Haggen Food & Pharmacy

Great produce and the meat is reasonable pricing however everything else there is much more costly than any other grocery store around. It’s like shopping at Gelsons. They need to get a clue this is not Beverly Hiils.

Staff is amazing but one of them is not and She Hates the Recycle Machines and wants them gone. She was so Lazy she didn’t empty the can’s and bottles for recycle. She also states that they can not take Recycle in your bag. But sometimes you don’t have a bad. She is a bookkeeper I am told and is not good at her job at all. Denise, Kimberly, Dylan, Ryan, and everyone that is great. Prices are bit high could be lower. Keep up outstanding customer service.

Ive gone to a couple Haggan locations, downside is different locations have different prices for the same products. Also some of their stuff is a little too expensive in my opinion in comparison to other grocery stores. I keep going back though because they have cashew chicken salad that i LOVE lol

Took over a Vons, changed almost nothing, the changes they made were negative and then they raised prices… Haggen blows

Yesterday was the first time I had been in a Haggen’s. I remember when it was an Albertson’s. Reading the other reviews I want to say, most of the prices are higher, a few lower… yet it is a tourist town usually equals higher prices. Lots of small towns offer locals discounts. Maybe they should consider it.
The organic section was bigger than found in other chain grocery stores. The store was clean, easy to navigate, and the employees were friendly.
Great plant selection. The Starbucks inside was convenient. The employee was nice and helpful. AND it was the first time I was able to use my gift card on my phone without a hassle. Even though he was unable to scan it, typing in the numbers worked.

This store took over the former Albertson’s with a promise of more organic food choices and an expanded deli/​fresh food section. While the deli might be marginally better, the store is basically the same otherwise with significantly higher prices — I’d say 25% more on average, but as much as 150% on some items. To compound that, the employees seem to be a little surly and not as helpful, and some common items that I have needed were mysteriously out of stock.
These things may not matter as much to tourists and day trippers, but the local residents that I have talked to are pretty unhappy with this store and many have taken their business elsewhere. That appears to be reflected in the traffic they are getting, which is on the thin side, and the increased traffic at Ralph’s up the road.
Maybe their motto should be «Albertsons quality at Gelson’s prices.»

Awesome! Great looking store, nice and friendly staff and most of all the deli was fantastic. Went in and picked up some sandwiches fir my employees and everything was great. The Egg salad was awesome, the ham was delicious and the chicken salad sandwich was one of the best of ever had.

$$$$$$ «HATE’EM»: That’s what my husband calls «Haggen»; deservedly so.
This place makes me laugh every time I go in and look at the prices. It was Albertson’s before Haggen bought it and was Alpha Beta before it was Albertson’s; and because it is the largest, most convenient location to my house, I have shopped here since 1997. As have most of my neighbors in the south and middle of Laguna Beach. Until now.
The prices, once Hate’Em…errr…sorry, Haggen, took over, shot up astronomically, and anyone who paid attention noticed. The first couple of weeks, I would take photos of prices and send them to my husband for a laugh. I even mentioned to an employee how outrageous the prices, for the same product and at that time, probably even the same STOCK from Albertsons, were; and I pointed to the Yoplait plus other name brand items, quoting far lower prices from Ralph’s, as I’d just been there; the employee acknowledged Hate’em’s extreme pricing, claiming there was a «glitch in the system» causing prices to be increased, in error. He assured me that prices would be dropping. He was mistaken. (Since this discussion with him, I’ve chatted with a higher-​up at Ralph’s who told me that she knows that Haggen is struggling and noted that they are having a huge problem with what she termed, «shrinkage». I had to Google that term later and then, understood why the tomatoes in Hate’Em are mushy and the celery, rubbery. I will never buy «fresh» produce from this store and I recommend that people check expiration dates on other items.)
While Albertson’s used to be packed with people, even mid-​day Tuesdays, this store echoes with the sound of empty. I dropped in on July 4^th (advertised sale items are the only reason I go in these days) and could not believe how dead the place was. I parked easily in the front and went inside to find, maybe, 15 people. There are more employees at this silly store than there are shoppers. The employees are bored and borderline rude, often chatting with each other while checking out the customers.
So, Hate’Em Haggen, what exactly is it that you believe you bring to your shoppers that you deserve nearly $ 7 for Blue Bunny Ice Cream which sells at WalMart for $ 3.49? The employees are badly trained, the store looks the same, the products are the same (and if you try introducing more organic, gluten free, sugar free products, you are only going to run off what remains of your average consumer, who is NOT vegan or vegetarian or interested in exotic grain pasta); and despite being the only big store in south-​mid LB, people have left you.
Get a clue: It’s not about you. It’s about us. Find out who we are and what we want. Or you will be trying to sell off all the stores you just purchased in SoCal, with crazy dollar signs in your eyes. Sorry to disappoint, but we aren’t a town of rich, gullible fools.

The prices of this supermarket that’s been taking over south county are really not consumer-​friendly. There’s no rewards card + the employees seem discontent with the change, even remarking how their hours have been cut. This makes me sad to see since I know all of my local checkers. Seems to me Haggen has become too big for its britches.

Brandon in the deli gets 5-​stars for awesome cheese plates. (He’s a relic from Albertson’s). Better cheese plate than you can even get at Gelson’s. That said, while the store looks and feels more modern and «nicer», everything (except the cheese plate), is way worse.
Appealing, clean design, but total crap quality.
The bagels were displayed on modern rungs — so we’ll-presented I had to get one. Worst bagel on the planet. Seriously, I’m not even Jewish or a New Yorker and I couldn’t eat it. (I hope, ‘Haagen isn’t Jewish because if it is, that’s just embarrassing).
I went in again (everyone has a bad day, right?), and the white cherries I picked up to buy were molding. ALL of them in the entire bin. And the meat on «sale»? It was grey and belonged in the dumpster.
Why ever shop here when one could shop at Whole Foods or Gelson’s, a few blocks away — where the produce looks like its art directed by Martha Stewart herself, and shopping is a visually pleasing, easy experience with the highest quality.
Sad to say Haagen’s is a huge flop.

I love Haggen’s over Albertsons. They offer better produce w/​more organic options. A lot of the food choices are clean. It is cheaper than Whole Foods.

Haggen, I really wanted to like you and I was excited to have a higher end market so close to me so I didn’t have to drive to Gelsons anymore for good service and quality. Now I am missing Albertsons! I used to shop at Albertsons for basic items and I actually preferred some of their bakery items over Gelsons (i.e. kaiser rolls and hot french bread). The employees were always very friendly and accommodating. Tonight I went to Haggen only to wind up with stale kaiser rolls for our hamburgers and too many items too close to their expiration date. I think everyone is going elsewhere due to the unreasonable high prices, and everything is just sitting on the shelves going bad. Parking lot was not full, and store was practically empty right around dinner time. My husband bought a container of premium yellow tomatoes from Haggen yesterday only to find they were all moldy in the center of the container. I returned them today and found that about 50% of the same tomato packages still on the shelves had visible mold growing in them. I spoke with the manager and although she was apologetic, her main response was kind of an eye roll with «It’s always something!!!». I’m done– Happy to pay the similar prices at Gelsons for the fresh food and service I expect!!! I know it’s mostly the same staff from Albertsons at Haggen now and they are still wonderful — This is an upper management problem and not their fault. Lower your prices please, Haggen, or up your quality to a Gelsons level and don’t have stale and moldy and expiring food on your shelves!

I don’t know why there are such bad reviews. It is true they took over many of the Albertsons locations in Southern California but that is because that was part of the deal with the Safeway merger.
I can only imagine the expense to do a full 150 store grocery chain make over
I did notice they have lots of organic foods and non ad foods at high costs BUT their Advertised products are awesome!
$ 1.99 for a 24 pack or water! That is so much lower than anywhere
$ 1.99 for a pound of freshly ground ⁸⁰⁄₂₀ beef! Super cheap
$ 84.59 for a bottle of Insignia where the lowest price in the country is $ 149.99!
If you shop via advertised prices mixed with Trader Joes and others then Haggen is a great place to add to the marketing list
I welcome Haggen. It adds to more competition and lowering of prices for the consumer

The other reviewers nailed this. They took over a good Albertson’s, did a very minor makeover, added some additional organic produce, and jacked up all the prices. The parking lot used to be crowded and you had to wait for the checkout line when it was Albertson’s, but now there is no waiting! I will only go here for emergency small items. If you want organic vegetables, go to the Laguna Beach Farmer’s Market Saturday mornings and Costco for everything else. They won’t last long with these really expensive prices. I guess the owners from Seattle looked at demographic data and thought everyone in Laguna Beach is rich and will suck up the higher prices, but they won’t. Good luck to them.

This new chain is attempting to be a Everyday Low Price Leader? The prices are outrageous! I contacted the company for comment. They replied: We had a «Pricing Error» and we are working on correcting the prices.
Good luck, Haggen. I don’t see them lasting in Southern California or Nevada. You cannot come into a new market with high prices and then say oops, we made a mistake.
The investment firm that owns Haggen, Comvest is simply looking to grow the chain and dump it.

Just went to this store for the first and last time. I was treated with such disrespect and felt so belittled. I was in the alcohol section looking at the prices to just check it out. A employee walks by and tells me I am not old enough to be there. I then told him that I was turning 22 this year. He then proceeded to scoff at me and felt the need to explain to me that I couldn’t be older then 16 whist being so unnecessarily rude in the process. I was so taken back… My friend and I put all our stuff back and left. Worst customer service ever. I have been 21 for 7 months now and I know I look young but I didn’t deserve that bad attitude. Stay away from here not worth your time.