Haggen buys nine VC super markets,
Santa Paula Vons not involved in deal
Published:  December 26, 2014

Santa Paulans will continue to shop at Vons and then at Albertsons once the acquisition of the former by the latter is finalized, but nine other Ventura County locations will welcome a California grocery newcomer to their area.

Haggen Inc. announced it plans to buy seven Albertsons and two Vons in Ventura County in a deal required under federal review of Vons’ owners Safeway’s sale to the investment group that owns Albertsons.

The Safeway Inc. - the second largest supermarket chain in the nation - sale of Vons stores to Cerberus Capital Management, which owns Albertsons, was announced in March; with the ordered sell-off of some of the stores by regulators and other factors, the initial $9.4 billion has been downgraded to $7.6 billion.

The Washington state-based Haggen Inc. is buying 146 Vons and Albertsons stores in Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada and Arizona. 

According to published reports Haggen will purchase one Albertsons store each in Camarillo, Oxnard, Thousand Oaks, Ventura and Westlake Village. The company will also buy two Albertsons located in Simi Valley and a Newbury Park and Simi Valley Vons. 

Haggen has stated it intends to retain the current store management teams and give other employees the opportunity to become employees when the Vons and Albertson stores are converted.

Although when announced in March the deal was expected to close in the fourth quarter the conversion has been pushed back several months.

Shoppers at the Santa Paula Vons were mostly unaware that Safeway was being sold although several said they had heard their super market - the only major chain market in the city - was on its way to becoming an Albertsons.

Although several Santa Paula Vons shoppers said they already shop Albertsons on occasion, that did not mean all particularly welcome the upcoming change.

“I’d rather have a WinCo or Trader Joe’s,” said Anna Lemer of Santa Paula. 




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