Haggen’s New Concept Store Will be First Stage of Rebranding Effort

Haggen, Inc. plans to open a new concept store in Bellevue November 16, as the first step in a company-wide rebranding effort that seeks to introduce the Haggen philosophy of “Northwest Fresh” it has cultivated in Bellingham -- with a core focus on the brand pillars of homemade, delight and community -- to its other stores throughout the region.

Haggen is the largest independent grocer in the Northwest with 28 stores in Washington and Oregon. The Crossroads location represents the first in what will be a three-year roll-out of a complete redesign and rebrand of its products, services and shopping experiences.

“We have always been a family-run company proud of our Northwest heritage,” explained Rick Haggen, son of founders Ben and Dorothy Haggen. “For 80 years, we have made it our mission to provide the very best the Northwest has to offer, including the finest quality products, fair prices, personal customer service and a flair for doing it different. We’ve always felt Bellingham epitomizes the Northwest experience, and it is our intention to export that to the rest of the region.”

Some of the highlights of the changes taking place at the Bellevue Haggen include:

• Convenience store feature inside the front door where customers can easily get their must-have items such as milk, eggs and coffee without having to walk through the entire building
• Bellingham-centric “store within the store” specialty shops including: Lummi Fish Market, Chuckanut Deli and Mt. Baker Bakery
• New “Haggen’s Original” private label brands featuring the finest ingredients
• Fish & Chips bar (with choice of sweet potato or regular French fries)

While these kinds of changes are often associated with high-priced grocery outlets, Haggen is committed to competitive pricing, and has developed technology that will guarantee competitiveness with larger corporate grocery outlets on key products.

“We are dedicated to being the eastside’s hometown market, providing high quality and excellent value on a wide variety of products,” explained C.J. Gabriel, Jr. (Gabe), president and CEO of Haggen. “Part of Haggen’s ‘Northwest Fresh’ philosophy is about being a good neighbor which means we remain committed to giving our customers a good deal without compromising quality.”

The store is open during construction but will closed for one day, on November 15, in order to complete the final build out and design finishes. The new store will open November 16, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in the morning. Grand Opening festivities will continue through November 19. Some of the activities over the four-day celebration include contests and giveaways, live cooking demos and a fill the Mayflower foodbank drive, to name a few.

The new store will also have its own web page: www.haggen.com/bellevue for exclusive online coupons and offers, including an opportunity for shoppers to win gift cards in the amounts of between $25 - $500.

Bellingham, Wash.-based Haggen, Inc. operates 28 supermarkets in Washington and Oregon under the Haggen Food & Pharmacy and TOP Food & Drug names.