Sprouts Expands Through Southeast

Sprouts Farmers Market (Phoenix) plans to expand its grocery store chain throughout the Southeast, particularly throughout Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee.

In total, it expects to open 36 new stores throughout fiscal 2016, compared with last year when it only opened 19 stores. Its long-term goal is to operate 1200 stores throughout the country, which is roughly the same number of locations that Publix (Lakeland, Fla.) operates nationally.

The retailer’s store-design is part of what sets it apart from competitors, with produce in the center of the store and accounting for 20 percent of its sales floor. Produce is also the retailer’s main traffic driver, with prices about 20 to 25 percent lower than other stores, reports The Tennessean. The store also does not post aisle numbers, as a way to encourage customers to interact with employees.