Dive Brief:
- Sprouts Farmers Market has partnered with Whole30, an elimination diet program, to offer a Whole30 shopping list for consumers looking to change their eating habits in the New Year, according to a press release.
- Sprouts is also hosting six Whole30 store events Saturday, January 4, from 10 a.m. to noon in cities including Atlanta, Dallas and Las Vegas. The first 100 customers will receive a free copy of The Whole30 Friends & Family book and a complimentary floral arrangement.
- The events will feature education about the Whole30 program, book giveaways and advice from local Whole30 certified coaches.
Dive Insight:
The new partnership is perfectly timed to capitalize on Americans’ decisions to use the New Year as a way to change their diet and improve health and wellness.
Prior to this initiative, Sprouts has intentionally aligned itself with Whole30, offering a number of Whole30-approved brands specially categorized on its website. The Whole30 program consists of a month-long commitment to eliminating certain foods from the diet like dairy, grains, alcohol, sugar and processed ingredients. The program’s emphasis on clean eating dovetails with Sprouts’ heath-focused offerings as well as plethora of organic and all-natural products.
As consumers increasingly look to supermarkets for thought leadership in health and wellness, retailers are seeing an opportunity to differentiate while offering value beyond groceries and household staples. Sprouts' decision to tap the popular diet program offers its customers additional expertise in lieu of simply running promos on health items or offering diet-friendly prepared foods.
A few other food retailers have tapped into the Whole30 trend. In 2017, Whole30 partnered with Whole Foods to launch a program starter guide. Both Snap Kitchen and Blue Apron offer Whole30 meals. Walmart stocks Whole30-approved private label frozen bowls and a Whole30 compliant brand called Grandcestors, as well as other compliant items like Tribali frozen meat patties and 27 different products from Applegate. Target has also been noted as a retailer with several program-friendly food options, including some private label items.
Earlier this year, Sprouts announced plans to slow store growth in favor of building smaller stores that have proven more productive than larger footprints as well as boosting digital marketing efforts. The announcement followed the addition of former Walmart.com CEO to its board, who identified bringing a clearer brand identity to consumers as one of his top priorities.
