Haggen may sell core stores to Albertsons

The Haggen bankruptcy saga has taken another turn as Federal Trade Commission documents reveal that the parent company of Albertsons wants to buy Haggen’s 33 remaining core stores.

That sale could go before U.S. Bankruptcy Court as soon as next week, according to a news release from UFCW 367, a union that represents Haggen employees in south Puget Sound.

Two of the core grocery stores up for sale are in Washington’s Burlington and Mount Vernon.

A Haggen spokeswoman declined comment.

Haggen has postponed the auction of its core stores three times, with the latest auction scheduled for Friday. The UFCW 367 news release states the auction will likely be canceled.

Haggen and Albertsons’ parent company, Cerberus Institutional Partners, are working on finalizing a purchase agreement, according to the release.

UFCW 21, the union that represents Haggen employees at the Mount Vernon and Burlington stores, also represents Albertsons employees.

The 33 core stores are in Washington and Oregon.

Haggen bought 146 stores in December 2014 and struggled to convert those stores to its brand. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September and has been auctioning its stores since.