Supervalu Sells Sunflower Farmers Market the Rights to the Sunflower Brand

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January 4, 2011

Sunflower Farmers Market plans to redesign and roll out new packaging for its line of private label products using its newly acquired rights to use the Sunflower brand.

The rebranding includes more than 1,000 SKUs, according to a Supermarket News report. Rights to the Sunflower name were acquired from Supervalu for an undisclosed price, which is enabling the chain to convert its stores in Texas from the Newflower Farmers Market to the Sunflower banner, and it can begin using the sunflowerfarmersmarkets.com URL as well.

"We are going to start using the name in whatever ways possible," said Chris Sherrell, president and COO of Sunflower told Supermarket News.

As part of the deal, Supervalu has retained exclusive rights to use the Sunflower name in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee.

Sunflower Farmers Market now has the right to the Sunflower brand in six states where the chain currently operates 32 stores, including Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Utah and Nevada. The company plans to enter the California market in the spring.

Sunflower Farmers Market offers a no-frills limited assortment approach to organic foods, attempting to make them affordable staples. Fresh produce accounts for 30 percent of the retailer’s business and footprint, according to executives. The goal is to offer shoppers a more limited and affordable selection of organic products, according to the company.

Mike Gilliland, a co-founder of Wild Oats Markets, is CEO of this fledgling chain. As CEO of Wild Oats from 1987 to 2001, Gilliland grew the business from a single store in Boulder, Colo., to a 115-unit chain across 38 states and Canada, boasting $900 million in revenue. Wild Oats was recently acquired by Whole Foods Market.

Click on the video below for more on Sunflower Farmers Market.

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