Sprouts Farmers Market has reached 500 stores, opening its milestone location in The Woodlands, Texas, on Sept. 12 as part of a four-store wave that also includes Sewell, New Jersey, and upcoming openings this Friday in Carson, California, and Mesa, Arizona.
The 500th store – at 4775 W. Panther Creek Dr. – caps a rapid climb for the Phoenix, Arizona-based specialty grocer, which stood at 483 locations at the end of March and has said it plans at least 40 openings this year, nearly all within its existing 25-state footprint, backed by a pipeline of nearly 150 approved sites.
“Reaching 500 stores is an incredible milestone for Sprouts, and one that reflects the passion of our thousands of team members, the loyalty of customers and the strong relationships we’ve built in the communities we serve,” said Nick Konat, president and COO of Sprouts. “From our first store to our 500th, our mission has remained the same: helping people live and eat better and we’re excited to continue bringing Sprouts’ fresh, better-for-you assortment to even more communities in the years ahead.”
Opened Sept. 12: The Woodlands and Sewell
The Woodlands store sources local produce from farmers including J&B Farms and Little Bear Produce, with Food Rescue donations going to the Houston Food Bank.
The Sewell store, at 280 Egg Harbor Rd., works with regional farmers including Eastern Fresh Growers, Flaim Farms, Nardelli Bros. Inc. – Lake View Farms and Sunny Valley International – The Jersey Fruit Company, with Food Rescue donations supporting Philabundance and the Food Bank of South Jersey.
Opening Sept. 18: Carson and Mesa
The Carson store, at 619 E. University Drive, will source from Family Tree Farms and Five Crowns Farming and donate through Food Rescue to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. State Sen. Laura Richardson welcomed the store as a partnership bringing “nutritional options, value, and economic growth” to the community.
The Mesa store, at 5131 S. Ellsworth Rd., brings the grocer’s hometown-state count higher with local partners Blue Sky Organic Farms and Duncan Family Farms and Food Rescue donations to United Food Bank.
Grand opening festivities
Each store holds a ribbon-cutting at 6:45 a.m. on opening day, with doors opening at 7 a.m. and grand opening weekends running through Sunday. The first 200 shoppers on the first two days receive a free reusable tote, and the first 400 guests on opening day receive a free long stem rose courtesy of Falcon Farms Floral. Shoppers who sign up for Sprouts Rewards can receive 20 percent off one purchase during their store’s opening weekend, and all four locations will be open daily from 7 a.m.-10 p.m.
Like all Sprouts locations, the new stores feature fresh produce at the heart of the store, proteins including No Antibiotics Ever chicken and grass-fed beef, a deli with build-your-own sandwiches starting at $4.99, daily fresh-rolled sushi with $5 Wednesday specials, more than 7,000 vitamins and supplements, and a bulk department with hundreds of bins and barrels.
Sprouts Farmers Market operates more than 500 stores in 25 states with approximately 36,000 team members.