In a layoff notice filed with the state on Wednesday, Haggen announced it will close four stores it had hoped to keep open or sell.
A total of 263 people will be laid off as the bankrupt grocer closes stores in Happy Valley and West Linn in Oregon, and Burien and Federal Way in Washington.
According to the notice, the stores will close by May 9.
The layoff notice comes as Haggen attempts to sell off its remaining stores to pay its debtors. However, these four stores were not included in Haggen's list of its core stores. Court documents defined core stores as "relatively successful" stores in good locations.
In October, Haggen said it did not plan to close the four stores, and instead intended to continue operating them or sell them.
All four stores were formerly Albertsons stores, which Haggen bought a little over a year ago as Albertsons sold off more than 100 stores in order to receive FTC approval to merge with Safeway.
Now, as the stores close, those four communities will be left with one less grocery option than before the FTC-mandated sale.
-- Anna Marum
amarum@oregonian.com
503-294-5911
@annamarum