Healthy Food Business Flowers in AZ
By George Anderson
Sunflower Market, “The Serious Food, Silly Prices” retailer, opened a new store in Gilbert, AZ yesterday looking to carve out a healthy share for itself in the local natural
foods and products market.
The unit, housed in a former Smith’s Food and Drug store, includes an “olive bar, large selection of wines and liquors, and 350 bins of bulk foods and silly prices.”
According to the Arizona Republic, “Sunflower aims to compete with such stores as Trader Joe’s and Sprouts Farmers Market and to provide as big a variety of goods and
groceries as Fry’s and Safeway. It will offer regular brands and healthful alternatives, such as organic foods and detergents without fragrances.”
Moderator’s Comment: What are your thoughts on Sunflower and the impact operators such as this have on the overall grocery market?
Sunflower’s corporate mission statement reads much like Trader Joe’s. It promises to offer better-than-supermarket quality food at prices lower than supermarkets.
It sources and buys product directly in bulk and it gets the lowest price available by avoiding gimmickry such as slotting fees.
Trader Joe’s, however, probably doesn’t need to be too concerned about Sunflower Markets. It is the traditional grocers that need to be worried about Trader
Joe’s and Sunflower. [George
Anderson – Moderator]