Haggen Food & Pharmacy
Encyclopedia
Haggen Food & Pharmacy is the largest independent grocery retailer in the Pacific Northwest
. Haggen operates over thirty stores under the Haggen and Top Food & Drug name primarily on the I-5
corridor between the Canadian border and the Portland, Oregon
metro area. Haggen is currently headquartered in Bellingham, Washington
and got its start there in 1933 when Ben Haggen, Dorothy Haggen, and Doug Clark opened the first store on Bay Street in Bellingham. Currently Don and Rick Haggen, the sons of Ben and Dorothy, own and run the company.
. The Store was first called the Economy Food Store. Business did well enough that they moved to a larger location downtown at the corner of Railroad and Magnolia Streets and renamed it The White House Grocery. An in-store bakery was opened in 1941 and proved to be very popular. By 1947, the store was ready to expand again. The Haggens closed the White House and built the Town and Country Shopping center on Meridian Street between West Illinois and Maryland streets with Haggen's Thriftway, the store's third name, as the anchor tenant. This store still operates today.
Several years later, they would change the company's name to Haggen Inc. once and for all. The store continued to prosper and by the 1960s, Haggen's was ready to expand beyond Bellingham. A store was opened in Everett, Washington
in 1962 and a 20000 square feet (1,858.1 m²) store in Lynnwood, Washington
in 1968. Two more stores would be opened in Lynnwood in 1971 from the acquired Grocery Boy chain. Expansion for the company would be slow because, unlike other grocery stores who expanded through acquisition, Haggen mostly built stores from the ground up. In 1979, the flagship store in Bellingham was expanded to over 40000 square feet (3,716.1 m²), creating the chain's first superstore format with full-service departments which it still uses today.
In 1982, the TOP Foods division was created by converting existing stores in Snohomish, Washington
and Wenatchee to the superstore format. This proved to be a huge success and the Top Brand was expanded greatly throughout the Puget Sound Region but avoiding Seattle because QFC
, upscale Larry's Markets, Albertsons, and Safeway
saturated the metropolitan area. In 1995, they expanded to Portland, Oregon
opening stores under the Haggen moniker. Currently, opening of new stores has been put on hold in favor of remodeling and updating existing stores.
Haggen became the first grocery store in US with an in-store Starbucks
coffee store in 1989. On September 28, 2009 Jim Donald, former CEO of Starbucks Coffee Company was named CEO.
It was announced in January 2010 that all Haggen stores in Bellingham would no longer be open 24 hours with the exception of its Barkley Village store. The low amount of traffic was said to be the decision to change the store's hours so that the company overall could be more efficient. This decision has caused mixed response. It also happened to all Top Food & Drug stores, except those in Olympia, Washington
, Woodinville, Washington
and Snohomish, Washington
.
Haggen, Inc. announced on February 17, 2011 that brothers and co-chairmen Don and Rick Haggen had sold a controlling shareholder interest to The Comvest Group. The announcement indicated Don, Rick and other unnamed Haggen family members would maintain a minority stake in the 78-year-old grocery empire. As a part of the new ownership it was announced that president and CEO Jim Donald would immediately step down, with The Comvest Group's C.J. "Gabe" Gabriel taking over as president and CEO.
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
. Haggen operates over thirty stores under the Haggen and Top Food & Drug name primarily on the I-5
Interstate 5 in Washington
Interstate 5 in Washington is a highway in the U.S. state of Washington that extends from its border with Oregon to its border with Canada...
corridor between the Canadian border and the Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
metro area. Haggen is currently headquartered in Bellingham, Washington
Bellingham, Washington
Bellingham is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Whatcom County in the U.S. state of Washington. It is the twelfth-largest city in the state. Situated on Bellingham Bay, Bellingham is protected by Lummi Island, Portage Island, and the Lummi Peninsula, and opens onto the Strait of Georgia...
and got its start there in 1933 when Ben Haggen, Dorothy Haggen, and Doug Clark opened the first store on Bay Street in Bellingham. Currently Don and Rick Haggen, the sons of Ben and Dorothy, own and run the company.
History
Haggen, Inc. began in 1933 in the midst of the great depression by Benett and Dorothy Haggen, along with Dorothy's brother, Doug Clark in downtown Bellingham, WashingtonBellingham, Washington
Bellingham is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Whatcom County in the U.S. state of Washington. It is the twelfth-largest city in the state. Situated on Bellingham Bay, Bellingham is protected by Lummi Island, Portage Island, and the Lummi Peninsula, and opens onto the Strait of Georgia...
. The Store was first called the Economy Food Store. Business did well enough that they moved to a larger location downtown at the corner of Railroad and Magnolia Streets and renamed it The White House Grocery. An in-store bakery was opened in 1941 and proved to be very popular. By 1947, the store was ready to expand again. The Haggens closed the White House and built the Town and Country Shopping center on Meridian Street between West Illinois and Maryland streets with Haggen's Thriftway, the store's third name, as the anchor tenant. This store still operates today.
Several years later, they would change the company's name to Haggen Inc. once and for all. The store continued to prosper and by the 1960s, Haggen's was ready to expand beyond Bellingham. A store was opened in Everett, Washington
Everett, Washington
Everett is the county seat of and the largest city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. Named for Everett Colby, son of founder Charles L. Colby, it lies north of Seattle. The city had a total population of 103,019 at the 2010 census, making it the 6th largest in the state and...
in 1962 and a 20000 square feet (1,858.1 m²) store in Lynnwood, Washington
Lynnwood, Washington
Lynnwood is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. The population was 35,836 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth largest in Snohomish County and twenty-ninth largest in Washington State. The city is a mix of urban, suburban, small city, crossroads and bedroom community to many...
in 1968. Two more stores would be opened in Lynnwood in 1971 from the acquired Grocery Boy chain. Expansion for the company would be slow because, unlike other grocery stores who expanded through acquisition, Haggen mostly built stores from the ground up. In 1979, the flagship store in Bellingham was expanded to over 40000 square feet (3,716.1 m²), creating the chain's first superstore format with full-service departments which it still uses today.
In 1982, the TOP Foods division was created by converting existing stores in Snohomish, Washington
Snohomish, Washington
Snohomish is a city in Snohomish County founded by the british, Washington, United States. The population was 9,098 at the 2010 census. The mayor of Snohomish is Karen Guzak, and the City Manager is Larry Bauman...
and Wenatchee to the superstore format. This proved to be a huge success and the Top Brand was expanded greatly throughout the Puget Sound Region but avoiding Seattle because QFC
QFC
Quality Food Centers is a supermarket chain based in Bellevue, Washington, with over 75 stores in the Puget Sound region of Washington state and in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area.-History:...
, upscale Larry's Markets, Albertsons, and Safeway
Safeway Inc.
Safeway Inc. , a Fortune 500 company, is North America's second largest supermarket chain after The Kroger Co., with, as of December 2010, 1,694 stores located throughout the western and central United States and western Canada. It also operates some stores in the Mid-Atlantic region of the Eastern...
saturated the metropolitan area. In 1995, they expanded to Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
opening stores under the Haggen moniker. Currently, opening of new stores has been put on hold in favor of remodeling and updating existing stores.
Haggen became the first grocery store in US with an in-store Starbucks
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
coffee store in 1989. On September 28, 2009 Jim Donald, former CEO of Starbucks Coffee Company was named CEO.
It was announced in January 2010 that all Haggen stores in Bellingham would no longer be open 24 hours with the exception of its Barkley Village store. The low amount of traffic was said to be the decision to change the store's hours so that the company overall could be more efficient. This decision has caused mixed response. It also happened to all Top Food & Drug stores, except those in Olympia, Washington
Olympia, Washington
Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat of Thurston County. It was incorporated on January 28, 1859. The population was 46,478 at the 2010 census...
, Woodinville, Washington
Woodinville, Washington
Woodinville is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 10,938 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Seattle metropolitan area. There is also a much larger population with Woodinville mailing addresses in adjacent unincorporated areas of King and Snohomish counties...
and Snohomish, Washington
Snohomish, Washington
Snohomish is a city in Snohomish County founded by the british, Washington, United States. The population was 9,098 at the 2010 census. The mayor of Snohomish is Karen Guzak, and the City Manager is Larry Bauman...
.
Haggen, Inc. announced on February 17, 2011 that brothers and co-chairmen Don and Rick Haggen had sold a controlling shareholder interest to The Comvest Group. The announcement indicated Don, Rick and other unnamed Haggen family members would maintain a minority stake in the 78-year-old grocery empire. As a part of the new ownership it was announced that president and CEO Jim Donald would immediately step down, with The Comvest Group's C.J. "Gabe" Gabriel taking over as president and CEO.