LOOK OUT FOR SPROUTS 
Next little grocery chain likely to show up in Houston: Sprouts Farmers Market, out of Arizona. Page Partners managing principal Ed Page tells Nancy Sarnoff he’s “actively negotiating on some sites right now†for the fast-growing retailer to set up shop. Where? He wouldn’t say. But in Southern California, Sprouts took over a couple of former Circuit City stores, without even pulling the plug. Sprouts recently merged with a similar health-oriented chain — founded in San Diego by the same family — Henry’s Farmers Market. [Prime Property] Photo of Sprouts in Culver City: Retail Remix
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Take that, Trader Joes!
Fast growing organic type grocery store moving into territory that Whole Foods considers it’s own. Look for them to swallow it up if their past behavior is anything to go by, possibly after using FOI requests to delve into their supplier agreements in order to undercut them on key products thus devaluing them handily. As the Whole Foods CEO said before the eventual contested takeover of Wild Oats “The end game is now under way. Whole Foods is systematically destroying their viability as a business — market by market, city by city.”
Now thats the kind of grocery store I want to patronise
How does one use a Freedom of Information request on a private company? The FOIA applies to government.
sprouts is a cool store with great prices. i hope they put one in my neighborhood.
We’ve had 4 of them in Austin for a bit. Not really anything special, IMHO, but they seem to be doing OK. Wouldn’t really call them a Whole Foods competitor. The 2 aren’t even close. Ads tend to focus heavily on low-priced produce and bulk items to get folks in the door. Size is fairly small. The one near me is in a former Borders, if that tells you anything. Another is in an old CompUSA and the other 2 took up about half — if not less — of former Albertsons stores. So they have a lot of options in Houston … old Circuit City and Linens n’ Things stores for starters, as well as subdivided former grocery stores, Targets and Walmarts.
If Trader Joe’s and this Sprouts thing both come to Houston, there’s going to be a lot of competition among grocery stores here. Guess Randall’s will have to stop selling eggs on their expiration date if they want to survive.
I keep hoping for a Market Street. I’ve been to two in the Dallas suburbs, and it is a great grocery store. Sort of a hyrid HEB/Central Market. Anyway, they have a great prepared foods area and carry great kitchen gear.
You’re right, it wasn’t a FOIA, it was a subpoena. As part of the anti-trust investigation related to their takeover of Wild Oats Whole Foods subpoenaed the financial records of all the other “natural” grocery stores in the relevant markets saying they needed the information in order to show they weren’t monopolizing the market.
I’m excited to see a Sprouts open in Houston. I just moved back from CA. after living there two and a half years. Really liked shopping at Sprouts and I’ve missed it. True, it doesn’t compare completely with Whole Foods but they do carry some of the same products, healthier choices than regular grocery stores, organics, and at much better prices. I think someone needs to give Whole Foods a little run for their money; some “friendly” competition. My husband and I always called them “Whole Paycheck”…