An all new construction Sprouts Farmers Market grocery was approved this week for West Deptford. The location is on Route 45 (Mantua Pike) in the Southwood Shopping Center.
As part of this project the shopping center will receive significant facade upgrades, bringing it up to a “Class A” retail center.
Sprouts will be developed on the right side of the wide shopping center, closest to Budd Blvd. An unused segment of the building which was most recently an ALDI grocery will be demolished so that a new 23,256 sf new building can be developed.
Upgrading an older center, adding in a premium grocery… all without removing a tree? A win-win-win project!
The Southwood Shopping Center is located in West Deptford but it’s location in the busy commercial corridor of Mantua Pike also has them conveniently located to Woodbury, Woodbury Heights, Deptford, Wenonah, Mantua and other communities.
Sprouts Farmers Market is a healthy grocery store which fits into the premium Whole Foods/Trader Joe’s category, but Sprouts has their own unique store offerings.
Sprouts offers a full healthy supermarket experience in a smaller footprint, and still include deli, seafood and meat counter. They even make fresh sushi in the store!
While not the size of a full supermarket, the West Deptford Sprouts will be about 40% larger than a typical new Trader Joe’s.
Two stores are currently operating in South Jersey, with a similar sized store (To West Deptford) opened last September in Haddon Township. Additionally a larger format store is open in Marlton.
Another store has been approved for Washington Township on Egg Harbor Rd. It is expected that construction there will start this summer.
Ownership of the Southwood Shopping Center are anticipating a Spring 2025 opening for Sprouts!
Sprouts – Southwood Shopping Center
42Freeway first shared news of the signing of Sprouts for West Deptford at the Southwood Center in October of last year.
The 60+ year old Southwood Shopping Center opened around 1959 with a Grants discount store, Penn Fruit supermarket and a Penn Jersey auto store as lead tenants.
An interesting side note is that the current Urgent Care building in the parking lot was once a video rental store!
Over the years the retail marketplace has softened as Internet sales have blossomed, and for many decades it was clear the Southwood Center was in need of a new focus to upgrade the facility and bring in new tenants.
In 2021 the Southwood center was sold to a local group of investors for $3.3 million, who immediately had plans to upgrade the facility.
As part of the Sprouts signing, a previously announced full remodel of the shopping center will take place at the same time. (October 22, 2022). Vantage Commercial (agent for Southwood) stated at the time, “The investment group will deliver a completely remodeled center, to transform Southwood Shopping Center into a Class A retail center”
Sprouts will clearly be a big draw of customers to the shopping center, which should attract the attention of additional retailers to eventually fill out the remaining spaces.
As mentioned Sprouts will take the right hand side of the Southwood Shopping Center (facing it).
At the side closest to Budd Blvd, the center is angled further away from the busy Mantua Pike, which provides ample parking space in front of the store.
Product deliveries will be made in the rear of the Sprouts store with a small loading dock outcropping in the back furthest, away from Budd Blvd.
The new building extends forward from the shopping center and is not as wide as the building it replaces, so Sprouts on the side will be slightly further away from the local roadway. This will actually reduce the amount of covered space in the lot by 3,300 square feet.
One aspect that is helping the project move forward through approval faster (and likely development) is that they are not looking to change any access points to Route 45. Had that been a requirement it would have needed the approval of New Jersey Department of Transportation… and those approvals can take longer.
As mentioned the Southwood ownership team expects an opening in the Spring of 2025… about 14 months away.
Links and Locations
Sprouts Farmers Market – Approved
Southwood Shopping Center
875 Mantua Pike
West Deptford NJ
Sprouts