Growing pains: Haggen lowers hours at some grocery stores

If you shop for groceries at a Haggen store, you may have noticed a reduction in hours.

According to the Bellingham-based grocer, adjustments are a natural consequence of the growth the company experienced after recently buying a large block of Safeway and Albertsons outlets.

Here’s a statement by Deborah Pleva, Haggen spokeswoman:

“We have a healthy respect for our competitors in the market, and it’s always a challenge introducing Haggen to a new community, but we don’t expect overnight results. Hours have been adjusted to accommodate the natural seasonal summer slowdown. Hours vary store by store and we will continue to adjust hours based on the needs of the business. We look forward to adding hours as sales return in the upcoming back-to-school and holiday seasons.”

According to store employees and the company website, most outlets in the Tacoma area (Lake Tapps, Puyallup, Milton, Gig Harbor) remain open 24 hours daily. The store in Tacoma’s Lincoln District lists hours from 6 a.m. until midnight.

The Seattle Times reported this week that worker hours also have been reduced at Haggen sites that were formerly Albertsons and Safeway.

This story was originally published July 31, 2015 at 5:16 AM with the headline "Growing pains: Haggen lowers hours at some grocery stores."