Sprouts Farmers Market will open its first store in Savannah, Georgia, next year, according to a news release from an Atlanta real estate firm.
The Phoenix, Arizona-based natural and organic grocer has signed a lease at Crossroads Shopping Center, a 92,000-square-foot neighborhood retail center on Savannah’s east side. The store is targeted to open in 2027.
The deal was brokered by The Ardent Companies, which is repositioning the property as part of what it describes as a broader push into high-growth Southeast markets. Ardent will redevelop approximately 28,000 square feet to accommodate Sprouts and an additional retail suite, and will complete exterior renovations throughout the center. Demolition is expected to begin this summer.
“This is a well-located retail asset in one of the Southeast’s fastest-growing markets,” said Scott Werbel, partner at Ardent. “The addition of Sprouts brings a high-quality grocery anchor to the center that aligns with the retail needs of the surrounding area. We see a significant opportunity to reposition the center into a more dynamic neighborhood destination that drives traffic and creates value for the community.”
Strong market potential
The market fundamentals backing the decision are hard to argue with. Retail vacancy in Savannah sits at just 4.4 percent, and the trade area surrounding Crossroads draws from more than 126,994 consumers within a five-mile radius. Chatham County is growing — driven by the Port of Savannah, Savannah College of Art & Design, manufacturing and an expanding entertainment industry — and that growth is translating directly into grocery demand.
“The fundamentals for grocery-anchored retail in Savannah are particularly compelling,” said Jay Douglas, managing director for Ardent. “Consumers are increasingly gravitating toward convenience-driven shopping destinations, and Sprouts brings an exciting new offering to the market. We look forward to revitalizing the property into a shopping center with a dynamic retail mix and an engaging customer experience.”
The sector-level tailwinds are equally strong. According to JLL data cited by Ardent, 54 percent of new grocery store openings in 2025 occurred in the Southeast. Meanwhile, 31 percent of Americans now shop for groceries multiple times per week — a behavioral shift that boosts foot traffic not just for anchor grocers, but for the surrounding tenants who benefit from that cadence.
Crossroads sits at the intersection of East Victory Drive and Truman Parkway, two of Savannah’s major east-side corridors, Ardent noted. The center is already home to Planet Fitness, Starbucks, T-Mobile, UPS and several other tenants.
The Sprouts addition is part of a larger repositioning strategy for Ardent, which has acquired more than $115 million across six ground-up mixed-use and redevelopment projects in the Southeast over the past year. Its current pipeline includes Perimeter Pointe in Atlanta; Westside Bottling in Durham, North Carolina; Liberty Yards in Largo, Florida; and Seminole Towne Center in Sanford, Florida.
Sprouts operates more than 480 stores in 25 states across the U.S.