CEO Amin N. Maredia | Founded July 2002 Founders Kevin Easler, Shon Boney | |
Traded as NASDAQ: SFMS&P 400 Component Area served Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, North Carolina. Key people Amin Maredia (CEO)Brad Lukow (CFO) Stock price SFM (NASDAQ) US$ 23.54 +0.02 (+0.09%)30 Mar, 9:36 AM GMT-4 - Disclaimer Subsidiaries Sunflower Farmers Market, Henry's Farmers Market, Sprouts Farmers Markets Holdings, LLC, Henry's Holdings LLC Profiles |
Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. is an American supermarket chain headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. The stores are full-service and emphasize organic foods including fresh produce, bulk foods, vitamins and supplements, packaged groceries, meat and seafood, deli, baked goods, dairy products, frozen foods, natural body care and household items. The chain was created to respond to consumers’ growing demand in health and wellness. Sprouts employs more than 24,000 individuals and operates more than 240 stores in 15 states from coast to coast, primarily in the southern tier of states. Sprouts is traded on the NASDAQ as SFM.
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Product quality
Sprouts Farmers Market aims to sell products that are minimally processed and free of hydrogenated fats as well as artificial flavors, colors, sweeteners, and preservatives. The company sells many USDA-certified organic foods and products that aim to be environmentally friendly and ecologically responsible.
In addition to organic beef products, Sprouts offers grass-fed beef products. Most grass-fed cattle are leaner than feedlot beef, lacking marbling, which lowers the fat content and caloric level of the meat. Meat from grass-fed cattle also has higher levels of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and the omega-3 fatty acids ALA, EPA, and DHA. Meat and dairy products from grass-fed animals can produce 300-500% more conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) than those of cattle fed the usual diet of 50% hay and silage, and 50% grain.
Also available, you can find fermented milk products, also known as cultured dairy foods, cultured dairy products, or cultured milk products, are dairy foods that have been fermented with lactic acid bacteria such as Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, and Leuconostoc. Examples include cultured kefir, yogurt, buttermilk, sour cream, butter, cottage cheese, kumis, and villi. Cultured products contain high levels of probiotics. Probiotics are microorganisms that are believed to provide health benefits when consumed. The term probiotic is currently used to name ingested microorganisms associated with benefits for humans and animals. Probiotics are considered to be generally safe, but they may cause bacteria-host interactions and unwanted side effects in certain cases. The fermentation process increases the shelf-life of the product, while enhancing the taste and improving the digestibility of milk. There is evidence that fermented milk products have been produced since around 10,000 BC.
Sprouts carries a variety of produce, including sprouted and fermented options. Sprouting is the practice of germinating seeds to be eaten raw or cooked. Sprouting, like cooking, reduces anti-nutritional compounds in raw legumes. Raw lentils, for example, contain lectins, anti-nutritional proteins which can be reduced by sprouting or cooking.
Fermented foods such as kimchi, sauerkraut, and fermented vegetables enrich the diet through development of a diversity of flavors, aromas, and textures in food substrates, preserve substantial amounts of food through lactic acid, alcohol, acetic acid, and alkaline fermentations, enrich food substrates with protein, essential amino acids, and vitamins and eliminate antinutrients.
Charitable giving
In 2015, Sprouts founded the Healthy Communities Foundation, which supports local health and wellness related causes. In 2016, the Healthy Communities Foundation awarded $1.6 million in grants to nonprofit organizations.
Possible Merger
Possible merger between privately held Albertson’s and publicly traded Sprouts Farmers Market was announced Q1 2017. Albertson’s is a private conglomerate and Sprouts is publicly traded and would have to be taken private. Discussions are ongoing.