An open letter to Haggen’s Food & Pharmacy

An open letter to Haggen’s Food & Pharmacy:

We’ve been through a lot together, Haggen’s— but I’m leaving you. This time for good. Don’t try to follow me.

You still pretend to be a local store, but you’re really just Albertsons with a green logo now. I know the grocery business is cut-throat, but the noncompete nonsense keeping that Birchwood location dark is criminal. For-profit food deserts are not OK, especially now.

I’m changing my pharmacy to the no-name place run by friendly immigrants down the street. I’ll get my produce from the Co-op (real community), my meat from Carne (humane) and my Pop Tarts from WinCo (solid employment practices). You’re odd out.

Not that Albertson’s Inc. is going to fold because I’m not shopping with you anymore. But you might check my numbers. I’ve been buying wild in your stores for 20 years even though I knew it was wrong. Casual overpricing is one thing; exploitive neighborhood freeze-out is another.

Tell Joe Albertson that if he lifts his hex off Birchwood I’ll come back. Meanwhile, I gotta go break up with WECU now.

Farewell.

Jeff Braimes, Bellingham