Sprouts Farmers Market opens new Austin store; trumpets Southern California distribution center

Phoenix-based Sprouts Farmers Market on Friday opened its newest grocery store, in the Austin-Mueller neighborhood of Austin, Texas.

The grand opening will be celebrated throughout the weekend with a “pop-up party” in front of the store, offering tastes of seasonal produce, face painting, produce carving, games and more.

The new store will sell locally grown produce from farmers such as Little Bear Produce, South Tex Organics, Trueharvest Farms and others, Sprouts said in a statement.

Sprouts currently operates 50 stores in Texas, including three other locations in Austin.

The grocer, which sells natural and health-focused products at its more than 400 grocery stores in 23 states, is slated to open four stores in November, including two in California, one in Nevada and one in North Carolina. It has previously said it intends to achieve 10% annual unit growth starting in 2024.

In April, Sprouts Farmers Market opened a 337,000-square-foot distribution center in Fullerton, California, designed to support deliveries to more than 95 stores in the region and bolster the addition of future locations.

The facility includes temperature-controlled fruit-ripening rooms and 11 EV charging stations for employees, as well as an EV terminal truck to help with daily yard operations.

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Opening the Fullerton facility is anticipated to reduce transportation-related emissions by shaving 725,000 miles off current delivery routes, Sprouts said.

Sprouts currently operates distribution centers in Aurora, Colorado; Union City, California; Glendale, Arizona; Orlando, Florida; Wilmer, Texas; and East Point, Georgia.

The Fullerton facility employs 190 full-time workers and has expanded Sprouts’ partnerships with local growers, the grocer said.

“We are committed to bringing the freshest, locally sourced produce to market, and the Fullerton distribution center exemplifies this commitment,” Sprouts CEO Jack Sinclair said in a statement. “The facility not only augments our efforts to expand across California and the country, but also strengthens our commitment to environmental sustainability. Equipped with advanced ripening rooms, the new DC ensures optimal conditions for produce storage, providing shoppers perfectly ripe avocados and bananas. Our ability to deliver fresh, high-quality produce at an exceptional value is supported by our network of distribution centers, direct grower relationships and enhanced quality control.”