The Coast News Group
Gelson’s Markets purchases the site of the former Haggen’s store on El Camino Real, pictured, in Carlsbad. Smart and Final, LLC, bought the other Haggen’s store on Carlsbad Village Drive. File photo
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Sites of former Haggen’s stores in Carlsbad sold

REGION —Haggen Inc. announced the sale of two Carlsbad locations after receiving confirmation from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware, according to a press release issued on Nov. 13.

Gelson’s Markets purchased eight of Haggen’s stores for about $36 million, including the Carlsbad location on El Camino Real. In addition to the Carlsbad store, Gelson’s also bought locations in Del Mar and La Jolla.

Smart and Final, LLC, meanwhile, bought 28 stores including the location on Carlsbad Village Drive.

According to the press release, completion of the deals remains “subject to certain conditions,” although those stipulations were not disclosed.

Haggen also announced it accepted bids for certain non-core stores as a total of 55 locations were sold for more than $47 million. The company will submit the bids for approval from the bankruptcy court on Nov. 24.

They include three stores in Arizona, four in Nevada, five in Oregon, 13 in Washington and 30 in California.

Of the 30 in California, the sale of the San Marcos location on Rancho Santa Fe Drive is pending to Carnival Supermarket Inc.

Haggen purchased 146 Albertsons and Safeway stores earlier this year.

The stores were up for sale because Federal Trade Commission ordered them to be sold as part of the merger between the two grocery giants.

According to analysts, the buyout could have cost Haggen $1.4 billion for the 146 Albertsons, Vons, Pavilions and Safeway grocery stores.

Previous to that buyout, Haggen operated 18 stores in Oregon and Washington.

The grocery chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection earlier this month.

The chain will now focus around 37 stores in the northwest.