Haggen to close Liberty Lake store as part of bankruptcy

The Haggen grocery store chain will close its Liberty Lake store just months after entering the Eastern Washington market.

Haggen bought the former Safeway store at 1233 N. Liberty Lake Road and rebranded it in June.

The Haggen chain bought 146 Albertsons and Safeway stores in the wake of those two companies’ merger, after federal antitrust regulators ordered their sale. The acquisition rocketed Haggen from a regional chain with 18 stores to a company with 164 stores throughout the West.

In late August, Haggen sued Albertsons for $1 billion, alleging the Boise company engaged in “systematic efforts” to harm its business. Days later, Haggen filed for bankruptcy protection and said it would close a number of stores.

The Liberty Lake store is one of 100 slated for closure.

Deborah Pleva, spokeswoman for Haggen, said all of those stores will be closed by Nov. 25. She said she didn’t have figures for the number of jobs that will be lost from the Liberty Lake store.