New DC supporting Sprouts’ Southeast expansion

A newly reopened temperature-controlled warehouse near Atlanta is supporting Sprouts Farmers Market as it expands through the Southeast, its operator said this week.

The 260,000-square-foot facility in East Point, Ga., began serving area Sprouts stores Dec. 7, a company spokeswoman told SN. The former Kroger warehouse was acquired last year by Americold, which operates the facility.

Bradley Lukow (left), Sprouts’ CFO, said in December that the facility would allow Sprouts to offer fresher product in Southeast stores by “an extra couple of days. That’s a net win for our stores and our customers.”

Sprouts previously was hauling some fresh items to Southeast stores from its Dallas facility. The Phoenix-based retailer plans further expansion in the Southeast this year including its first stores in North Carolina and Florida.

“The opening of our East Point site allows us to support Sprouts and other food retailers that are rapidly expanding throughout the Southeast. We’re very happy to bring new jobs and career opportunities to our hometown Atlanta community,” Fred Boehler, president and CEO of Atlanta-based Americold, said in a statement. “Americold is thrilled to be able to work with Sprouts as an anchor tenant in this facility and provide the additional, dedicated capacity needed as they continue to expand their healthy grocery operations from coast to coast.”

The East Point site offers two temperature zones at 34 and 55 degrees — ideal for the Sprouts’ fresh produce warehousing needs, Americold said.