Both Sprouts and Publix are amongst some of the chains to shop for groceries. Not only do they serve hundreds of thousands of customers, but they sell even more products. But, which one should you shop at? Despite selling similar types of products, they are many differences between these two that could help make your decision as to which one to shop at.
I took a look at 3 main factors:
- Price
- Product Quality
- Product Variety
After reading through this article, you should have a good idea as to what the differences are and which one you should shop at.
Which is Better: Sprouts or Publix? In terms of price, Publix is cheaper across all shopping categories. Additionally, Publix offers higher product quality and product variety. Sprouts does offer more organic options which is better for shoppers who don’t like to buy conventional products.
Is Sprouts More Expensive Than Publix?
One big decision factor that shoppers have when it comes to picking between stores is the price. Typically, shoppers will bring their business to whatever store offers the most affordable pricing. So, between these two stores, which one is the most affordable?
| Category | Sprouts Brand | Publix Brand |
| Beverages | ✓ | |
| Baking Goods | ✓ | |
| Canned Goods | ✓ | |
| Dairy | ✓ | |
| Dry Goods | ✓ | |
| Frozen Foods | ✓ | |
| Personal Care | ✓ | |
| Cleaners | ✓ | |
| Others |
So, which one is cheaper? Across all shopping categories, Publix is cheaper than Sprouts.
This is not too surprising, as a majority of Sprouts’s items are organic. Typically, organic products cost significantly more than regular items due to the nature of their contents.
So, if you are a shopper that prioritizes price over other factors, then there is no doubt that Publix is a better place to shop for you.
Product Quality: Sprouts vs Publix
I looked into how many FDA recalls each store had recently. Recalled products are an indicator that the products may not be that high quality. So, between these two stores, which one has higher quality items?
| Category | Sprouts Recalls | Publix Recalls |
| Animal & Veterinary | 0 | 1 |
| Biologics | 0 | 0 |
| Cosmetics | 0 | 0 |
| Dietary Supplements | 1 | 0 |
| Drugs | 0 | 0 |
| Food and Beverages | 16 | 14 |
| Medical Devices | 0 | 0 |
| Radiation Emitting Products | 0 | 0 |
| Tobacco | 0 | 0 |
From the findings on the FDA’s website, it seems that Publix has had less recalled items in recent times. So, it seems that Publix has higher quality products, especially within their Food and Beverages category.
So, if you are a shopper that values product quality over most other factors, then Publix is probably your best bet.
Product Variety: Sprouts vs Publix
Some shoppers like to have a variety of options to pick from. To some, product variety is crucial when grocery shopping. So, when comparing these two stores, which one offers more options and products to choose from?
Something to note is that Publix is considered a supermarket while Sprouts is considered a grocery store/ farmers market. The main difference is that a supermarket offers more home & personal care types of products, whereas a grocery store is just produce and consumables.
| Total Sprouts Products | Total Publix Products |
| 2,400 Products | 30,000+ Products |
By far, Publix offers much more product variety. To be specific, Publix offers over 30,000 products in their stores, whereas Sprouts only sells about 2,400 products at their locations.
This means that shoppers who enjoy having many different items to pick from, will prefer shopping at Publix.
Which Has More Locations: Sprouts or Publix?
Customer reach is also another big difference between these two stores. Essentially, there is a pretty large difference in how many store locations they have. ?This means that the store with the most locations likely has more brand awareness and more reach to customers.
| Sprouts | Publix |
| 24 States | 7 States |
| 300 Stores | 1272 Stores |
It seems that while Sprouts operates in more states than Publix, they have about 25% of the overall locations. More specifically, Sprouts is located throughout 24 states, but only has about 300 locations, whereas Publix only operates in 7 states, but has over 1200 locations.
Which One Should You Shop At: Sprouts vs Publix?
When to shop at Sprouts: So, if you are someone who doesn’t mind paying a bit extra to get your organic food items, then Sprouts is right for you. They do not offer as much in terms of product variety though.
When to shop at Publix: If you are a shopper that enjoys cheaper prices, higher quality items, and a large amount of product variety, then Publix is your place to shop.