In The News: April Monthly Media Highlights

Check out some of our top media highlights from the last month:

Citrus Goodness: Good Morning America shared recipes for Easter desserts made with lemons from Sprouts Partner Chef Claudia Sandoval, offering advice from Sprouts on how to pick the best citrus.

Sharing School Gardens: Progressive Grocer reported the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation presented the first-ever virtual garden-based learning event with lessons taught by students at school garden sites across the country on April 27 in partnership with the School Garden Support Organization (SGSO) Network. Read why the Foundation and its partners are invested in the movement from Winsight Grocery Business and visit growingschoolgardens.org to see a message from America Ferrera and learn more about the event in celebration of National Garden Month that reached more than 30,000 elementary school students nationwide.

Best Supermarket: USA Today’s 10Best included Sprouts Farmers Market on its list of Best Supermarkets as determined by a panel of experts and popular vote, noting each store stocks thousands of natural and organic products.

Doing Well by Doing Good: The Shelby Report shared Sprouts’ 2020 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report which highlights our commitment to growing our business coast-to-coast sustainably and responsibly.

Take Good Care: Mile High on the Cheap wrote Sprouts is celebrating Earth Month by inviting customers to participate in the “Take Good Care” pledge and be entered to win a Home Garden Makeover package, noting Sprouts is committed to taking care of the planet by expanding access to healthy food, opening stores built with eco-friendly materials and practices to reduce its carbon footprint and waste.

Produce Managers of the Year: Progressive Grocer shared United Fresh Produce Association’s annual slate of Produce Manager of the Year Award winners, including Mikaela Claude from store #559 – Las Vegas, NV. The recognition pays tribute to the industry’s top retail produce managers for their commitment to fresh produce, innovative merchandising, community service and customer satisfaction.

Hot Stock: CNBC’s Final Trades broadcast of analysts giving their top stock picks to watch for included SFM, stating it is “a breakout in progress.”

Sprouts on Wall Street: Yahoo! Finance reported SFM’s share price has risen 38% over the last year which, combined with 91% EPS growth, signifies SFM “could be an opportunity.”

In The News: March Monthly Media Highlights

Check out some of our top media highlights from the last month:

Fresh to Colorado: The Denver Post reported on the opening of Sprouts’ new produce Distribution Center in Aurora, CO, which will serve 45 stores across the state and into Utah and New Mexico with fresher produce along with more local and organic offerings. The 135,000 square-foot DC was built just for Sprouts and features special ripening rooms for avocados and bananas, two of our best-selling produce items.

Giving Back in Baltimore: The Kelly Clarkson Show profiled the BLISS Meadows project and its founder Atiya Wells who is transforming an abandoned Baltimore park into a community garden that inspires Black, Indigenous, and all People of Color (BIPOC) across the city to connect with nature and farm-fresh produce in what is currently a food desert. To support BLISS Meadows, the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation presented Atiya with $25,000 that will go towards rehabilitating an abandoned house on the property into an education center that will continue to transform lives through education and healthy food. The segment was part of Clarkson’s #BeTheDifference campaign which amplifies Black voices and businesses across the country.

Sprouts for Best Supermarket: USA Today included Sprouts as a nominee in its 2021 “10 Best Readers’ Choice” awards based on selections by an expert panel. Readers may vote online once a day through April 12. Please note the official rules do not allow offering prizes or other inducements to members of the public in exchange for votes.

Supporting Angel City: Angel City Football Club announced Sprouts has joined as the founding back-of-kit sponsor of the Los Angeles-based women’s soccer team. Through the partnership, Sprouts and ACFC will support local causes that address and provide children’s nutrition education and fresh food access throughout Los Angeles.

Sweet Deal: USA Today included Sprouts’ $3.14 apple and vegan apple pies in its list of retailers offering specials for the March 14 holiday.

Sprouts’ New Format: Winsight Grocery Business reported on Sprouts’ new, smaller format of around 25,000 square-feet which will open in Dania Beach, FL; Grand Prairie, TX; Phoenix, AZ; and Smyrna, GA, this year, in addition to a remodel of one store in Tustin, CA. The layout will emphasize innovative products and departments that are meaningful to the Sprouts shopper, like meat and seafood, frozen items, and plant-based products.

Expanding in 2021: GroceryDive wrote Sprouts plans to open approximately 20 new stores this year, including four in a new format and an increased presence in the Sunshine State with 10 stores planned for Florida. Local publications including Miami New Times, Culture Map Dallas, The Marietta Daily Journal, and Dallas Morning News reported on the expansion and stores opening locally.

Dietitian Approved: AllRecipes.com published a roundup of healthier packaged foods recommended by dietitians, including Sprouts’ Frozen Organic Spelt & Red Quinoa, which Registered Dietician Kelly Jones endorses for its taste, fiber, and protein content.

Fourth Quarter Results: Supermarket News covered Sprouts’ Q4 and fiscal year 2020 earnings, noting double-digit increases from a year earlier, attributed to more consumers cooking at home, store growth, and the addition of more than 5,100 new products.

Coming to Reno: The Reno Gazette Journal shared Sprouts is hiring 110 team members for store #560 – Reno, NV opening at the Reno Public Market in May.

In The News: February Monthly Media Highlights

Check out some of our top media highlights from the last month:

Giving Back on Ellen: Ellen DeGeneres gifted her virtual audience with $300 gift cards donated by Sprouts, and announced the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation is donating $100,000 to Phoenix’s Spaces of Opportunity. The special episode celebrating Heroes and Frontline Workers aired nationwide.

 

 

Most Admired Companies: Fortune included Sprouts Farmers Market on its 2021 list of World’s Most Admired Companies, ranking #3 in the Food and Drugstore category.

 

Excellent Private Label: Supermarket News shared Sprouts was honored for private label innovation in PLMA’s annual “ Salute to Excellence” awards with Sprouts’ Nacho Grain Free Chips winning the “Free-From Foods” category.

 

Growing Healthy Habits: The University of Texas at Austin released a new study that found students who participated in school garden curriculum supported by the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation ate more vegetables per day than they did before engaging with learning gardens. The encouraging findings have the potential to set up children for long-term health.

 


Plant-Based BLT: KING-NBC5 in Seattle aired a segment with Sprouts PR Media Partner Chef Joel Gamoran who showcased how to make a healthy, plant-based, waste-reducing BLT sandwich using banana peels and ingredients from Sprouts.

 

 

Topo Chico Launch: Houston Chronicle shared Texas’ favorite beverage, Topo Chico, had launched a brand-new Twist of Tangerine flavor exclusively at Sprouts.

In The News: January Monthly Media Highlights

Check out some of our top media highlights from the last month!

Plant-Based Patties: VegNews and AndNowUKnow shared Sprouts is now carrying its own Plant-Based Patties made with mushrooms as a more nutritionally balanced meat alternative option. The articles include quotes about the patties from Sprouts Culinary Director Matt Pratta.

More Americans Trying Plant-Based: The Takeout and Plant-Based News published results from a survey commissioned by Sprouts that found more than half of young Americans identify as “Flexitarian,” meaning they consciously cut down on meat in favor of plant-based foods. Of the 2,000 respondents surveyed, 63% would be willing to switch to a plant-based diet and look for comparable flavor, price, texture and nutritional value when considering meat alternatives.

New Nation of Cooks: CNBC wrote how the pandemic has driven Americans to make more meals at home, try new flavors, and turn to healthier options. The article includes quotes from an interview with Sprouts CEO Jack Sinclair on the growth of healthy and immunity-boosting products in stores over the past year.

Top Vegan Protein: Well+Good shared Registered Dietitian Kelly Jones’ top vegan protein powder picks, highlighting Sprouts’ Matcha Latte Vegan Protein featuring a pea and rice protein base with 20 grams per scoop that’s sweetened with monk fruit extract.

Growing Goodness in Florida: Business Observer Florida briefed Sprouts’ growth plans for the state with quotes from Chief Format Officer Dave McGlinchey, noting 11 more Florida stores are expected to open in 2021 along with a new Orlando distribution center.

Easy Plant-Based Dishes: Tampa Bay Morning Blend broadcasted plant-based cooking tips to try as a healthy option at home with Registered Dietitian Abigail Dougherty using ingredients from Sprouts for a taco bar, stir fry, and chia pudding.

Beverage Innovation: GroceryDive reported Sprouts is piloting a series of functional beverages in select Southern California stores in partnership with LA Libations. The lineup includes keto-friendly, paleo and plant-based ready-to-drink beverages.

In The News: December Monthly Media Highlights

In The News is a monthly internal communication designed to provide our team members with the latest Sprouts media, investor and news highlights. Additional top media clips are archived on the News & Features page of about.sprouts.com.

As always, please direct any media inquiries to media@sprouts.com.

In The News: November Monthly Media Highlights

Check out some of our top media highlights from the last month:

 

World Kindness Day: The Drew Barrymore Show broadcasted the story of 7-year-old Cavanaugh Bell, who created the Cool & Dope food pantry to support his community in Gaithersburg, MD. As part of the special feature for World Kindness Day, the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation donated $10,000 of healthy food to Cavanaugh’s pantry in the episode that aired nationwide.

 

Socially Distant Holiday Options: Atlanta Journal Constitution covered Sprouts’ holiday offerings for a socially distanced Thanksgiving, including turkeys and prepared meals available for preorder, in addition to delivery and curbside pickup options. The Kitchn shared tips on shopping safely amid the pandemic, including a quote from a Sprouts Spokesperson on in-store safety measures and ecommerce offerings.

 

Holiday Tips and Ordering: KNSD-NBC7 broadcasted a segment with MasterChef Claudia Sandoval using seasonal ingredients for holiday recipes. KGTV-ABC10 shared Sprouts’ holiday options, including fully prepared meals and catering trays, with a Sprouts Spokesperson.

 

 

Best of OC: The Los Angeles Times named Sprouts as the Best Independent Grocer in its annual roundup of top local businesses.

 

RD Holiday Inspiration: PHL17 in Philadelphia aired a segment with Sprouts Registered Dietitian Partner Kelly Jones sharing holiday recipe inspiration using seasonal produce, as well as pickup and ordering options on sprouts.com/holiday.

 

SFM Earnings: Food Navigator shared Sprouts’ Q3 2020 earnings results, highlighting webcast quotes from Chief Executive Officer Jack Sinclair covering a product selection that showcases innovation, new branding, and growing ecommerce.

 


Supporting Our Neighbors: Virginia Patch shared the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation awarded a Neighborhood Grant to local nonprofit Food for Neighbors to support its grassroots efforts to provide fresh food to children.

 

NEW STORE OPENINGS

Store #440 – Eastvale, CA: The Press Enterprise reported on the newest Sprouts in Riverside County, noting the store had hired 113 new team members as of opening.


Store #634 – Orlando, FL: WOFL-FOX35 Orlando covered the new store opening in Dr. Phillips, noting Sprouts stands out among other grocers with a large selection of fresh produce and unique organic items. WFTV-ABC10 aired a segment with a Sprouts Spokesperson sharing details of the new store along with seasonal offerings.

In The News: October Monthly Media Highlights

Check out some of our top media highlights from the last month:

Sprouts Foundation Supports Programs Nationwide: GroceryDive interviewed Lyndsey Waugh, Executive Director of the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation, sharing how its annual giving is supporting organizations who have reimagined their programs to provide fresh food access and nutrition education to children and families amid the pandemic.

Shopper Chopper at Sprouts: Supermarket Sweep’s “Shopper Chopper” stopped by Sprouts stores around the country to surprise and delight shoppers with reusable bags and gift cards at store #850 – Philadelphia, PA; store #518 – Smyrna, GA; store #136 – Houston, TX; and store #215 – Culver City, CA. The classic TV game show is coming back to ABC this month and will be hosted by Leslie Jones.

Best Customer Service: Newsweek included Sprouts on its list of 2021 Best Customer Service Companies determined by an independent survey of more than 25,000 U.S. consumers. Companies recognized on the list were evaluated on five criteria, including Range of Services, Customer Focus, and Quality of Communication. Earlier this year, Sprouts was recognized as a Best Customer Service Company by Newsweek, ranking No. 1 in Arizona, No. 2 in California, and No. 3 in Texas.

Harvest Season Goodness: Buzzfeed published a list of “25 Really Good Fall Products” to try from Sprouts stores, highlighting new items like White Chocolate Dipped Coconut Rolls with Cinnamon and Sparking Harvest Spiced Apple Cider.

Sustainable Refrigeration: Store Brands shared the Environmental Protection Agency recognized Sprouts for its work to reduce refrigerant emissions and environmental impact as part of its GreenChill program. This year, seven locations earned re-certification achievements: store #142 – Hurst, TX; store #279 – Oakland, CA; store #288 – San Rafael, CA; store #326 – Wheat Ridge, CO; store #520 – Roswell, GA; store #521 – Marietta, GA; and store #579 – Germantown, TN.

Tea for Good: The Shelby Report shared The Republic of Tea and Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation are expanding their partnership to support school garden programs with a new, seasonal Red Apple Harvest Herb Tea. For each tea tin sold, The Republic of Tea will donate $1 to the Foundation. The vendor recently presented a $30,000 check to the Foundation from sales of its summer tea blend recently sold in stores.

 

NEW STORE OPENINGS

Store #851 – Upper Dublin, PA: PHL17 aired a segment with local Registered Dietitian Kelly Jones sharing news of the new store and cooking inspiration using seasonal products from Sprouts.

Store #629 – Stuart, FL: WPEC-CBS12 broadcasted details of the Stuart store opening, which is the newest Sprouts in West Palm Beach.

Store #156 – Houston, TX: KTRK-ABC13 shared the new store is expanding local access to healthy groceries. The broadcast mentions the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation donated a $10,000 Neighborhood Grant to Houston’s Recipe 4 Success Foundation to support its nutrition education programming.

In The News: September Monthly Media Highlights

Check out some of our top media highlights from the last month:

Cooking with Chef Claudia: California Live on KNSD-NBC7 San Diego and Telemundo’s Acceso Total aired outdoor cooking segments in English and Spanish with Sprouts Media Partner MasterChef Claudia Sandoval, who shared her tips for cooking carne asada tostadas and salads using grass-fed beef and produce from Sprouts.

SFM Investor Analysis: JP Morgan published an equity research report on the landscape of grocery after virtual investor meetings with Sprouts CEO Jack Sinclair and CFO Denise Paulonis . The report highlights Sprouts’ unique produce procurement and merchandising model as a core competence, stating “Most supermarkets are too big – and don’t have the systems in place – to turn on a dime when situations change in produce. SFM does.”

Labor Day Grilling: KFMB-CBS8 in San Diego broadcasted its annual Labor Day grilling segment hosted by Meteorologist Shawn Styles using meat and produce from Sprouts. The food cooked during the segment was donated to local first responders.

San Diego’s Best: The San Diego Union Tribune named Sprouts “Best Health Food Store” on its annual roundup of reader-voted top local businesses.

Impossible Foods at Sprouts: VegNews shared the plant-based Impossible Burger is now available at all Sprouts stores in the frozen meat section. Impossible’s flagship product mimics traditional ground beef’s taste and texture, and fits the unique and cutting-edge qualities Sprouts customers are looking for.
NEW STORE OPENINGS

Store #441 – Santa Barbara, CA: KEYT-ABC3 broadcasted from grand opening, highlighting the store’s features and including interviews with shoppers and Store Manager Eric Sustin.

Florida Expansion: WPTV-NBC11 reported Sprouts is expanding to Martin County with store #629 – Stuart, FL opening October 7. The Orlando Sentinel reported Sprouts will open store #634 – Orlando, FL in the city’s Doctor Phillips neighborhood on November 18 and is hiring 110 new team members. Tampa Bay Business Journal shared Sprouts will open store #633 – Tampa, FL on December 2 in the city’s Westchase neighborhood, noting Sprouts now has 23 stores in Florida with 11 in Tampa Bay, including the newly-announced location.

In The News: August Monthly Media Highlights

Check out some of our top media highlights from the last month:

Supporting the Houston Community: Houston Chronicle wrote Sprouts is hiring for store #156 – Houston, Texas ahead of its October opening, mentioning the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation’s local support of YMCA Houston.

Second Quarter Earnings Results: Winsight Grocery Business reported on Sprouts’ Q2 earnings, sharing details of “another healthy jump in profits” with strong demand from COVID-19. The article adds Sprouts has delivered three consecutive quarters of eye-opening profit growth.

Expanding our Footprint: Business Observer shared Sprouts will open two Tampa stores in 2020 with another location planned for The Heights in 2021. Sprouts first entered the market in 2017 and now has 20 stores throughout the state. Progressive Grocer published an update on Sprouts’ expansion, including photos from opening day at store #630 – New Tampa, FL.

 

NEW STORE OPENINGS

Store #920 – Baltimore, MD: Baltimore Business Journal shared Sprouts opened its fifth Maryland location at The Collective at Canton, noting the store will donate its unsold and edible groceries to Maryland Food Bank through its Food Rescue program.

Store #157 – Tyler, TX: KYTX-CBS19 covered grand opening day, including the store’s unique offerings and how it will benefit the local community with healthy groceries, with which it was previously underserved.

Store #630 – Tampa, FL: Tampa Bay Times reported on the opening of the newest Sprouts in Tampa, adding it is steadily expanding through Tampa Bay and the rest of the state.

Store #334 – Denver – Central Park, CO: Mile High On the Cheap shared grand opening details of store #334 – Denver, Colo., which is the 32nd Sprouts in the state.

In The News: July Monthly Media Highlights

In The News is a monthly internal communication designed to provide our team members with the latest Sprouts media, investor and news highlights. Additional top media clips are archived on the News & Features page of about.sprouts.com.

As always, please direct any media inquiries to media@sprouts.com.

Check out some of our top media highlights from the last month:

Sprouts Recognized for Customer Service: Newsweek named Sprouts on its list of Best-In-State Customer Service of 2020, ranking 556 local brands across 20 states in 77 categories. The list, in partnership with Statista Inc., names Sprouts no. 1 in Arizona, no. 2 in California, and no. 3 in Texas based off an independent survey of more than 20,000 U.S. customers.

Hiring in East Texas: KETK-NBC56 reported Sprouts is bringing 110 jobs to East Texas with the opening of store #157 – Tyler, TX with an interview detailing the store and available positions.

Raising Funds for School Gardens: Progressive Grocer wrote the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation has partnered with The Republic of Tea to raise funds for school garden programs nationwide. The Foundation will receive $1 from the sale of each Hibiscus Sangria Iced Tea or Blackberry Sage Iced Tea tin now available exclusively at Sprouts stores nationwide.

Sprouts Brings Jobs to Eastvale: KTTV-FOX11 in Los Angeles broadcasted Sprouts is hiring for store #440 – Eastvale, CA set to open in August with details on positions and how to apply.

Top 100 Retailers of 2020: The National Retail Federation published its annual Top 100 Retailers list, which ranks retailers based on sales for the most recently completed fiscal year. Sprouts ranked no. 80, up from no. 83 last year.

 

NEW STORE OPENINGS


Store #626 –Miramar, FL: South Florida Sun Sentinel reported Sprouts opened its second Broward County store in Miramar on June 24 serving locals throughout the county and Miami-Dade.

Store #628 – Seminole, FL: Tampa Bay Newspapers shared Sprouts is now open and filling the gap in the local organic food market with its newest location in Seminole.