Health-focused grocery chains Sprouts Farmers Market and Natural Grocers have both recently seen increased visits to their stores that are higher than other grocery chains, underscoring the specialty retailers’ successes at building ties with shoppers, according to figures published last week by Placer.ai.
Sprouts saw foot traffic at its locations rise by almost 12% year over year during the first quarter of 2025, while Natural Grocers brought in nearly 6% more shoppers by that measure, the retail data analytics firm found. By comparison, foot traffic for the overall grocery industry was up by less than 1% over the same period.
At a time when many retailers have been competing for price-focused shoppers, Sprouts and Natural Grocers have outperformed the broader grocery sector when it comes to attracting higher-income consumers.
“Wealthy suburban families” accounted for almost a sixth of families that shopped at Sprouts in Q1, while one in eight families (13%) that shopped at Natural Grocers during the quarter fell into that category, according to data cited by Placer.ai. Across the grocery space, just under 12% of shoppers met the same description.
Sprouts was particularly successful at drawing more affluent customers during the first three months of 2025. The median household income of the produce-focused chain’s visitors during the period came in at $96,800 — well ahead of the grocery industry average of just under $82,000 — and more than 15% above the figure for Natural Grocers, Placer.ai reported.
Around half of Sprouts’ shoppers in the first quarter came from the suburbs, setting the chain apart from Natural Grocers, which brought in about 40% of its shoppers from the area. Natural Grocers, meanwhile, drew a larger share of its shoppers than Sprouts from smaller metropolitan areas.
Sprouts’ resonance with shoppers comes as the chain moves ahead with a robust expansion plan. The chain added 33 locations in 2024, bringing its fleet to 440 stores in 24 states, and expects to debut at least 35 stores this year.
Natural Grocers plans to open at least four new stores during its current fiscal year, which ends on Sept. 30.
