Sprouts Farmers Market, an organic and natural foods grocer with 268 stores in 15 states, is reportedly planning on a new store in Philadelphia, PA and Moorestown, NJ. Both stores would represent the first in each state.
The Philadelphia store is planned for Lincoln Square at Broad St. and Washington Ave. in South Philadelphia, a mixed-use development that Kimco is involved in. The Moorestown store would inhabit part of the space in the Moorestown Mall that Macy’s recently vacated.
Sprouts expansion to the northeast comes at a time when sales of organic food has been soaring in the U.S. Until recently, Whole Foods has owned most of the organic market in Greater Philadelphia. However, Mom’s Organic Market and bFresh have recently entered the market, and several traditional and discount grocery stores - like Aldi and ShopRite - have been increasing their organic and natural foods offerings. Newcomer Lidl is expected to offer a significant variety of organics, as well.
What this all leads to is “a price war of unprecedented proportions,” according to Burt Flickinger III, managing director at Strategic Resource Group.
Nationally, Sprouts had reported that they have 63 sites approved for new stores and 43 signed leases “for the coming years.”
As reported previously, Albertsons (Acme) is exploring an acquisition of the Sprouts chain.