Super Sprouts

Here's an unsolicited marketing pitch to my favorite grocery store. Let's look at how Sprout’s can go from a great grocery to an even greater grocery store by horizontally expanding their grocery offering.

Sprout's Target Market

In order to do that, we have to know who they are targeting. Generally speaking, Sprout's customer is a health conscious consumer, 30-40 year old parent (likely a mom), seeking non-GMO foods. To simplify, let's label her as 'Healthy Mom' because that's who Sprout's customer is in store and in life. This awesome, amazing, super hero of a human's desire is to raise her children and family health consciously.

Competitive Analysis

If you enter the original Whole Foods in Austin, TX that built the brand's success, it's an experience. There’s going to be plenty of options for grab and go food, and buffet style servings, and as they pull you closer into the bakery. The collective smells permiate the air immediately making you hungry. The option to buy a coffee or smoothie is as close to the exit as it is the entrance. This model and experience built the brand name and recognition for the grocery chain. Granted they didn't maintain the same model at every Whole Foods location, before selling out for a quick billion to Amazon, but that experience built the brand.

Sprout's Unique Selling Points

Now we can introduce why shopping at a farmer's market grocery chain like Sprout's is better than your typical grocery chain.

1. The selections are better (read as healthier for you) as they will have less to no carcinogenic ingredients.

2. The produce is not laced with toxic genetically modified (GMO) chemicals, which means it is better for you to consume.

3. The processed foods are not full of ingredients you cannot pronounce.

The only con to shopping here is you might go more maybe an extra visit a month. Since the produce is not laced with preservatives it does not last as long as produce that is - with an exception to bananas because Sprout’s packages them correctly (iykyk) .

History of Home Food Spending

And finally, a brief history of food purchasing for consumption, because grocery stores did not always exist. Before they were invented in the early 1900s, people would gather at a daily farmers supply where they could buy their food for that day. Typically they would also have a garden of their own or they would know someone that had something they wanted and barter up a trade. This was also before farmers started poisoning our produce and meat, to prevent insects from eating them and preserving their shelf life longer, bringing in more revenue for the farmer and the grocery store. You could also have your milk delivered fresh from the farm directly to your house. There were specialty shops like butchers, fishmongers for fish, or a baker for bread. The problem was people were going there multiple times a week including having to take multiple stops to get what they want and or need.

Nearly every invention human's create are a faster alternative that saves time, such as the refridgerator - shortly after the grocery store was created. Refrigerators were invented to store food, saving human's time and money. Rapid adoption of the refridgerator is still less than a century old.

Conventional grocery stores are now basically a one stop shop like a Wal-Mart or Target, which now also have their own grocery availability. In the mid 90s these shops started offering grocery availability once they saw the effects of the Super Wal-Mart's in the late 80s. And now grocery stores are offering super stores that carry clothes and electronics - like a PS5 bundle in Texas at HEB Plus or at Central Market there is a playground for the kids.

Let's start with a fun fact: The shopping cart was invented to convince people to buy more. Sylvan Goldman designed this larger cart for a Humpty Dumpty in OKC. This is because he realized he could convince people to spend more the bigger he made the basket. The only problem was nobody were using them when they became available. Sylvan hired models to drive them around the store and talk to customers to show the convenience first hand, and then it took off.

Super Sprouts Pitch

The more time you spend at a place, the more money customers are likely to spend. Sprouts should create a Super Sprouts that offers more than a safe alternative to food. Super Sprouts can be a place that creates an entire experience where Healthy Mom can bring her family to spend time. Super Sprouts should offer a safe place to relax, consume and ultimately create a place where Healthy Mom can bring her family. The experience that unfolds should be to elevate the five senses.

See

The current layouts of grocery stores generally do not maximize the revenue, as well as it can. When you walk into the store what you see should be conducive to the brand. I think as soon as you walk in to a grocery store you should be considerate to make the customer as comfortable as possible. Giving an option to buy water, or fill up a water bottle for free should be the first thing you do when the first door to the store opens. Since human's are made up of 3/4 water, quenching thirst is the first element that convinces the person to satisfy a need. Now you've made the attempt to make the individual comfortable by satisfying a thirst craving. Subconsciously you made the individual a willing participant to give you their hard earned money because of your thoughtfulness upon entry.

Hear

Right when you walk into the store there should be a person welcoming you in the store and mentioning any of the promotions to look out for the day. There should be a Top 40 playlist reflective of the area of the Super Sprouts. The only rule is the music must be conducive for children to listen to with no explicit lyrics which eliminates most rap, alternative and rock. Having a live band playing is the option I like the most, but at select times of the day. A jazz melody is a rhythm that's not too fast and not too slow, for example.

Smell

Restaurants should be the first thing that people can choose from. Similar to walking in HMart. People can grab food to go, or dine in. Sprouts can even have it's own restaurant as a competitor to generate more revenue. If there is a live band, have the stage around the seating area while people are waiting for their food, and eating. The very next section is going to be the bakery because fresh bread smells is what drove Subway to popularity. Fresh basked customized desserts and cakes for every occasion is the next section of the store.

Taste

Think about a grocery store with an Ikea layout with a touch of Costco. It should go from healthy to least healthy. Fresh foods is up first. Followed by frozed foods. And finally the processed food sections. You can put promotional giveaways throughout the store, and have individuals handing out samples as people peruse the store. Just as you gave away free fresh water in the beginning, handing out food offers conversation. It also spawns reciprocation.

Touch

Envision a grocery store that you can see the total on the handles of the shopping cart or handbasket. Every item that makes it in the basket is accounted for and the purchase is made. When you get to the end there is a checkout process to finalize your basket and you choose the option to pay. Handing cash to a cashier or the ability to pay with crypto or some other money holding service. And for a speedier checkout finalizing your basket and paying with card. These options are available after the customer has passed the final stage which is adding a smoothie, milkshake, or a coffee to go. No more long standing lines waiting to checkout. The bonus touch of the Super Sprouts Store is adding an activity area for kids with a playground because you know your customer well.