At work, at home, and among friends and family, I’m noticing some excitement over the forthcoming Sprouts Farmers Market store. The grocer won’t open until August, but already the people of the SCV are cheering their arrival at the old Mervyn’s building on Magic Mountain Parkway.
What’s the big deal about Sprouts? Well, Sprouts isn’t just another lame grocer. They’re not high-end like Bristol Farms (which carries all the name brand foods at higher prices), they’re not solely going after the organic/locavore segment like Whole Foods either. No, instead, they’re shooting directly for the “funky budget grocer” segment that’s currently dominated by Trader Joe’s.
Anyway, I thought I’d steal some pictures of Sprouts from Flickr to sate your appetite until they open in August and to see how the store might differ from other grocers in town (click the photos to visit the owner’s Flickr picture):
Hmmm. Where have we seen chalkboard signs before? Also, notice the nice-sized produce section (other Flickr pictures show more produce)
They appear to sell products with their own branding, just like Trader Joe’s. And many of the shots show organic products.
Also, the pictures show that like Whole Foods, Sprouts allows you to buy things like coffee and other items in bulk. This is certainly cool; Trader Joe’s, as my friend Mike says, isn’t necessarily for people who like to cook, it’s for people who like prepackaged meals at a good price. But Sprouts may offer the best of both worlds.
There also appears to be a lunch/deli counter at Sprouts, which will add to the lunch time dining options available to us in the central valley. This is one of my favorite features of Whole Foods: buy lunch and get some shopping done at the same time. It appears we’ll be able to do the same thing at Sprouts.
Another shot of the produce section. This just puts Trader Joe’s to shame!
Some five months after Trader Joe’s moved to their new location near Best Buy at Bouquet & Newhall Ranch Road, I’m still hearing complaints about how difficult it is to get there. Some have told me that they no longer stop there after work (even if they live in Saugus), while others say they now visit just a few times per month whereas they used to go every week. There’s no doubt that TJ’s is enjoying big success at its new place, but people still find it hard to get to.
Sprouts’ central location will be a major asset for it, I think. And it could be a major asset for the River Oaks shopping center, which has quite a few vacancies right now.
Thanks to Flickr user Lisa Bergeron and digitalnomad for the pics!
This really looks like it’s going to hit the sweet spot. I love whole foods, I really do, but it’s impractical. Bristol farms has its strong suits, but its prices are ridiculous, across the board. They also don’t have the broad-based commitment to quality that Whole Foods has. Trader Joe’s is great, and I love it more every time. I love the new store, but I was very wrong about the new location. It sucks. Either way, Trader Joe’s is at best, a supplementary store. Sprouts looks great, and so does its location.
I am looking forward to the new Sprouts too. TJ’s has always been a pain in the neck to shop at, So Not Worth It.
Much better location than Trader Joe’s, and parking at Mervyn’s is a plus. This will be really good for that shopping Center. I will always miss Mervyn’s, though. I remember when Mervyn’s went in and I bid a fond farewell to the Canyon Country Sears catalogue store, which was the primary source of clothes for our kids.
Will Sprouts only occupy one-third of the old Mervyn’s like it was mentioned before? Or, have they decided to take up the entire spot?
Reliable source says one half to one third, as of about a month ago.
Being from Plum Canyon, I love the TJ location.
;-P
I know that I may be deviating from the main topic, but I wish they would get rid of those parking spots directly in front of Petco and Trader Joe’s. it really slows car traffic either entering or exiting the shopping area.
Right on Valencia Joe – My thoughts exactly. The parking spots also continue on the other side of OSH in front of Office Max, etc. It’s the worse parking design. Anyone who chooses these spots is also putting themselves into a very difficult departure scenario and increases their risk for a (hopefully minor) fenderbender.
Still lovin’ the new TJ’s location, never have a problem finding parking and getting in and out of the lot.
Sprouts is good, but quantity doesn’t always mean quality. I shopped at one years ago, left a lot to be desired. When it opens, it’ll be a hot for awhile before getting cast aside as if it were Buck McKeon’s gay son.