Dive Brief:
- Sprouts Farmers Market announced plans to add 10 stores in the first quarter of 2015.
- The grocer said two of its new locations will be in Alabama — bringing Spouts to a total of 11 states.
- The news comes as Sprouts continues a remarkably fast expansion. The company, which went public just a year ago, has opened more than a dozen stores so far in 2014 and plans to open several more before the end of the year.
Dive Insight:
The number of organic-focused, produce-centric grocers in America seems to double every few months. as the appetite of more affluent consumers for healthier food just keeps growing. And Spouts, like Whole Foods, The Fresh Market, and newer rivals such as Fresh Thyme Farmers Market, are the beneficiaries.
But there is a limit to how much healthy food can be sold in any given market. And in some places, like Dallas, for example, where both Sprouts and Whole Foods opened new stores last week, the high-end grocers are pushing the envelope.