Sprouts Debuts Urban Format in Florida: EXCLUSIVE

For its 25th location in the Sunshine State, Sprouts Farmers Market went urban.

One of the fastest-growing grocery retailers in the country opened its latest store in Tampa Heights, Fla., on Oct. 27. The 24,000-square-foot store at 101 North 7th Avenue features a new layout for the retailer, with fresh produce still at the center of the store but with new stations for baked goods, a streamlined bulk foods department and an expanded plant-based assortment.

Enhancements also include all-new signage and décor featuring Sprouts’ new branding, an expanded frozen department offering easy, innovative meal solutions and foodservice with more than 130 additional new items, including convenient plant-based meals and meat alternatives.

The store is located just a few hundred feet from Tampa’s downtown core, near hundreds of new apartments, and offers garage parking.

In August, Sprouts said it would delay opening some stores this year due to supply chain challenges, as the natural foods grocer also reported flat two-year same-store sales. But the grocery chain plans to open at least six new locations in Florida this year.

During the second quarter ended July 4, Sprouts was still lapping its pandemic gains from 2020, and had net sales of $1.5 billion, a 7% decrease from the same period in 2020 and a 7% increase from the same period in 2019. Same-store sales growth was -10.0% and two-year comparable store sales growth was -0.6%. Net income was $61 million compared to net income of $67 million and adjusted net income of $70 million in the same period in 2020, and compared to net income of $35 million from the same period in 2019.

Earlier this month the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation pledged $3 million in grants to 115 nonprofit organizations to improve school garden learning and nutrition education. Since its inception in 2015, the foundation has granted $15 million to more than 300 nonprofit partners that have brought hands-on, garden-based learning to 1.5 million children and provided nutrition education programs to an estimated 900,000 K-12 students. Sprouts covers all of the foundation’s operational expenses, ensuring that every dollar raised goes directly to programming.

“Sprouts is committed to strengthening local food systems by providing our communities with access to fresh, nutritious food, and empowering children with the knowledge and resources to live a healthier life,” said Sprouts CEO Jack Sinclair. “Our foundation’s work with local partners in this effort is just one of the many ways Sprouts is growing goodness in our communities.”

Phoenix-based Sprouts Farmers Market, which employs more than 35,000 associates at 360-plus stores in 23 states, is No. 48 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2021 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.