Acquisition and Integration of Haggen into Albertsons

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Re: Acquisition and Integration of Haggen into Albertsons

Post by storewanderer »

They've barely owned Haggen for a quarter yet. I am sure they will get the systems and buying/logistics in place necessary to get their private label to Haggen. They even did that at United (with both Supervalu brands and now the Safeway brands) which is generally "hands off."

I think since Safeway has "Lucerne" which is marketed (and priced) like a name brand but is really a store brand, most categories that would be a good and logical opportunity for a banner brand (where Kroger does banner brands, and also where Supervalu/Albertsons previously did banner brands) are covered. Whether or not it is the right move, that is up for debate. What does Lucerne mean to the customers at Albertsons, or people at places like Jewel and Acme? I do think the Lucerne name has some value and brand equity in the western Safeway regions but I am not really sure about some of the other places...
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Re: Acquisition and Integration of Haggen into Albertsons

Post by pseudo3d »

SamSpade wrote:
pseudo3d wrote:News!

http://portlandtribune.com/pt/9-news/30 ... -next-week

Some highlights/remarks:
- The store conversion in Lake Oswego will take more than a week, more time than Haggen took to convert Albertsons.
- It will add a kombucha station to the store. I'm not sure of any other stores that have that feature.
- It will also add a second loading dock to the store, which sounds more expensive and substantial than just a face-lift.
- The store will "keep serving three customer-favorite Haggen bakery items: scones, cinnamon swirl bread and jumbo cinnamon rolls", much like the Paul's doughnuts.
- I'm a little surprised that they're doing this when there are still closed Haggen stores yet to reopen.
Saw the cinnamon rolls today. Didn't see the kombucha (or beer growler) station. There were a few shipping crates in the store parking lot, likely to be the continued construction work.

Store got an LLC makeover. It was pretty zzzzzzzzz to me, but busier than it was as Haggen. Still has all the weird entrances and kept a few of the improvements Haggen made. Butcher block clerk made an announcement, obviously slipped and called the store Haggen then added "Albertsons." No Haggen private label left. Either that stuff is going to end up in Grocery Outlet soon or was sent back to warehouse to move in the remaining Haggen stores. A friend informed me the signs are changed at the other Portland-area location (Tigard/Beaverton border) so no more Haggen in the Portland, Ore. market.

Photos (and updated Yelp): Albertsons Lake Oswego
Lake Oswego just now did its "official" reopening, I guess whatever improvements that weren't done are done now (like the new loading dock, which I'm sure won't excite customers). Maybe they added that beer growler/kombucha station, but it wasn't listed in the new article.

http://pamplinmedia.com/lor/48-news/318 ... ake-oswego
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Re: Acquisition and Integration of Haggen into Albertsons

Post by marshd1000 »

Back in late July, I went into the Albertsons at Lake Forest Park, WA, which had been a Albertsons and then a Haggen. Unlike the former Albertsons/Haggen in Lake Oswego, OR, I did not see them sell any of the Haggen cinnamon rolls or cinnamon swirl bread. But it did seem to be busier as a re-born Albertsons. On that same trip, I also stopped in the Woodinville, WA Haggen and saw no signs of Albertsons integration at that time, except for fine print in the ads saying that trademarks were owned by Albertsons/Safeway. But today, I was in the Lake Tapps store in Auburn, WA. So the transition to Signature and O Organics has begun. This store still has a mix of Haggen branded products along with Food Club, Western Family, Top Care, and Full Circle Organic. But I saw some Signature Kitchens Mayonnaise and Signature Kitchens Graham Crackers. I also saw some O Organics Almond Milk. So not a lot has changed but it is beginning. I am wondering if they will keep some Haggen branded product? I know that a lot of it is being touted as being from Washington and Oregon, which is what Haggen is all about. So I can see all the non Haggen items being replaced with Signature, O Organics and Open Nature. I am thinking that Lucerne packaged cheese could come in as that is what United Supermarkets are doing while keeping United's liquid dairy brand. I could also see Signature Select Ice Cream could come in to supply flavored that the Haggen brand doesn't come in, like the Moose Tracks flavors. Curiously, during Haggen's bankruptcy, the did not have Haggen branded liquid milk. Now that they are Albertsons owned, Haggan branded liquid milk is back. I was surprised that Lucerne was not immediately brought in! Getting back to the Lake Tapps store, I noticed that they now have a Haggen operated Tony's Coffees kiosk. Tony's is a roaster out of Bellingham, WA. But this is the first I have seen one in a Haggen. I have seen both corporate and licensed Starbucks, Woods Coffee, and Mercury Coffee. So This is the first Tony's outlet I have seen in a Haggen. Anyway, I am wondering when theHaggen ads will start to mention Signature brands, perhaps in conjunction with Western Family, etc, as they transition?
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Re: Acquisition and Integration of Haggen into Albertsons

Post by SamSpade »

marshd1000 wrote:I am thinking that Lucerne packaged cheese could come in as that is what United Supermarkets are doing while keeping United's liquid dairy brand. Now that they are Albertsons owned, Haggan branded liquid milk is back. I was surprised that Lucerne was not immediately brought in! Getting back to the Lake Tapps store, I noticed that they now have a Haggen operated Tony's Coffees kiosk. Tony's is a roaster out of Bellingham, WA.
1. On a recent trip to Amarillo, the fluid milk in United stores is now Lucerne. Signs all over pointing out that (Red Oval?) is now Lucerne.
2. When Haggen went into bankruptcy, besides their grocery supplier, Starbucks was creditor #2. So it's possible their relationship quickly soured and the stores were forced to stop running Starbucks operated by Haggen (ie. no more supplies coming in). That's my guess.
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Re: Acquisition and Integration of Haggen into Albertsons

Post by marshd1000 »

in years past, Haggen and Top Foods pretty much exclusively had Starbucks operated kisoks/stores in their stores. Haggen was the first to have a Starbucks inside a grocery store. But before the bankruptcy, some of the corporate Starbucks remained. But in other Haggen and Top Foods, the coffee bar either went to another company like The Woods Coffee or Mercury Coffee or was a empty space. The Auburn Lake Tapps store was one that the coffee bar space was empty, until the licensed concept Tony's opened. As part of the ill fated Haggen expansion, Haggen and Starbucks had an agreement for Haggen to continue to operate the Starbucks that were in the Albertsons, Safeway and Vons stores that they were acquiring. As a result the one remaining store that remained Haggen from that expansion has a licensed concept Starbucks. That would be the Oak Harbor Haggen, former Safeway. Now that Albertsons owns Haggen, I think it is possible that it will retain the Starbucks since Albertsons/Safeway is a big Starbucks partner.
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Re: Acquisition and Integration of Haggen into Albertsons

Post by storewanderer »

So far they have only owned Haggen for 3 months. I say let's wait another year and see what things look like at Haggen then.

It would be nice to see some of Haggen's perimeter items expanded elsewhere. Since Safeway has a scratch bakery program similar to Haggen I think that it would be pretty easy... then again we see what happened when former Safeways became Haggen they could not execute the Haggen scratch bakery program at all... so who knows.

I doubt any Haggen private label stuff is going to be around much longer. Similar to how all of the Albertsons stuff disappeared so quick after they stopped sourcing through Supervalu, United lost all its unique brands... "Better Living Brands LLC" is the most efficient at killing off any brands/personality that were left from the prior private label sourcing.
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Re: Acquisition and Integration of Haggen into Albertsons

Post by marshd1000 »

While I have not seen this in person, it looks like the Albertsons influence is starting to hit Haggen with a Seahawks "Team Store", at least at the Burlington store.



i should note that after the ill fated expansion, the former Albertsons that became Haggen had some Seahawks merchandise, but not the selection like the current Safeway and Albertsons locations. But I am thinking that in the 2017 football season, Safeway, Albertsons and Haggen will all be the official supermarket of the Seahawks. Currently that is what Safeway and Albertsons are.
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Re: Acquisition and Integration of Haggen into Albertsons

Post by pseudo3d »

The longer time goes on, I'm just not sure that Haggen and Albertsons are to be together for long. I don't think its viable to operate just a 15-store "unit", especially if it's not even officially incorporated into the Seattle division yet (are they part of the list of the Albertsons brands?). Now that Albertsons has finished "reverting" the stores they sold (have they finished that yet?) I think they need to give serious thought as to what the rest of the chain does. They either need to fold it into the Seattle Division and hope that the Seattle stores are improved as a whole and not the other way around, or sell the chain.
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Re: Acquisition and Integration of Haggen into Albertsons

Post by marshd1000 »

Just the other day, I was in the Woodinville Haggen. I am thinking that Albertsons does want to make a go of keeping the 15 store unit around. To me, it is just too soon jettison Haggen from the company. I have not seen the level of popularity diminish on this particular store at least! I think Albertsons is making changes slowly as to not upset the apple cart, since the brand had been tarnished during the expansion. But I am seeing quite a few more"Signature Kitchens" items ion the shelves. I mostly notice the fact that I don't see Topco's "Food Club" brand on the shelves. However when it comes to health and beauty aids, I still see the "Top Care" brand on the shelf and not "Signature Care". In the refrigerated sections, I do see some "O Organics". But mostly when it comes to organics, it is mostly "Full Circle". "Signature Kitchens" is starting to replace a few "Western Family" items. But even though the legacy Haggen stores were supplied by Unified, they did not carry a lot of "Western Famiky" items. In the frozen foods section, I did see a few "Signature Select" items. Also, "Lucerne" has finalky made it on the shelves with one item so far, orange creamsicles. Most everything else that is dairy, is still "Haggen" branded. Prepackaged bread was still "Haggen" from waht I saw..

Albertsons is spending money on the Woodinville store with a remodel in progress. First, the got rid of a leased take and bake pizza department, by Zaw Pizza. They are also going to put in a new salad bar and make it into a hot and cold buffet bar. I am not too sure what else they are going to do in the remodel, but I am sure they will put in a "Seahawks Shop".

I still have not seen anymention of the "Signature" brands in their ads. But that may happen if they fully transition awa from having any "Haggen" brands.

As for the Haggen logs showing up on the Albertsons corporate site, I just think they are being slow..

As for other integration, I suspect that it will be slow. Heck, when I am in a Safeway or Albertsons, I have not seen any integration of their gift cards, where it lists Safeway and its brands on the Albertsons gift cards or vice-versa. I would think that that will eventually happen and also include United and Haggen. On Albertsons gift cards, I do not see United brands mentioned.

Haggen also has a loyalty card. I would think that the divisions like the Safeway brands, United and Haggen, that use these cards, would eventually have the ability to use a United card for the sales price at Vons or using a Safeway card at Haggen. Or using a Haggen card at Randall's oe Market Street? Time will tell!
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Re: Acquisition and Integration of Haggen into Albertsons

Post by SamSpade »

Image
Based on this image from The Idaho Statesman, they have already attached the logo / nameplate at corporate headquarters so probably not going anywhere for the moment.

For those of you not from the northwest, while Haggen stores decor and layout is tired (in *some* stores), it's quite a bit different from a regular Albertsons, but close to where Safeway got to after "Lifestyle" renovations.
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