Sprouts Farmers Market coming to East Cobb
Phoenix, Arizona-based Sprouts Farmers Market is planning a new location in East Cobb. The new Sprouts will be nearly 29,000 square feet and will include newly created space in Providence Square shopping center. The spaces Sprouts will occupy were most recently an Office Depot and a few smaller storefronts. The Sprouts is also adding additional square footage to the rear of their space. The large Office Depot had played host to a stupid-large Mattress Firm in the interim. Mattress Firm has now relocated to a roughly 5,000 square foot space to the right of Sprouts.
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| Providence Square site plan pre changes / expansion related to Sprouts |
Providence Square is anchored by The Home Depot and is also home to a T.J. Maxx / Homegoods combo store, as well as Rack Room Shoes and Dress Barn. A freestanding Chili's has been a property mainstay for years along with La Madeleine. An Uncle Maddio's Pizza Joint opened in the center in 2013, and Chicken Salad Chick opened in the center last year.
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| Updated site plan reflecting the enlarged space that Sprouts will occupy |
The Fresh Market has an existing nearly 22,000 square foot location about a mile away on Johnson Ferry Road in Woodlawn Square. Trader Joe's also operates a 12,000 square foot store in the area at Pine Straw Place. Additionally, category leader Whole Foods Market opened a 45,000 square foot store in Merchant's Walk in 2013.
Although not a direct competitor, a new nearly 48,000 square foot Walmart Neighborhood Market opened this October in nearby Olde Mill Shopping Center.
Sprouts has been aggressively expanding their presence in metro Atlanta. Sprouts entered Georgia last year with locations in Snellville, Dunwoody, Peachtree Corners and Johns Creek. Sprouts opened its fifth Atlanta area store last month in Cumming at Lakeland Plaza in a former Stein Mart.
This year, new Sprouts locations in metro Atlanta are already expected in Roswell, Midtown, north Buckhead / Sandy Springs, Smyrna.
According to the Sprouts Farmers Market website:
"Sprouts Farmers Market works to deliver the best possible shopping experience, helping customers live a healthy lifestyle at an affordable price—not just buy groceries. Sprouts is a healthy grocery store offering fresh, natural and organic foods at great prices."
Personally, I've visited a number of Sprouts both locally and in their home state of Arizona. I've found their pricing unexciting and in many categories, as much as, or more expensive than, everyday prices at Kroger and Whole Foods. Sprouts, like basically any retailer, does offer great "door-buster" pricing when a new store opens, but in the months that follow, the prices seem far from "great."
Sprouts is not alone in their expansion plans for metro Atlanta. Asheville, North Carolina-based Earth Fare is also planning a number of new stores. With one metro Atlanta store now open in Peachtree Corners, new stores are in the works in Cumming and near Emory University.
What are your thoughts of Sprouts Farmers Market? How does Sprouts stack up against other similar grocers? Do you think Sprouts is over-expanding locally?
Please share your thoughts below.