The move, which coincides with layoffs in the U.S. Southwest, marks a big reality check on the optimism with which the Bellingham grocer acquired 146 Albertsons and Safeway stores earlier this year.
Haggen is making major cuts to worker hours at several Seattle area stores it took over from Albertsons and Safeway earlier this year, a fresh sign of the Bellingham-based grocer’s challenges as it grows into its new, larger footprint.
A Haggen employee in one Seattle area store told the Seattle Times that the company reduced total worker hours in that store by over 500 hours per week — down about a fifth from the usual pace, meaning less pay for many employees.