Sprouts Farmers Market

NEW YORK — Sprouts Farmers Market, a Phoenix-based natural-foods supermarket chain, has reached an agreement to merge with competitor, Sunflower Farmers Market, based in Boulder, Col. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The combined company will operate 139 stores in eight states under the Sprouts banner, with annual sales of approximately $2 billion. It will open about 12 new stores this year.

“Our operations are very similar," said Sprouts president Doug Sanders, who will lead the combined supermarket company.

New York -- Sprouts Farmers Market, a Phoenix-based natural-foods supermarket chain, has reached an agreement to merge with competitor, Sunflower Farmers Market, based in Boulder, Col. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The combined company will operate 139 stores in eight states under the Sprouts banner, with annual sales of approximately $2 billion. It will open about 12 new stores this year.

“Our operations are very similar," said Sprouts president Doug Sanders, who will lead the combined supermarket company.

Phoenix -- Private equity firm Apollo Management will acquire majority ownership in Phoenix-based Sprouts Farmers Market. Apollo plans to combine Sprouts operations with another of its holdings, Henry's Farmers Market, based in Irvine, Calif. The combined company will operate under the Sprouts Farmers Market name.

Terms of the deal, expected to close in the second quarter of this year, were not disclosed. The combined grocers will have 98 stores and generate annual sales that exceed $1 billion.

New York City -- Supermarket veteran Mike Gilliland, the founder, chairman and CEO of Sunflower Farmers Markets, was arrested after being charged in an undercover child-prostitution sting and has resigned, according to reports. Gilliland also was a founder of Wild Oats Market.

Chris Sherrell was named acting CEO following Gilliland’s resignation on Saturday, Sunflower Farmers Market said on its website. Gilliland also quit his post on the Phoenix-based Sunflower’s company's board of directors.’

Salt Lake City -- Sunflower Farmers Market said Tuesday that it will open a new store in Salt Lake City on March 16.

The newest location marks the organic grocery chain’s third in Utah and the 33rd store overall for Sunflower Farmers Market.

Sunflower Farmers Market will open its first California location in April.

(November 1, 2010) Being all things to all people is a sure-fire recipe for failure in today’s segmented retail environment. And no one seems to understand this better than the expanding class of grocery chains focused on natural and organic products.