The second Sprouts Farmers Market in the state will be opening Wednesday in Fayetteville at Freedom Town Center.
The 30,000-square-foot store, at 2810 Freedom Parkway Drive, is holding its grand opening beginning at 7 a.m.
The public is invited to the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
This new grocery presence in the area's fast-growing supermarket scene adds Sprouts to the likes of Publix, Aldi, IGA, Food Lion, the Fresh Market and Harris Teeter. It seems that only Trader Joe's, Kroger, Safeway and Whole Foods are missing.
But Sprouts rolls in with a different twist — by catering to the more health-conscious with its emphasis on natural, organic and gluten-free items.
The Phoenix-based Sprouts promotes itself as meeting "the growing local demand for fresh, natural and organic foods at great prices." Of the average 19,000 products on display in a Sprouts Farmers Market store, roughly 90 percent are natural or organic, according to company spokeswoman Kalia Pang.
"Sprouts offers a complete shopping experience that includes an array of fresh produce in the heart of the store, a deli with prepared entrees and side dishes, The Butcher Shop, The Fish Market, an expansive vitamins and supplements department and more," publicity materials said.
For savings, shoppers are asked to sign up for the Sprouts Farmers Market newsletter at Sprouts.com. This will keep customers up to date on the latest mobile coupons, specials, recipes, health tips and upcoming events at the store, the company's online website said.
The first Sprouts Farmers Market opened in March on the Falls of Neuse Road in Raleigh. A third North Carolina store is scheduled to open in Charlotte in the second quarter of the year.
"We're expanding toward the east," Pang said Thursday. "We started with a few additional stores in the Georgia area last year. This is our second store in North Carolina. We're opening our first store in Maryland this year, as well. We have a distribution center in Georgia, and we're rapidly expanding in the region supported by the distribution center out of Georgia."
Sprouts employs more than 27,000 people in more than 280 stores in 15 states. A workforce of about 120 will be employed at the Fayetteville location, Pang said.
Sprouts is offering the following grand opening giveaways on Wednesday:
• The first 200 shoppers in line will receive 20 percent off their initial total purchase.
• Muffin and coffee samples will be served to those in line before the doors open.
• Upon checkout, every 15th shopper will receive a coupon book featuring Sprouts savings.
• Every customer will receive one free reusable bag with purchase.
Over the store's first weekend, the following deals will be offered:
• On Jan. 13, the first 200 customers to make a purchase will receive a coupon booklet for five free deli items.
• Upon checkout on Jan. 14, every 15th customer will receive a coupon for $5 off a purchase of more than $15 to use on their next visit.
Millennial grocery shopping
According to a study by Retail Feedback Group, millennials enjoy the supermarket experience less than baby boomers and Gen Xers.
The research firm out of Lake Success, New York, reported in its 2017 U.S. Supermarket Experience Study that millennials rated supermarkets lower than their elders on all core experience factors, including overall trip satisfaction.
"Traditional supermarkets must find ways to make the supermarket more appealing and relevant to younger shoppers or risk becoming endangered as Boomers age and purchase less," Brian Numainville is quoted as saying in the publication Supermarket News.
Numainville is a principal with the Retail Feedback Group.
Grocery delivery
To wrap up today's supermarket theme, Food Lion is expanding its grocery delivery service in the Raleigh-Durham area to Sanford in nearby Lee County.
Those who live in the Sanford area who decide to use the service will be able to stay cozy at home, avoid any harsh winter weather and have their groceries delivered same-day, according to a news release.
Instacart, billed as the country's largest on-demand grocery delivery service, plans to launch the business in the Sanford area through Food Lion on Wednesday.
The delivery area will cover more than 28,000 households, the release said: "New areas of service include Sanford, Tramway, Osgood, Haw Branch, Cumnock, Asbury, Colon, Wildwood, Western Hills, Buffalo Lake, West Sanford, Lemon Springs, Barbecue, Olivia, Trails End, White Hill, Seminole, Upper Little River and Broadway."
For more information, go to instacart.com.
Be safe, shoppers, and watch for any black ice in the aisles.
See something sprouting up, have tips, questions or comments for Strictly Business? Contact staff writer Michael Futch at [email protected] or 486-3529.