Sprouts to Open 30 New Stores in 2019

Continuing its rapid coast-to-coast expansion, Sprouts Farmers Market has announced plans to launch approximately 30 new stores next year, with seven scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2019. 

Among those seven stores includes a Lynnwood, Wash., location, marking the health-focused grocer’s second site in Washington state after entering the market in August with its Mill Creek Sprouts store.

Additional locations opening in the first quarter of 2019 include Carlsbad and Fontana, Calif.; Las Vegas; Clearwater and Naples, Fla.; and Sugar Land, Texas.

Phoenix-based Sprouts recently celebrated its 300th store opening with the debut of its Simpsonville, S.C., location. The retailer entered the mid-Atlantic region in early 2018 with two new stores now open in Maryland, as well as its flagship Philadelphia store, which debuted in September. In a recent conference call, CEO Amin Maredia said Sprouts had 50 approved sites and 35 signed leases for the coming years.

Sprouts now operates stores in 19 states with plans to expand to new markets next year, which reportedly include New Jersey, according to a developer working with the retailer.

Touting strict ingredient standards and an assortment of high-quality, natural and fresh offerings in markets that are largely populated by conventional grocers, Sprouts’ newest stores are reaching sales maturity faster than their predecessors, Chief Operations Officer Dan Sanders told WGB at its Philadelphia debut.

Related:Sprouts Putting Down Roots in New Jersey, Plans Show

Sprouts offers fresh produce, meat and seafood from The Butcher Shop and Fish Market, fresh-prepared entrees and sides at the Market Corner Deli, bulk foods, vitamins and supplements, dairy, bakery, body care items and thousands of natural, organic and gluten-free products. The retailer’s private brand also features more than 2,400 items that meet its stringent quality standards at affordable prices.

With a focus on sustainability and social responsibility, Sprouts has also appealed to consumers through its commitment to a “Zero Waste” threshold by 2020, as defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In April, nonprofit organization Manomet awarded 84 Sprouts stores with its Grocery Stewardship Certification in honor of their efforts to reduce their stores’ environmental impact.