First Carrollwood, then South Tampa and now Palm Harbor. Sprouts Farmers Markets are sprouting up all over the Tampa Bay area — and the nation. The Phoenix-based supermarket chain opened 21 new stores across the country in the first half of 2017, and it plans to launch 11 more before year's end.
Back in February, the specialty Sprouts, which bills itself as "a healthy grocery store offering fresh, natural and organic foods at great prices," debuted its first Florida location to Tampa's Carrollwood neighborhood. Five months later, the store is packed with Saturday afternoon shoppers, most buying produce.
Occupying more than a quarter of the store, the produce department is disproportionately large. Apples, peaches and oranges are stacked high on flats. Leafy greens cover the back wall. Everything your 'rents wanted you to eat is right here in vibrant shades of red, orange, yellow and green. The colorful display reminds one of a farmers' market, despite the substitution of cardboard store displays for wooden crates.
The rest of the goods wrap around the simulated store. Like Publix, there's a beer and wine section, bakery, deli, dairy case, frozen foods, beauty products, vitamins, and a meat and seafood counter. Sprouts' bakery and dairy case contain an unusually large amount of vegan, gluten-free, lactose-free and sugar-free products.
The meat counter, aka the Butcher Shop, grinds fresh sausage in-house daily and is known for providing custom cuts. If customers are looking for something special, all they have to do is ask.
Nearby, a sushi chef outside the Fish Market offers free samples, which are surprisingly good for supermarket sushi. Sushi is one of several prepared foods available in the deli, which also features a salad bar alongside meatloaf, pot roast, curry, Italian and grilled salmon dinners. Another cabinet houses warm roasted chickens and side dishes, while popular made-to-order and signature sandwiches, ranging in price from $3.99 to $5.99, round out the offerings.
And bulk foods? The store has 'em on lock, showcasing more than 300 varieties of grains, nuts and granola in large quantities.
In the event that a Sprouts-fueled diet doesn't provide all the nutrients you need, every store has a vitamin department, plus a healthy and body care section with various specialty bath and hair products.
"It's not just what goes in your body," said Sprouts' Erin Miller. "It's about what goes on your body as well."
In Palm Harbor, locals will now find the chain's newest Tampa Bay location, which is also the largest locally. And it shows.
During Tuesday evening's preview event, ahead of the official grand opening on Wednesday, it seemed like there was a little bit more of everything — even with the store fairly crowded. Though Carrollwood's GF section occupies half an aisle, Palm Harbor stocks a full aisle of the goodies. The latest outpost's deli section also had a few more ready-made meals. And the bakery even looked a bit bigger.
An overabundance of employees walked the store throughout the sneak peek, handing out free samples. Customers were able to try eats like cold cuts, honey-roasted pecans, dark chocolate-covered almonds, sushi, grilled amberjack, kombucha and chocolate chip cookies.
Midway through the evening, Sprouts hosted a cooking demo, which the stores do every month or so, with Abigail Dougherty, RDN. Dougherty taught a crowd of about 40 how to make health-conscious desserts. Shoppers watched her make banana and strawberry "nice-cream," gluten-free peanut butter cookies and an organic vegan boxed cake, and afterward, they were able to taste each sweet.
After shopping at both the Palm Harbor and Carrollwood stores, Sprouts' commitment to organic, fresh, earth-friendly goods is clear. But how do they compare to others in the market? How great are their prices?
Some grocery giants have gone to great lengths to expand their stockpiles of affordable organic products over the years, too. In the late 1990s, Publix introduced the private GreenWise label, and the supermarket continues to grow the selection. Whole Foods started the 365 Organic Everyday Value brand in 2002 to reduce consumer costs. Aldi brought the SimplyNature brand into select stores in 2014, and then further expanded its organic foods assortment in 2016. And last year, Walmart launched Great Value Organic, adding purple shelf tags to make the items easier to find.
To compare Sprouts to its competition, this CL writer conducted a small price comparison experiment. I made a grocery list of 10 things that're generally considered "healthy," and then calculated their prices at six locations: Whole Foods, The Fresh Market, Publix, Walmart, Aldi and Sprouts Carrollwood.
I hunted down the cheapest brand for each item on the list, like any bargain shopper would, taking advantage of any sales sans coupons. But when it comes to affordability, Sprouts is average.
The grocer's prices were similar to those found at Whole Foods and Publix. Walmart was a little cheaper, but not by much. The real leader for customers looking for affordable organic grub is Aldi, whose motto should be "anything you can do, we can do cheaper."
Anyhow, who's pulling for a Sprouts in St. Petersburg next?
