Local grocery store newcomer Haggen announced Aug. 14 that it will close or sell a swath of stores across the Southwest, including six stores in San Diego County, one of which is in North County.

The Bellingham, Wash.-based chain will shutter 27 stores in Arizona, California and Oregon, according to a company statement. Six stores will close in San Diego, including one in San Marcos at the corner of San Marcos Boulevard and Rancho Santa Fe Road.

Up until this spring, the location had been a Vons since it was built in 1983. Haggen acquired the store as part of a massive expansion in a federal regulatory deal with the merger of Safeway/Vons and Albertsons.

North County stores in Carlsbad and near Del Mar will remain open. The five other San Diego stores set to close are in Chula Vista, El Cajon, La Mesa and San Ysidro, according to a list provided by Haggen.

The stores are expected to close or be sold in 60 days. Haggen did not provide specifics on how jobs will be affected by the closures and sales.

Earlier this year, Haggen expanded from 18 stores in the Northwest to 164, with entry into California, Nevada and Arizona. Popular in its home region for locally sourced products and organic selections, Haggen bills itself as a cross between major grocers such as Vons and health-conscious chains such as Sprouts and Whole Foods.

The decision to shake stores loose now is part of what the company called a “right-sizing strategy” to focus on better-performing stores.

“Haggen’s goal going forward is to ensure a stable, healthy company that will benefit our customers, associates, vendors, creditors, stakeholders as well as the communities we serve,” Bill Shaner, Haggen CEO Pacific Southwest, said in the announcement. “By making the tough choice to close and sell some stores, we will be able to invest in stores that have the potential to thrive under the Haggen banner.”