Sprouts opens new grocery stores in growing communities around Tampa Bay

Some 2½ years after entering the market, Arizona-based Sprouts Farmers Market continues to add stores across the Tampa Bay Area, a sign of the region’s continued ability to attract national retailers.

The grocer is opening a Trinity location in late July and is in the process of hiring 150 full and part-time employees for a 30,000- square-foot store slated to open in Riverview at Summerfield Crossing and U.S. 301 in late September.

By the end of 2019, Tampa locations are also in the pipeline to open in Westchase in northwest Hillsborough, off Bruce B. Downs Boulevard in New Tampa, in New Port Richey and Trinity in Pasco County, and a new Pinellas County location in Seminole. Plus, URBN Tampa Bay, a grassroots residents group advocating for better urban development patterns, posted on its Facebook page that a design elevation for The Heights development in the Tampa Heights neighborhood also shows a Sprouts location.

It is the continuation of a fairly ambitious local expansion for the grocer. The first Sprouts in Tampa Bay opened in February 2017 in Carrollwood. Locations in South Tampa, Palm Harbor, and Clearwater followed. The stores confirmed to open by the end of 2019 will push the total number in the Tampa Bay market to nine.

In an email, a Sprouts spokeswoman says the company seeks to carve out a niche through its focus on natural and organic foods at affordable prices.

“At Sprouts, we’ve always believed that healthy food shouldn’t be a luxury,” spokeswoman Kalia Pang says. “Since day one, we have offered value and selection of fresh, natural and organic foods across the store, appealing to everyday grocery shoppers interested in eating better. Additionally, Sprouts’ knowledgeable and friendly team members are eager to support customers on their journey to better health.

Comparing Sprouts to other grocers that entered the market in recent years, Fresh Market currently has four area locations, two in Tampa and one each in St. Petersburg and Clearwater. Trader Joe’s has one location in Tampa and one in St. Petersburg. Lucky’s Market has a store in St. Petersburg with expansion plans in Brandon and Clearwater. Whole Foods has three area stores right now -- Tampa, Carrollwood, and Clearwater.

Here is a link to find out more information about the business in this story: Sprouts Farmers Market.