolia Ave.
- Coronado: 150 B Ave.
- San Diego: 422 W. Washington St.
- San Diego: 10633 Tierra Santa Blvd.
- San Diego: 14340 Penasquitos Drive.
Earlier this year, Haggen bought 146 Albertsons and Safeway stores, expanding from 18 stores in Oregon and Washington into new markets in California, Nevada and Arizona.
The stores soon struggled, and Haggen then sued Albertsons for more than $1 billion in damages, alleging the supermarket giant engaged in systematic efforts to eliminate it as a viable competitor in five states.
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Many local customers have complained that prices were too high. Haggen officials admitted there was a pricing problem when it first took over the stores, but shoppers were seemingly tough to convince it was a temporary glitch.
A price check by Consumer Bob last week showed Vons groceries were actually priced higher than Haggen groceries -- unless you had a Vons club card, which made Vons groceries cost less in that case.
It was not immediately clear what would happen to the locations once Haggen shutters.
In San Diego's urban areas, many residents rely on it as a grocery store within walking distance with few other options.
David Warren, a shopper at the Haggen on University Avenue in North Park, said that store is his prime spot.
"It's convenient because we live a couple blocks away from the store," he said. "We shop here all the time."
Shoppers like Warren hope another grocery chain will take over the Haggen location.
A Haggen news release stated that employees at the stores closing would receive a 60-day notice and that the locations would remain open during the notice.
On Friday afternoon, the Federal Trade Commission granted Haggen's request that the chain's employees can be hired back by Albertson's and won't violate a contract between the two grocery store chains.
