Haggen will close or sell 27 locations in California, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon and Washington, and the company said additional stores will be sold or closed in the future. Most of the stores were part of Haggen's 146-store acquisition as part of the divestment process brought about by the Federal Trade Commission’s review of the Albertsons-Safeway merger. Prior to that, Haggen had a total of 18 stores.

The company said it is making the move in order to continue to improve its business and strengthen its competitive position and has not determined how many jobs will be affected as a result of the closures and sales.

“Haggen’s goal going forward is to ensure a stable, healthy company that will benefit our customers, associates, vendors, creditors, stakeholders as well as the communities we serve,” Bill Shaner, Haggen chief executive officer Pacific Southwest, said in a press release. “By making the tough choice to close and sell some stores, we will be able to invest in stores that have the potential to thrive under the Haggen banner.”

Through the acquisition, Haggen expanded from 18 stores and 2,000 employees in the Pacific Northwest to 164 stores and employing more than 10,000 people in Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada and Arizona. Haggen said its original stores continue to perform well.

“Though Haggen has grown substantially, we remain committed to our core values and to support regional farms, ranches and food producers and strengthen the communities around our stores,” John Clougher, Haggen CEO Pacific Northwest, said in the release.

“We’re grateful to have an outstanding team along with the support of our vendor partners, financial backers and friends in the community as we take our next steps forward," Clougher and Shaner continued. "Looking ahead, we will work hard every single day to earn the trust and business of our guests. We will continue to support community events and donate to schools. We will offer our customers the freshest and most local products we can find and the genuine service they deserve. And we will engage in lively discussions about how we can improve. We will remain actively involved in making our communities even better, and we will stay committed to the values that have always guided Haggen.”