Haggen to close, liquidate 100 more stores

[storewanderer]

So 14 in WA are closing, one of which is the Aberdeen Top Foods. All in CA, NV, and AZ are gone.

[VibeGuy]

1) Aberdeen should have been dead a long time ago - I can't help but wonder if the Chapter 11 helped accelerate this with being able to break the lease?

2) Apparently a few things off the I-5 corridor will survive - the Gig Harbor store, which had the best chance to be successful in an Actual Haggen configuration (new Signature build for Safeway just a year prior, thoughtful remodel, QFC across the street closed for renovation), is gone. But it looks like Port Angeles and Oak Harbor survive. I can *sort of* get Oak Harbor, but Port Angeles makes no sense from a distribution perspective, plus they've got lingering Safeway competition, QFC in Sequim and Walmart.

3) If I were Town & Country or Metropolitan, I would be salivating at astonishingly few of these opportunities. GH being the obvious exception.

[CalItalian]

They are not going to liquidate all the locations or even a majority of them. They are staying open for 60 days for a reason as they will soon be Ralphs, Stater Bros. and other markets. http://www.seattletimes.com/business/re ... al-stores/

[VibeGuy]

An interactive map of destruction and survivors.

I can't believe a few of the survivors....

http://projects.seattletimes.com/2015/b ... es-update/

[VibeGuy]

I think liquidation is the actual outcome - they're strategically using 60-day WARN notices rather than "going-concern" transfers for a reason - namely it lets them bust the unions in the SoCal markets. Disgusting.

If they sold as "going concern" as ABS did for them, the purchasers would assume certain obligations.

[marshd1000]

Here is the official announcement from Haggen's website:

http://www.haggen.com/press-releases/ha ... st-market/

[CalItalian]

"Haggen said it planned to liquidate merchandise and furnishings. Haggen warned that it was unlikely that buyers would make firm offers for the stores “as a going concern.” But analysts predict that most locations will remain supermarkets, given the stores' sizes and equipment inside."

Watch many of them be picked up as a going concern. That's my prediction. Nothing Haggen ever says turns out to be true.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-h ... story.html

[KrogerTexas]

Not only ongoing as stores, but at a cheaper price than Albertsons/Safeway were selling them for.

[marshd1000]

I may have said this before but I think that there is great opportunity for the closed stores. But I am sure some will not remain as supermarkets. So here are some predictions for some of the closed Northwest stores.

Aberdeen's Top Foods when it was build was built as a out parcel at a enclosed mall. Well times have changed and a Walmart Supercenter shares the parking lot with this store. So it's not surprising that this store was doomed. With a few stores, I can see the expansion of Saar's Marketplace/Super Saver. The actually operate a former Top in Auburn.

Kroger could acquire a few of these stores. A few could make it as QFC, depending on the area. But in places like Liberty Lake, WA and Baker City, OR, it would be an opportunity to put in a Fred Meyer Marketplace store. In the case of Liberty Like, it is far enough from a full line Fred Meyer, so it could be successful. As for Baker City, there are NO close Fred Meyer stores. But distribution probably would not be a problem as trucks would have to pass it to go to Boise.

In the case of the North Burien store, which is not surviving while 5 Corners-Burien is, I could see that becoming a Walmart Neighborhood Market. Ori if Winco wanted a smaller store, I could see the demographics working for them here. There are quite a few locations where I could see Walmart coming in.

Hopefully there will be some fine independents, mainstream, like Thriftway and IGA or upscale, like Metropolitan Market, Seasons, or Zupans, that will take some over.

It will be interesting to see how many become Grocery Outlet, Dollar Tree, or non retail like a theatre or a church.

Who will get the spoils?

[storewanderer]

I'm shocked 17171 Bothell Way NE is staying open. In fact, I'm shocked it stayed open as Albertsons...