Sprouts Farmers Market will open in Santa Barbara, California, at 29 South Milpas St. on Wednesday, Sept. 2, at 7 a.m. The new store will expand local access to fresh and healthy groceries, and will be open daily from 7 a.m.- 10 p.m.
To celebrate the new location, every shopper on opening day will receive a free reusable shopping bag with purchase. Local customers also can enter to win a $500 Sprouts gift card by visiting the new store’s page at sprouts.com/santabarbara.
In line with Sprouts’ focus on health, the grocer is closely following CDC and local health authority guidelines related to COVID-19 and regularly providing store team members with the latest safety guidance. In addition to regular food safety and cleaning procedures, Sprouts has invested additional labor hours into stores to allow for more frequent cleaning, paying close attention to high-touch areas such as service counters, restrooms, carts and checkout lanes. Stores also are implementing steps to promote social distancing and have installed plexiglass barriers at registers to add protection for team members and customers.
Sprouts gives back
Sprouts has a long history of fostering goodness and inspiring growth across California. The Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation has partnered with Foodbank of Santa Barbara County since 2017 to support its Kids’ Farmer’s Market and Healthy School Pantry programs, which reduce food insecurity in high-poverty areas of the county. The foundation’s support recently helped the foodbank aid locals amid the pandemic with more than 7.6 million pounds of fresh produce and groceries distributed to 177,000 in-need residents across Santa Barbara.
As part of Sprouts’ commitment to “zero waste,” the Santa Barbara store will donate unsold and edible groceries to Foodbank of Santa Barbara County through the grocer’s Food Rescue program. In 2019, Sprouts stores and distribution centers donated 27 million pounds of product, equivalent to 23 million meals. Food that is not fit for donation is provided to local cattle farms and composting facilities. Sprouts’ evolving “zero waste” initiatives help minimize food waste while reducing the impact of hunger and the company’s environmental footprint.
Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, and one of the fastest growing retailers in the country, Sprouts employs more than 35,000 team members and operates more than 350 stores in 23 states nationwide.
