Sprouts Closing Three Austin Stores

PHOENIX — Sprouts Farmers Market announced today that it is closing three of the six stores it currently operates in Austin, Texas.

"Three stores — Rollingwood, Sunset Valley and Anderson Lane — will be closing no later than December 18," Kim Rockleigh, spokesperson for the chain, told SN in an email.

"Austin is a great market for Sprouts and our locations in South Lamar, Great Hills and Round Rock will remain open for a long time to come," she continued.

Sprouts announced the closings earlier in the day in a two-part tweet to its followers on Twitter. In the announcement, it stated that employees of the three stores that are closing would be assigned to other stores.

The development comes as something of a surprise for the 101-unit, four state chain, which has been opening units in new markets stretching from northern California to Fort Worth, Texas, and is fresh from a recapitalization following its merger with Henry's Farmers Market this spring.