Sprouts Farmers Market Hopes to Replace Big Lots in Cudahy

The Phoenix-based supermarket chain Sprouts Farmers Market hopes to move into a new location in Cudahy at 7925 Atlantic Ave.

The proposed location will move into the former home of Big Lots, although the store is still operating. Sprouts Farmers Market, led by CEO Jack Sinclair, recently applied for a liquor license for the location and is awaiting approval. If the new grocery store is approved, it will become the primary grocery store for the Cudahy Plaza Shopping Center. While the area has plenty of eating options, such as Jim’s Burgers, Tasty Goody, and The Cookie Plug, the new sprouts will only have to compete with Walmart down the street.

When the company opens this new location and its liquor license application is approved, the store will likely hire an additional 100 employees to help run operations. Sprouts has opened several new locations throughout the United States, many of which have hired this many employees at its debut, including in Cape Coral, Moreno Valley, and Apopka. Overall, the grocery store hopes to open between 15 to 17 new locations this year, following an impressive Q2 that saw a 15 percent increase in online sales.

Sprouts Farmers Market appears to be just starting, having launched approximately 20 stores across the U.S. last year. The chain retailer plans to open at least 30 new locations next year, according to Grocery Dive. The company also plans to continue its expansion in 2024, increasing the pace even greater. One reason for this massive success is the company’s recent shift to a smaller format store, averaging about 25,000 square feet. Tustin is one California location recently remodeled to fit this smaller format.

“Our refreshed format highlights the unique experience Sprouts is known for while emphasizing product innovation, attributes, and departments meaningful to our target customers like high-quality meat and seafood, frozen items, and plant-based products,” Dave McGlinchey, Sprouts Chief Format Officer, said last year in a press release. “The smaller size is very efficient and keeps produce at the heart of the store while maintaining our familiar open layout that will offer more assortment of products for a treasure hunt shopping experience.”