Good Food. Good People. Celebrating Sprouts Team Members – November 5, 2020

Store Brands Magazine honored 40 of the industry’s top Rising Stars in Private Label for being talented movers in the Private Label industry. Congratulations to this year’s Rising Star Award winners, Brian Albert, Senior Category Manager, and Tom Lombardo, Category Manager, from our Private Label team! Brian and Albert were both featured in the August 2020 Store Brands Magazine to highlight the incredible things they’re doing for the Sprouts brand!

As Senior Category Manager of our Private Label assortment, Brian Albert is always looking to innovate and improve the offerings of our brand to meet the evolving needs of our customers and position Sprouts as a leading healthy grocer: ”Brian is the true example of a relentless professional who is very organized and truly passionate about the products he works with. He’s a great teammate who works well with others, thinks creatively and always keeps his team top of mind,” said Kim Coffin, Senior Vice President, Non-Perishable.

Brian works closely with Private Label leaders to fully understand the needs of the department. He then develops relationships with manufacturers, making sure to fully understand their capabilities and share the expectations and quality requirements for Sprouts: “I love Sprouts! I’m delighted with the innovation we introduce to our stores. Whether the items are plant-based, organic, gluten-free, or any differentiating trait, our customers often respond with rave reviews,” Brian said.

Brian’s Favorite Sprouts Products:

Tom Lombardo has years of experience in the Private Label industry. He takes the time to research and seek out companies, both large and small, that are capable of producing Private Label items that maintain the highest-quality standards. The partnerships he has created allow Sprouts to continue developing products that address the ever-changing trends in the natural food industry.

“Tom has a passionate interest in innovation and is open to researching any ideas presented to him. Tom is persistent and very detail oriented. His foresight and keen eye for innovation is key in Sprouts brands growth,” said Kim Coffin, Senior Vice President, Non-Perishable.

Tom helped to develop a new packaged line of Sprouts Brand chocolates, candies and nuts. Part of this process was creating and implementing new packaging, new product standards and in-depth pricing assessment: “With national brands, we’re limited to the assortments they create, but with Private Label, we can tweak the taste, texture,  and many other factors to create products that specifically target our customers,” Tom said.

Tom’s Favorite Sprouts Products:

Good Food. Good People. Celebrating Sprouts Team Members! – October 16, 2020

Congratulations to Christopher Gresham, Meat & Seafood Clerk at store #414 – Folsom, CA, for completing the Meat Apprentice Program offered to help our Meat & Seafood Clerks grow in their careers and develop within Sprouts!

“When the Meat Apprentice Program was brought to my attention, I knew it was too great of an opportunity to pass over. This program gave me the chance to gain the hands-on experience I need to grow further in my career,” Chris said.

The 10-week program focuses on the core fundamentals of meat cutting while learning proper safety and maintenance of hand tools and equipment. Participants learn about the different muscles of the animal protein and how to properly display meats behind the glass case at the butcher counter. The program also focuses on the retail operations in our industry and provides the core skills a team member needs to move into a management role.

Chris shared more about his experience during the program: “I partnered with a seasoned meat cutter who trained me on the proper techniques of cutting a variety of meats. The program made me more comfortable with cutting. Because of this great opportunity, I have a better understanding of the vast world of meat. There’s a lot more to learn and with this program under my belt, I feel more confident in learning all that I can!”

Celebrate how you and your fellow team members are helping each other and our customers. Share a photo or video on Instagram or Twitter and tag #TeamSprouts, @Sprouts and #LoveSprouts.

Click here to print a copy of this story to share in store.

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WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Share your stories and photos for future highlights! Send to communications@sprouts.com for a chance to be featured.

 

Good Food. Good People. Celebrating Q2 Regional Clerk Bonus Winners – October 7, 2020

HARD WORK PAYS OFF FOR THESE TOP PERFORMING CLERKS!

Congratulations to the 20 team members who received our Top Regional Clerk Bonus for the second quarter of 2020! These top-performing team members received the bonus for providing exceptional customer service every day, demonstrating teamwork and assisting with on-the-job training for peers.

Roberto Perez, Produce Clerk, store #125 – Austin, TX

“Roberto always makes sure to complete all of his tasks in a timely manner.  His level of commitment to the store and its appearance is outstanding.”

 

Benny Kinder, Produce Clerk, store #620 – Wellington, FL

“Benny is truly a star in our Produce department! He’s always punctual and we can always count on him to put a smile on everyone’s face.”

 

Selena Pittman, In-store Shopping Clerk, store #527 – Tucker, GA

“Selena is always focused on providing great customer service. She’s crossed trained in 6 different departments and she’s always there to lend a helping hand.”

 

Daris Jester, Produce Clerk, store #176 – Overland Park, KS

“Daris is a leader in the department and well respected by his team. Customers love Daris! He goes over and beyond to take care of their needs.”

 

Sandra Macias, Senior Deli Clerk, store #280 – Bakersfield, CA

“Sandra is self-motivated, hardworking, and strives for excellence! She loves to train new team members and takes pride in teaching the Sprouts standards.”

 

Cristian Hercules, Courtesy Clerk, store #204 – Los Angeles, CA

“Cristian displays impeccable leadership to our Front-End team. He’s always assisting his peers and takes pride in all of his work”

 

Fran Flanagan, Senior Produce Clerk, store #945 – Marlton, NJ

“Fran has been instrumental is running a successful Produce department. He has exceptional customer service skills and always puts the needs of store and his team first.”

 

Jennifer Verranault, Bakery Clerk, store #120 – El Paso, TX

“Jennifer exemplifies the Sprouts way of life! She has an unflagging work ethic and focus on customer service. She is well-liked across the store and, more importantly, very well respected.”

 

Jacob Davis, Senior Produce Clerk, store #301 – Westminster, CO

“Jacob does a phenomenal job in the produce department; he takes the time to ask every team member how they’re doing and if they need anything.  He always has a positive attitude and encourages his team to

 

Betty Gonzales, Vitamin/HBA Clerk, store #237 – Laguna Niguel, CA

“Betty has a positive attitude, and it shows when helping customers. She’s very knowledgeable and goes above and beyond making sure customers receives the best service.”

 Sean Francis, Senior Bulk Clerk, store #332 – Colorado Springs, CO

“Sean consistently goes above and beyond to help his team and the store. He is extremely reliable and works efficiently at all times.”

 

Aseel Al Dawaima, Back up Receiver, store #149 – Dallas, TX

“Aseel volunteered to help cover receiving while a TM was out on quarantine. She has been such a positive influence for our team!”

 

Martha Gutierrez, Senior Deli Clerk, store #221 – Dublin, CA

“Martha’s a breath of fresh air to have on our team! She’s a team player who’s always willing to lend a hand to other departments when needed.”

 

Izack Sandy, Meat/Seafood Clerk, store #17– Phoenix, AZ

“Izack is a phenomenal team member! He has a wealth of knowledge in the Meat and Bulk department. Izack stepped up to help the Bulk department order, and conduct inventory when they needed the extra support.”

 

Alexsandra Bryan, Frozen Food Clerk, store #504, Henderson, NV

“Alex is an exceptional member of the team! She takes ownership in every task and she’s willing to pitch in and help out where needed.”

 

English Michael, Deli Clerk, store #428 – Lincoln, CA

“English is such a pleasure to work with! She always has a fresh and bubbly demeanor and comes in each day with a ‘can-do’ attitude.”

 

Joshua Irish, Senior Deli Clerk, store #249 – San Diego, CA

“Josh has consistently proven his commitment to our team though his phenomenal work ethic. He is attentive to customers’ needs and strives to make sure they are fully satisfied with every interaction.”

 

David Hickman, Utility Clerk, store #435 – Vista, CA

“David possesses a nurturing character throughout his shift. He is attentive to customers’ needs and ensures that they are helped the moment they walk through the door.”

 

Kendrick Burse, Senior Deli Clerk, store #146 – Pearland, TX

“Kendrick is the epitome of a team player – not just his Deli team but any team that needs an extra hand.”

 

David Barajas, Senior Meat/Seafood Clerk, store #5, Mesa, AZ

“David has demonstrated great customer service in and around the meat department. He has created a home environment when it comes to helping customers with great service, special cuts, and his knowledge.”

Good Food. Good People. Celebrating Q3 TMAW Winners! – September 25, 2020

Last week was Team Member Appreciation Week and many stores went above and beyond to celebrate each other, and the incredible things team members continue to do. Stores in each region had the chance to win a $500 gift card based on their theme, decorations, activities and food. Congratulations to the Mid-Atlantic region’s winner, store #919 – Pasadena, MD, for an outstanding Team Member Appreciation Week!

Monica Crabtree, Non-Perishable Manager, shared what sparked the idea to have a “Share Your Story” theme for TMAW: “We were having a team huddle and I decided to switch things up with an icebreaker. I asked everyone at the huddle to name one thing about themselves that no one knew. Everyone was so intrigued about what they learned. Our crew wouldn’t stop talking about that day.”

From that huddle, Monica and Dan Layman, Perishable Manager, began to brainstorm a few ideas. “Dan said we need to do something big, something impactful for our team and the community,” Monica said.

Dan thought of the idea to have a book drive for the Maryland Book Bank and from there, the theme was born. “When Dan told me about the Book Bank, I thought about my team’s stories and that’s how we came up with “Share Your Story,” Monica said.

Each day was incorporated with book genres for dress-up days. They had “historical figure day”, “comic book/superhero day”, “adventure-fantasy day”, “sports day”, and “fairytale romance day.”  They also incorporated team member stories by making name badges that said: My name is_____, I like to____.

In addition to the book drive and dress up days, Store #919 also had activities throughout the week like Sprouts trivia, a cashier speed contest and a speedy go-back contest. The Sprouts trivia was a fun and easy game that included 12 simple questions like “Who’s our CEO?”, “What are the 3 h’s?” and “What does Dean, our manager, buy every day?” “There were lots of laughs at each other’s answers,” Monica said.

“The entire week was a lot of fun. It was only the day after we had finished the week that Dan asked, ‘What are we planning for the next one?’ I can’t believe we already have a plan!” Monica said.

Congratulations to the winning stores of this quarter’s TMAW contest in each region that were selected based on their theme, decorations, activities, and food! Click here for the full list of winners.

 

Good Food. Good People. Celebrating Sprouts Team Members – September 9, 2020

The work that team members do supports a larger purpose of creating healthier communities and giving more families access to fresh and affordable food. To expand upon this work, the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation created the company-wide Day of Service, uniting our team members for one day of giving.

Brett Queensberry, Perishable Manager at store #618 – Clearwater, FL, and his family take great pride in giving back to their community through volunteering. Together, they have logged thousands of hours volunteering for various non-profits: John’s Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, The Lupus Foundation, Feeding America Tampa Bay, and Pack a Snack, to name a few.

Brett shared what inspired his family to volunteer for the Day of Service through the Foundation; “Passion. Passion is what drives our desire to do for others. More importantly it gave us the chance to show our 5-year-old son, Lewis, yet another way we can contribute to our community. It’s important to us that we teach Lewis the importance of helping others. It’s never too early to plant the seed in a young person’s mind.”

Through the Foundation, the Queensberry family volunteered with Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful, an environmental non-profit organization that holds cleanups in the Tampa Bay area. Although they had the chance to give their time through the Foundation, this was not their first time volunteering with the organization; “Our volunteering with Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful goes back many years. We strive to do our part to help keep the communities we live and work in beautiful and litter-free,” Brett said.

They’ve also partnered with Pasco County by participating in their Adopt-A-Road program. They adopted a road for their son named Lewis Queensberry and Friends. “He loves picking up trash, and we thought, ‘What better way to showcase his efforts then to have a road with his name on it?’” Brett said.

Celebrate how you and your fellow team members are helping each other and our customers. Share a photo or video on Instagram or Twitter and tag #TeamSprouts, @Sprouts and #LoveSprouts.

Good Food. Good People. Celebrating Sprouts Team Members – September 2, 2020

To celebrate #TeamSprouts, we’re highlighting Healthy Living Hero Daniel Silver, In-Store Shopping Clerk at store #613 – Valrico, FL, for his efforts to spread nutrition education to children in his community!

Although Daniel has only been with Sprouts for a short while, he has quickly adapted to our culture. He illustrates our passion to inspire, educate and empower every person to eat healthier and live a better life: “I’ve only been at Sprouts for a few months, but I love the culture and atmosphere–especially the emphasis on healthy lifestyles we promote,” Daniel said.

Outside of Sprouts, Daniel is a schoolteacher and a professional magician helping to teach nutrition education to children in a fun and magical way: “I put on a magic show where I dazzle the children while teaching a healthy message about the benefits of eating right and exercising,” Daniel said.

Through his show, Daniel encourages children to stay active and eat a rainbow of foods every day to ensure they are getting all the vitamins their bodies need to function at its best: “I remind them that if they want to stay healthy, then every day they need to run, get some sun, and have some fun.”

The Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation will make a $2,500 donation on Daniel’s behalf to the National Farm to School Network, an information, advocacy and networking hub for communities working to bring local food sourcing and food and agriculture education into school systems and early care and education environments.

Daniel’s Sprouts Staples:

  • Apples, Bananas & Citrus
  • Sprouts Unsalted & Unsweetened Creamy Peanut Butter
  • Sprouts Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
  • Sprouts Frozen Berry Antioxidant Blend

ARE YOU A HEALTHY LIVING HERO?

Email a summary of your healthy living transformation to communications@sprouts.com for an opportunity to be featured. If you’re chosen, you’ll receive:

  • A $2,500 donation on your behalf from the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation to a nonprofit of your choice that provides nutrition education, access to fresh and healthy food, or education around healthy lifestyles and behaviors
  • 25% team member discount at Sprouts for one year

Good Food. Good People. Celebrating Sprouts Team Members – August 26, 2020

To celebrate #TeamSprouts, we’re highlighting Dre Dorsey, Produce Clerk at store #138 – Cedar Park, TX, for regularly exhibiting his customer-centric attitude.

Dre is known as a trusted team member who always puts his customers first. He’s a leader of the Sprouts culture who exemplifies having a customer-centric mindset and is a great example for others to follow. This is why it was not surprising for Roland Trevino, Assistant Store Manager, to see Dre helping a customer in need: “I took the photo of Dre during a busy Saturday. At the time, he didn’t know I witnessed the entire interaction,” Roland said.

While working, Dre noticed the customer getting frustrated with her phone, and he approached her to see if he could help. The customer was a first-time shopper at Sprouts and wanted to view our weekly ad and digital coupons for savings. He showed the customer how to download the app, and how to navigate it as well: “Dre was very patient and took his time to make sure she was comfortable with using the Sprouts app. The customer was so thankful and appreciated that he acknowledged her and took the time to help her out,” Roland said.

Even something that seems as small as helping a customer sign up for the app can go a long way in showing you care that our customers have a great shopping experience.

Celebrate how you and your fellow team members are helping each other and our customers. Share a photo or video on Instagram or Twitter and tag #TeamSprouts, @Sprouts and #LoveSprouts.

Good Food. Good People. Celebrating Sprouts Team Members! – August 19, 2020

To celebrate #TeamSprouts, we’re highlighting the team at store #945 – Marlton, NJ, for sending a warm welcome back to some of the businesses in their shopping plaza with a care package full of Sprouts goodies.

In the last few months, the world has shifted in ways that no one would have ever predicted. Ongoing developments during the pandemic have been very challenging for our communities. In response to mandatory shutdowns, many businesses were forced to close their doors: “Most of the plaza was closed for quite a few months. The week before the stores were set to open, we came together and decided to welcome our neighbors back in a special way,” Chris Murphy, Scan Coordinator, said.

Chris and Grocery Manager Andrea Mansure worked together to create the “welcome back” care packages: “We tried to use a little bit from each department to welcome these businesses back. Vegan cookies, Tillamook individually wrapped cheeses, bananas, yogurts, Annie’s cookies and crackers, and Sprouts water were packed for our neighbors with special care,” Chris said.

They each took turns delivering the packages so other team members could share the good feeling of appreciation from the businesses. “When we presented the packages to some of the stores, we received an abundance of gratitude. In these challenging times, this is what it’s all about – taking care of each other not only within our stores, but in our communities,” Chris said.

Thank you, Chris, Andrea and team members of store #945 for all that you are doing to support each other, our customers and communities.

Celebrate how you and your fellow team members are helping each other and our customers. Share a photo or video on Instagram or Twitter and tag #TeamSprouts, @Sprouts and #LoveSprouts.

Good Food. Good People. Celebrating Sprouts Team Members! – August 12, 2020

The work that our team members are doing supports a larger purpose of creating healthier communities and giving more families access to fresh and affordable food. To expand upon this work, the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation created the company-wide Day of Service, uniting our team members for one day of giving.

Dennis Morrison, Store Manager at store #151 – Frisco, TX, takes pride in volunteering through the Foundation and has visited every local garden build in the Fort Worth area. Dennis shared what inspired him to visit all of the gardens: “Volunteering has a direct impact on the community. After my first garden build, I could feel the sense of community and could see how excited the recipients were about their new garden.”

Lending a hand to build something that is so impactful really makes a difference and supports creating the foundation of nutrition within our communities. “’Showing up’ is a term I use to express how being available when others need you is so important. I want to make sure I ‘show up’ for at least one child who will benefit from this experience. There’s nothing more gratifying than that,” Dennis said.

The Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation not only promotes nutrition to children, it also emphasizes the importance of working as a team: “Children watch everything you do! By teaching a child they can grow something for themselves, they’re not just learning how vegetables grow, they’re learning responsibility. We are showing them firsthand how volunteering makes a difference,” Dennis said.

Celebrate how you and your fellow team members are helping each other and our customers. Share a photo or video on Instagram or Twitter and tag #TeamSprouts, @Sprouts and #LoveSprouts.

Good Food. Good People. Celebrating Our Everyday Heroes – August 6, 2020

Congratulations to the team at Store #886 – Herndon, VA, for participating in the Retail Management Certificate Program offered by Sprouts this upcoming September. This program will give them a better opportunity to grow in their careers and develop within Sprouts!

Store #886 has nine students participating and they’re thrilled to be a part of a program that helps accelerate their careers. “When the RMC program was brought to the attention of the Core 4, we knew it was too great of an opportunity to pass over,” Bryan Daniell, Assistant Store Manager, said.

The 8-course online program focuses on the retail operations in our industry (business writing, computer systems, marketing, and leadership) and provides the core skills a team member needs to move into a management role.

Bryan shared why having access to the program is essential for team members: “As Sprouts continues to grow, it’s important that we cultivate our crop of future leaders. This is a great resource for team members to maximize their talents, set goals for themselves and strengthen skill sets.”

Jared Hornyak, Store Manager, understands the importance of learning and growing together. He encourages his team to take the courses together, help each other study and enjoy the educational journey. “Jared knows the benefits of being able to put the knowledge gained in these courses to practical use. There’s something special happening here at store #886, and we’re all excited to be a part of it,” Bryan said.

Celebrate how you and your fellow team members are helping each other and our customers. Share a photo or video on Instagram or Twitter and tag #TeamSprouts, @Sprouts and #LoveSprouts.