3 Sprouts Set to Bloom, Including 1st New Jersey Store

Sprouts Farmers Markets is scheduled to open three new stores this week, including its first unit in New Jersey.

All three locations—in Mesa, Ariz., San Jose, Calif., and Marlton, N.J.—are scheduled to open the morning of June 5.

Marlton is a wealthy suburb of Philadelphia, where Sprouts made its Northeast debut last fall. According to Brixmor Property Group, which owns the Marlton Crossing shopping center where the store is located, the average household income within a 3-mile radius of the store is more than $122,000.

Twenty years ago, Marlton was one of the first New Jersey destinations for Trader Joe’s when that retail brand entered New Jersey for the first time. The new Sprouts is located just opposite of that Trader Joe’s unit.

Dan Croce, SVP of Sprouts’ East division and a former president of Albertsons’ Philadelphia-based Acme brand, said in an email interview with WGB that he was confident that Sprouts’ offering emphasizing “healthy living for less” would resonate in the Northeast.

“What’s exciting about bringing Sprouts to new communities across the country is we’re able to educate our customers that healthy living doesn’t need to be expensive and there are more choices than just the big brand names they’re used to,” he said. “Customers tell us at every opening they’ve never seen anything like what we have to offer and they’re always surprised at how open and easy our stores are to shop. For those that are new to healthy living, our friendly, knowledgeable team members are here to help.”

The Marlton store is 33,000 square feet and was built in a portion of a Burlington department store in the shopping center. In addition to Trader Joe’s, nearby competitors include a ShopRite operated by Ravitz Family Markets and a Whole Foods Market.

In San Jose, Sprouts is arriving at the site of a former Safeway store that never reopened after its roof collapsed in a 2014 storm, reports said. The Mesa store is a new build. Sprouts operates several store in both cities already. Phoenix-based Sprouts is seeking to open 30 new stores this year.