Form S-3
Table of Contents

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 11, 2014

Registration No. 333-            

 

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM S-3

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Delaware   32-0331600

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

 

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification Number)

11811 N. Tatum Boulevard

Suite 2400

Phoenix, Arizona 85028

(480) 814-8016

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)

 

 

Brandon F. Lombardi, Esq.

Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary

Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc.

11811 N. Tatum Boulevard

Suite 2400

Phoenix, Arizona 85028

(480) 814-8016

(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

 

 

Copy to:

Howard A. Kenny, Esq.

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP

101 Park Avenue

New York, NY 10178

(212) 309-6000

 

 

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to time after this Registration Statement becomes effective.

If the only securities being registered on this form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box.    ¨

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box.    x

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.    ¨

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.    ¨

If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box.    x

If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box.    ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

 

Large accelerated filer   ¨    Accelerated filer   ¨
Non-accelerated filer   x  (Do not check if a smaller reporting company)    Smaller reporting company   ¨

 

 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 

 

Title of Each Class of

Securities to be Registered

 

Number of

Shares to be

Registered

 

Proposed Maximum

Offering Price

per Share

 

Proposed Maximum

Aggregate Offering

Price

 

Amount of

Registration Fee

Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share

  (1)   (1)   (1)   (2)

 

 

(1) An indeterminate number of shares of common stock of the Company may be sold from time to time in unspecified numbers and at indeterminate prices, by selling stockholders to be named in a prospectus supplement, pursuant to this Registration Statement.
(2) The Company is deferring payment of the registration fee pursuant to Rule 456(b) under the Securities Act and is omitting this information in reliance on Rule 456(b) and Rule 457(r) under the Securities Act. Registration fees will be paid subsequently on a pay-as-you-go basis.

 

 

 


Table of Contents

PROSPECTUS

 

LOGO

Common Stock

 

 

This prospectus relates solely to sales of Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. common stock by selling stockholders, some of whom may be our affiliates. The selling stockholders, who will be named in a prospectus supplement, may offer and sell shares of our common stock from time to time in amounts, at prices and on terms that will be determined at the time of any such offering. We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of shares of common stock to be offered by the selling stockholders. We will pay the expenses, other than underwriting discounts and commissions, associated with the sale of shares by the selling stockholders.

This prospectus describes some of the general terms that may apply to our common stock. Each time any common stock is offered pursuant to this prospectus, we will provide a prospectus supplement containing more specific information about the offering, including the identities of, and the number of shares of our common stock to be sold by, the selling stockholders. The prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. We may also authorize one or more free writing prospectuses to be provided to you in connection with these offerings. You should read this prospectus, the applicable prospectus supplement, and any related free writing prospectus, as well as the documents incorporated by reference herein or therein, carefully before you make your investment decision.

This prospectus may not be used to offer and sell shares of our common stock unless accompanied by a prospectus supplement.

The shares of our common stock may be sold at a fixed price or prices, which may be changed, at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices related to such prevailing market prices or at a negotiated price. The shares of our common stock offered by this prospectus and the accompanying prospectus supplement may be offered by the selling stockholders directly to purchasers or to or through underwriters, brokers or dealers or other agents. The prospectus supplement for each offering will describe in detail the plan of distribution for that offering and will set forth the names of any underwriters, brokers or dealers or agents involved in the offering and any applicable fees, commissions or discounts.

Our common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “SFM.”

 

 

Investing in our common stock involves risks. See “Risk Factors” on page 5 of this prospectus, as well as those contained in the accompanying prospectus supplement and the documents incorporated by reference herein or therein, for a discussion of factors you should consider before buying shares of our common stock.

 

 

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

 

Prospectus dated August 11, 2014


Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

     Page  

About this Prospectus

     1   

Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

     2   

The Company

     4   

Risk Factors

     5   

Use of Proceeds

     5   

Description of Capital Stock

     5   

Selling Stockholders

     9   

Plan of Distribution

     10   

Legal Matters

     15   

Experts

     15   

Where You Can Find Additional Information

     15   

Incorporation of Documents by Reference

     15   

 

 

Neither we nor the selling stockholders have authorized anyone to provide any information or to make any representations other than those contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or in any free writing prospectuses we have prepared. We take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. This prospectus is an offer to sell only the shares of common stock offered hereby, but only under circumstances and in jurisdictions where it is lawful to do so. The information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus is current only as of its date.

This prospectus includes our trademarks and service marks, SPROUTS FARMERS MARKET®, SPROUTS® and HEALTHY LIVING FOR LESS!®, which are protected under applicable intellectual property laws and are the property of Sprouts. This prospectus also contains trademarks, service marks, trade names and copyrights of other companies, which are the property of their respective owners. Solely for convenience, trademarks and trade names referred to in this prospectus may appear without the ® or TM symbols. We do not intend our use or display of other parties’ trademarks, trade names or service marks to imply, and such use or display should not be construed to imply, a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by, these other parties.

 

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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

This prospectus is part of an automatic shelf registration statement that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (referred to as the “SEC”) as a “well-known seasoned issuer” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (referred to as the “Securities Act”). Under the automatic shelf registration process, the selling stockholders to be named in one or more prospectus supplements may offer and sell, from time to time, shares of our common stock.

This prospectus provides you with a general description of the common stock any selling stockholder may offer. Each time any selling stockholder sells common stock, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will contain specific information about the terms of that offering. The prospectus supplement that accompanies this prospectus may describe, as applicable: the public offering price, the price paid for the securities, the net proceeds and the other specific terms related to the offering of these securities. We may also authorize one or more free writing prospectuses to be provided to you that may contain material information relating to these offerings. The prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus may also add to, update or change information contained in this prospectus or in any documents that we have incorporated by reference into this prospectus and, accordingly, to the extent inconsistent, information in this prospectus is superseded by the information in the prospectus supplement or any related free writing prospectus.

This prospectus does not contain all of the information included in the registration statement. The registration statement filed with the SEC includes or incorporates by reference exhibits that provide more details about the matters discussed in this prospectus. You should carefully read this prospectus, the related exhibits filed with the SEC and any prospectus supplement, together with the additional information described below under the headings “Where You Can Find Additional Information” and “Incorporation of Documents by Reference.”

THIS PROSPECTUS MAY NOT BE USED TO SELL ANY SHARES OF OUR COMMON STOCK UNLESS ACCOMPANIED BY A PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT.

No offer of these securities will be made in any jurisdiction where the offer is not permitted.

As used in this prospectus, unless the context otherwise requires, references to the “Company,” “Sprouts,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. and, where appropriate, its subsidiaries.

 

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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference into it contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (referred to as the “Exchange Act”). All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference into it, including statements regarding our future operating results and financial position, business strategy, and plans and objectives of management for future operations, are forward-looking statements. In many cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as “may,” “should,” “expects,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “could,” “intends,” “target,” “projects,” “contemplates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential,” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions.

The forward-looking statements contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus reflect our views as of the dates of such statements about future events and are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and changes in circumstances that may cause our actual results, performance, or achievements to differ significantly from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statement. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future events, results, performance, or achievements. A number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, those factors described in “Risk Factors” in this prospectus and our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K (referred to as the “Form 10-K”) and any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q (referred to as the “Form 10-Q”) incorporated by reference herein and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in our Form 10-K and Forms 10-Q incorporated by reference herein. Some of the key factors that could cause actual results to differ from our expectations include the following:

 

    the competitive nature of the industry in which we conduct our business;

 

    our ability to open new stores;

 

    our ability to maintain or increase comparable store sales;

 

    the potential for our newly opened stores to negatively impact our financial results in the short or long term;

 

    our ability to maintain or improve operating margins;

 

    disruptions in the supply of produce or fresh, natural and organic products;

 

    our ability to identify market trends and react to changing consumer preferences;

 

    the impact of quality or food safety concerns;

 

    our exposure to lawsuits relating to the products we sell;

 

    our ability to maintain our brand value and reputation;

 

    the geographic concentration of our stores;

 

    disruption of significant supplier relationships;

 

    significant interruptions in the operations of our distribution centers or supply chain network;

 

    the effects of government regulation;

 

    liabilities arising out of our nutrition-oriented educational activities;

 

    the failure of our information technology systems;

 

    general economic conditions affecting consumer spending;

 

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    the occurrence of a widespread health epidemic;

 

    increased commodity prices and lack of availability;

 

    increased energy costs;

 

    increases in the cost of our marketing, advertising, and promotional activities;

 

    our inability to protect our intellectual property;

 

    changes in accounting standards;

 

    the outcome of litigation against us;

 

    our ability to accurately estimate claims under our insurance plans;

 

    our high level of fixed lease obligations;

 

    our ability to satisfy our lease obligations;

 

    the retention of key management;

 

    our ability to attract, train and retain store team members;

 

    the effect of increased labor costs;

 

    union organization activities;

 

    our ability to raise additional capital to finance the growth of our business;

 

    our ability to service our debt obligations;

 

    restrictions in our debt agreements;

 

    increased costs as the result of being a public company;

 

    the limited experience of our management in managing a public company;

 

    our ability to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting; and

 

    the potential for our goodwill to become impaired.

Readers are urged to consider these factors carefully in evaluating the forward-looking statements and are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. All of the forward-looking statements we have included or incorporated by reference in this prospectus are based on information available to us on the date of such statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as otherwise required by law.

 

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THE COMPANY

Sprouts Farmers Market operates as a healthy grocery store that offers fresh, natural and organic food that includes fresh produce, bulk foods, vitamins and supplements, grocery, meat and seafood, bakery, dairy, frozen foods, body care and natural household items catering to consumers’ growing interest in eating and living healthier. Since our founding in 2002, we have grown rapidly, significantly increasing our sales, store count and profitability. We are one of the largest specialty retailers of fresh, natural and organic food in the United States.

The cornerstones of our business are fresh, natural and organic products at compelling prices (which we refer to as “Healthy Living for Less”), an attractive and differentiated shopping experience, and knowledgeable team members who we believe provide best-in-class customer service and product education.

Healthy Living for Less. We offer high-quality, fresh, natural and organic products at attractive prices in every department. Consistent with our farmers market heritage, our offering begins with fresh produce, which we source, warehouse and distribute in-house and sell at prices we believe to be significantly below those of other food retailers. In addition, our scale, operating structure and deep industry relationships position us to consistently deliver “Healthy Living for Less” throughout the store. Based on our experience, we believe we attract a broad customer base, including conventional supermarket customers, and appeal to a much wider demographic than other specialty retailers of natural and organic food. We believe that over time, our compelling prices and product offering convert many “trial” customers into loyal “lifestyle” customers who shop Sprouts with greater frequency and across an increasing number of departments.

Attractive, Differentiated Shopping Experience. In a convenient, small-box format, our stores have a farmers market feel, with a bright, open-air atmosphere to create a comfortable and engaging in-store experience. We strive to be our customers’ everyday healthy grocery store. We feature fresh produce and bulk foods at the center of the store surrounded by a complete grocery offering, including vitamins and supplements, grocery, meat and seafood, bakery, dairy, frozen foods, beer and wine, body care and natural household items. Consistent with our fresh, natural and organic offering, we choose not to carry most of the traditional, national branded consumer packaged goods generally found at conventional grocery retailers (e.g., Doritos, Tide and Lucky Charms). Instead, we offer high-quality alternatives that emphasize our focus on fresh, natural and organic products at great values.

Customer Service & Education. We are dedicated to our mission of “Healthy Living for Less,” and we attract team members who share our passion for educating and serving our customers with the goal of making healthy eating easier and more accessible. We believe our well-trained and engaged team members help our customers increasingly understand that they can purchase a wide selection of high-quality, healthy and great tasting food for themselves and their families at attractive prices by shopping at Sprouts.

Corporate Information

Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. is a Delaware corporation. Our principal executive offices are located at 11811 N. Tatum Boulevard, Suite 2400, Phoenix, Arizona 85028, and our telephone number is (480) 814-8016. Our website address is www.sprouts.com. The information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus, and you should not consider any information contained on, or that can be accessed through, our website as part of this prospectus or in deciding whether to purchase our common stock.

 

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RISK FACTORS

Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described under “Risk Factors” in our most recent Form 10-K and any subsequent Forms 10-Q, and in the accompanying prospectus supplement, together with all of the other information included or incorporated by reference in this prospectus and in the accompanying prospectus supplement, including our consolidated financial statements and related notes, before deciding whether to purchase shares of our common stock. Any of these risks could materially and adversely affect our business, operating results, financial condition, or prospects and cause the value of our common stock to decline, which could cause you to lose all or part of your investment.

USE OF PROCEEDS

We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of the common stock by the selling stockholders to be named in a prospectus supplement. Certain of the selling stockholders may exercise options to purchase all or a portion of the shares they are offering hereby. Any proceeds we receive from the exercise of such options will be used by us for general corporate purposes.

DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

General

Our authorized capital stock consists of 200,000,000 shares of common stock, $0.001 par value per share, and 10,000,000 shares of undesignated preferred stock, $0.001 par value per share. The following description summarizes the most important terms of our capital stock. Because it is only a summary, it does not contain all the information that may be important to you. For a complete description, you should refer to our certificate of incorporation and bylaws, which are included as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, and to the provisions of applicable Delaware law.

Common Stock

Dividend Rights

Subject to preferences that may apply to shares of preferred stock outstanding at the time, the holders of outstanding shares of our common stock are entitled to receive dividends out of funds legally available at the times and in the amounts that our board of directors may determine.

Voting Rights

Each holder of our common stock is entitled to one vote for each share of common stock held on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders. Cumulative voting for the election of directors is not provided for in our certificate of incorporation, which means that the holders of a majority of our shares of common stock voted can elect all of the directors then standing for election.

Preemptive or Similar Rights

Our common stock is not entitled to preemptive rights and is not subject to conversion or redemption. The rights of the holders of our common stock are subject to, and may be adversely affected by, the rights of the holders of shares of any series of our preferred stock that our board of directors may designate and issue in the future.

 

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Liquidation Rights

Upon our liquidation, dissolution, or winding-up, the assets legally available for distribution to our stockholders would be distributable ratably among the holders of our common stock and any participating preferred stock outstanding at that time after payment of liquidation preferences, if any, on any outstanding shares of preferred stock and payment of other claims of creditors.

Preferred Stock

Our board of directors is authorized, subject to limitations prescribed by Delaware law, to issue up to 10,000,000 shares of our preferred stock in one or more series, to establish from time to time the number of shares to be included in each series, to fix the designation, powers, preferences, and rights of the shares of each series and any of its qualifications, limitations, or restrictions, in each case without further action by our stockholders. Our board of directors can also increase or decrease the number of shares of any series of preferred stock, but not below the number of shares of that series then outstanding. Our board of directors may authorize the issuance of preferred stock with voting or conversion rights that could adversely affect the voting power or other rights of the holders of the common stock. The issuance of preferred stock, while providing flexibility in connection with possible acquisitions and other corporate purposes, could, among other things, have the effect of delaying, deferring, or preventing a change in our control and might adversely affect the market price of our common stock and the voting and other rights of the holders of our common stock. We have no current plan to issue any shares of preferred stock.

Anti-Takeover Effects of Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws

We are governed by the Delaware General Corporation Law (referred to as the “DGCL”). Our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws contain certain provisions that could have the effect of delaying, deterring, or preventing another party from acquiring control of our company. These provisions, which are summarized below, may discourage coercive takeover practices and inadequate takeover bids. These provisions are also designed, in part, to encourage persons seeking to acquire control of our company to negotiate first with our board of directors. We believe that the benefits of increased protection of our potential ability to negotiate more favorable terms with an unfriendly or unsolicited acquirer outweigh the disadvantages of potentially discouraging a proposal to acquire our company.

Undesignated Preferred Stock

As discussed above, our board of directors has the ability to issue preferred stock with voting or other rights or preferences that could impede the success of any attempt to acquire control of our company. These and other provisions may have the effect of deterring hostile takeovers or delaying changes in control or management of our company.

Limits on Ability of Stockholders to Act by Written Consent or Call a Special Meeting

Our certificate of incorporation provides that our stockholders may not act by written consent, which may lengthen the amount of time required to take stockholder actions. As a result, a holder controlling a majority of our capital stock would not be able to amend our bylaws or remove directors without holding a meeting of our stockholders called in accordance with our bylaws.

In addition, our certificate of incorporation provides that special meetings of the stockholders may be called only by the chairperson of our board or our board of directors. Stockholders may not call a special meeting, which may delay the ability of our stockholders to force consideration of a proposal or for holders controlling a majority of our capital stock to take any action, including the removal of directors.

 

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Requirements for Advance Notification of Stockholder Nominations and Proposals

Our bylaws establish advance notice procedures with respect to stockholder proposals and the nomination of candidates for election as directors, other than nominations made by or at the direction of our board of directors or a committee of our board of directors. These provisions may have the effect of precluding the conduct of certain business at a meeting if the proper procedures are not followed. These provisions may also discourage or deter a potential acquirer from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect the acquirer’s own slate of directors or otherwise attempting to obtain control of our company.

Board Classification

Our board of directors is divided into three classes, one class of which is elected each year by our stockholders. The directors in each class serve for three-year terms. In addition, our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws provide that directors may be removed only for cause. The classification of our board of directors and the limitations on the ability of our stockholders to remove directors could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire, or discourage a third party from seeking to acquire, control of our company.

No Cumulative Voting

Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws do not permit cumulative voting in the election of directors. Cumulative voting allows a stockholder to vote a portion or all of the stockholder’s shares for one or more candidates for seats on the board of directors. Without cumulative voting, a minority stockholder may not be able to gain as many seats on our board of directors as the stockholder would be able to gain if cumulative voting were permitted. The absence of cumulative voting makes it more difficult for a minority stockholder to gain a seat on our board of directors to influence our board’s decision regarding a takeover or otherwise.

Amendment of Charter Provisions

The amendment of the above provisions of our certificate of incorporation and bylaws requires approval by holders of at least two-thirds of our outstanding capital stock entitled to vote generally in the election of directors.

Delaware Anti-Takeover Statute

Our certificate of incorporation provides that we are not governed by Section 203 of the DGCL which, in the absence of such provisions, would have imposed additional requirements regarding mergers and other business combinations.

The provisions of our certificate of incorporation and bylaws could have the effect of discouraging others from attempting hostile takeovers and, as a consequence, might also inhibit temporary fluctuations in the market price of our common stock that often result from actual or rumored hostile takeover attempts. These provisions might also have the effect of preventing changes in our management. It is possible that these provisions could make it more difficult to accomplish transactions that stockholders might otherwise deem to be in their best interests.

 

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Limitations of Liability and Indemnification

Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws provide that we will indemnify our directors and officers, and may indemnify our team members and other agents, to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, which prohibits our certificate of incorporation from limiting the liability of our directors for the following:

 

    any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to us or to our stockholders;

 

    acts or omissions not in good faith or that involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law;

 

    unlawful payment of dividends or unlawful stock repurchases or redemptions; and

 

    any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit.

If Delaware law is amended to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the personal liability of a director, then the liability of our directors will be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law, as so amended. Our certificate of incorporation will not eliminate a director’s duty of care and, in appropriate circumstances, equitable remedies, such as injunctive or other forms of non-monetary relief, remain available under Delaware law. This provision also does not affect a director’s responsibilities under any other laws, such as the federal securities laws or other state or federal laws. Under our bylaws, we will also be empowered to purchase insurance on behalf of any person whom we are required or permitted to indemnify.

In addition to the indemnification required in our certificate of incorporation and bylaws, we have entered into indemnification agreements with each of our current directors and executive officers. These agreements will provide for the indemnification of such persons for all reasonable expenses and liabilities, including attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines, and settlement amounts, incurred in connection with any action or proceeding brought against them by reason of the fact that they are or were serving in such capacity. We believe that these bylaw provisions and indemnification agreements are necessary to attract and retain qualified persons as directors and officers. We also maintain directors’ and officers’ liability insurance.

The limitation of liability and indemnification provisions in our certificate of incorporation and bylaws may discourage stockholders from bringing a lawsuit against directors for breach of their fiduciary duties. They may also reduce the likelihood of derivative litigation against directors and officers, even though an action, if successful, might benefit us and our stockholders. A stockholder’s investment may be harmed to the extent we pay the costs of settlement and damage awards against directors and officers pursuant to these indemnification provisions. Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to our directors, officers, and controlling persons pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, we have been advised that, in the opinion of the SEC, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act, and is, therefore, unenforceable. There is no pending litigation or proceeding naming any of our directors or officers as to which indemnification is being sought, nor are we aware of any pending or threatened litigation that may result in claims for indemnification by any director or officer.

Listing

Our common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “SFM.”

Transfer Agent and Registrar

The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC.

 

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SELLING STOCKHOLDERS

Information regarding the beneficial ownership of our common stock by selling stockholders, the numbers of shares being offered by selling stockholders and the number of shares beneficially owned by selling stockholders after the applicable offering, where applicable, will be set forth in a prospectus supplement, in a post-effective amendment, or in filings we make with the SEC under the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference. Selling stockholders may be deemed to be underwriters in connection with the common stock they resell and any profits on the sales may be deemed to be underwriting discounts and commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The selling stockholders may include certain of our affiliates.

 

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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

The selling stockholders may offer and sell the securities covered by this prospectus from time to time in one or more transactions, including without limitation:

 

    directly to one or more purchasers;

 

    through agents;

 

    to or through underwriters, brokers or dealers; or

 

    through a combination of any of these methods.

In addition, the manner in which the selling stockholders may sell some or all of the securities covered by this prospectus includes any method permitted by law, including, without limitation, through:

 

    a block trade in which a broker-dealer will attempt to sell as agent, but may position or resell a portion of the block, as principal, in order to facilitate the transaction;

 

    purchases by a broker-dealer, as principal, and resale by the broker-dealer for its account;

 

    ordinary brokerage transactions and transactions in which a broker solicits purchasers; or

 

    privately negotiated transactions.

The selling stockholders may also enter into hedging transactions. For example, the selling stockholders may:

 

    enter into transactions with a broker-dealer or affiliate thereof in connection with which such broker-dealer or affiliate will engage in short sales of the common stock pursuant to this prospectus, in which case such broker-dealer or affiliate may use shares of common stock received from the selling stockholders to close out its short positions;

 

    sell securities short and redeliver such shares to close out the short positions;

 

    enter into option or other types of transactions that require the selling stockholders to deliver common stock to a broker-dealer or an affiliate thereof, who will then resell or transfer the common stock under this prospectus; or

 

    loan or pledge the common stock to a broker-dealer or an affiliate thereof, who may sell the loaned shares or, in an event of default in the case of a pledge, sell the pledged shares pursuant to this prospectus.

The securities covered by this prospectus may be sold:

 

    on a national securities exchange;

 

    in the over-the-counter market; or

 

    in transactions otherwise than on an exchange or in the over-the-counter market.

In addition, the selling stockholders may enter into derivative or hedging transactions with third parties, or sell securities not covered by this prospectus to third parties in privately negotiated transactions. In connection with such a transaction, the third parties may sell securities covered by and pursuant to this prospectus and an applicable prospectus supplement or pricing supplement, as the case may be. If so, the third party may use securities borrowed from the selling stockholders or others to settle such sales and may use securities received from the selling stockholders to close out any related short positions. The selling stockholders may also loan or pledge securities covered by this prospectus and an applicable prospectus supplement to third parties, who may sell the loaned securities or, in an event of default in the case of a pledge, sell the pledged securities pursuant to this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement or pricing supplement, as the case may be.

 

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A prospectus supplement with respect to each offering of securities will state the terms of the offering of the securities, including:

 

    the name or names of any participating underwriters, brokers, dealers or agents and the amounts of securities underwritten or purchased by each of them, if any;

 

    the public offering price or purchase price of the securities and the net proceeds to be received by the selling stockholders from the sale;

 

    any delayed delivery arrangements;

 

    any underwriting discounts, commissions or agency fees and other items constituting underwriters’, brokers’, dealers’ or agents’ compensation;

 

    any discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers;

 

    any securities exchange or markets on which the securities may be listed; and

 

    other material terms of the offering.

The offer and sale of the securities described in this prospectus by the selling stockholders, the underwriters or the third parties described above may be effected from time to time in one or more transactions, including privately negotiated transactions, either:

 

    at a fixed price or prices, which may be changed;

 

    at market prices prevailing at the time of sale;

 

    at prices related to the prevailing market prices; or

 

    at negotiated prices.

In addition to selling its common stock under this prospectus, a selling stockholder may:

 

    transfer its common stock in other ways not involving market maker or established trading markets, including directly by gift, distribution, or other transfer;

 

    sell its common stock under Rule 144 or Rule 145 of the Securities Act rather than under this prospectus, if the transaction meets the requirements of Rule 144 or Rule 145; or

 

    sell its common stock by any other legally available means.

General

Any public offering price and any discounts, commissions, concessions or other items constituting compensation allowed or reallowed or paid to underwriters, dealers, agents or remarketing firms may be changed from time to time. Any selling stockholders, underwriters, dealers, agents and remarketing firms that participate in the distribution of the offered securities may be “underwriters” as defined in the Securities Act. Any discounts or commissions they receive from the selling stockholders and any profits they receive on the resale of the offered securities may be treated as underwriting discounts and commissions under the Securities Act. The selling stockholders will identify any underwriters, agents or dealers and describe their commissions, fees or discounts in the applicable prospectus supplement or pricing supplement, as the case may be.

The selling stockholders and other persons participating in the sale or distribution of the securities will be subject to applicable provisions of the Exchange Act, and the rules and regulations thereunder, including Regulation M. This regulation may limit the timing of purchases and sales of any of the securities by the selling stockholders or any other person. The anti-manipulation rules under the Exchange Act may apply to sales of securities in the market and to the activities of the selling

 

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stockholders and any affiliates of the selling stockholders. Furthermore, Regulation M may restrict the ability of any person engaged in the distribution for a period of up to five business days before the distribution. These restrictions may affect the marketability of the securities and the ability of any person or entity to engage in market-making activities with respect to the securities.

The selling stockholders are not restricted as to the price or prices at which they may sell the securities. Sales of such securities may have an adverse effect on the market price of the securities.

Moreover, it is possible that a significant number of shares of common stock could be sold at the same time, which may have an adverse effect on the market price of the securities.

We cannot assure you that the selling stockholders will sell all or any portion of the securities offered hereby.

Underwriters and Agents

If underwriters are used in a sale, they will acquire the offered securities for their own account. The underwriters may resell the offered securities in one or more transactions, including negotiated transactions. These sales may be made at a fixed public offering price or prices, which may be changed, at market prices prevailing at the time of the sale, at prices related to such prevailing market prices or at negotiated prices. The selling stockholders may offer the securities to the public through an underwriting syndicate or through a single underwriter. The underwriters in any particular offering will be mentioned in the applicable prospectus supplement or pricing supplement, as the case may be.

Unless otherwise specified in connection with any particular offering of securities, the obligations of the underwriters to purchase the offered securities will be subject to certain conditions contained in an underwriting agreement that we and the applicable selling stockholders will enter into with the underwriters at the time of the sale to them. The underwriters will be obligated to purchase all of the securities of the series offered if any of the securities are purchased, unless otherwise specified in connection with any particular offering of securities. Any initial offering price and any discounts or concessions allowed, reallowed or paid to dealers may be changed from time to time.

The selling stockholders may designate agents to sell the offered securities. Unless otherwise specified in connection with any particular offering of securities, the agents will agree to use their best efforts to solicit purchases for the period of their appointment. The selling stockholders may also sell the offered securities to one or more remarketing firms, acting as principals for their own accounts or as agents for us or any selling stockholders. These firms will remarket the offered securities upon purchasing them in accordance with a redemption or repayment pursuant to the terms of the offered securities. A prospectus supplement or pricing supplement, as the case may be, will identify any remarketing firm and will describe the terms of its agreement, if any, with the selling stockholders and its compensation.

In connection with offerings made through underwriters or agents, the selling stockholders may enter into agreements with such underwriters or agents pursuant to which the selling stockholders receive outstanding securities in consideration for the securities being offered to the public for cash. In connection with these arrangements, the underwriters or agents may also sell securities covered by this prospectus to hedge their positions in these outstanding securities, including in short sale transactions. If so, the underwriters or agents may use the securities received from the selling stockholders under these arrangements to close out any related open borrowings of securities.

 

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Dealers

The selling stockholders may sell the offered securities to dealers as principals. The selling stockholders may negotiate and pay dealers’ commissions, discounts or concessions for their services. The dealer may then resell such securities to the public either at varying prices to be determined by the dealer or at a fixed offering price agreed to with the selling stockholders at the time of resale. Dealers engaged by the selling stockholders may allow other dealers to participate in resales.

Direct Sales

The selling stockholders may choose to sell the offered securities directly. In this case, no underwriters or agents would be involved.

Institutional Purchasers

The selling stockholders may authorize agents, dealers or underwriters to solicit certain institutional investors to purchase offered securities on a delayed delivery basis pursuant to delayed delivery contracts providing for payment and delivery on a specified future date. The applicable prospectus supplement or pricing supplement, as the case may be will provide the details of any such arrangement, including the offering price and commissions payable on the solicitations.

The selling stockholders will enter into such delayed contracts only with institutional purchasers that the selling stockholders approve. These institutions may include commercial and savings banks, insurance companies, pension funds, investment companies and educational and charitable institutions.

Indemnification; Other Relationships

We and the selling stockholders may have agreements with agents, underwriters, dealers and remarketing firms to indemnify them against certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. Agents, underwriters, dealers and remarketing firms, and their affiliates, may engage in transactions with, or perform services for, the selling stockholders in the ordinary course of business. This includes commercial banking and investment banking transactions.

We may agree to indemnify in certain circumstances the selling stockholders against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. The selling stockholders may agree to indemnify us in certain circumstances against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act.

Market-Making; Stabilization and Other Transactions

In connection with any offering of common stock, the underwriters may purchase and sell shares of common stock in the open market. These transactions may include short sales, syndicate covering transactions and stabilizing transactions. Short sales involve syndicate sales of common stock in excess of the number of shares to be purchased by the underwriters in the offering, which creates a syndicate short position. “Covered” short sales are sales of shares made in an amount up to the number of shares represented by the underwriters’ over-allotment option. In determining the source of shares to close out the covered syndicate short position, the underwriters will consider, among other things, the price of shares available for purchase in the open market as compared to the price at which they may purchase shares through the over-allotment option. Transactions to close out the covered syndicate short involve either purchases of the common stock in the open market after the distribution

 

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has been completed or the exercise of the over-allotment option. The underwriters may also make “naked” short sales of shares in excess of the overallotment option. The underwriters must close out any naked short position by purchasing shares of common stock in the open market. A naked short position is more likely to be created if the underwriters are concerned that there may be downward pressure on the price of the shares in the open market after pricing that could adversely affect investors who purchase in the offering. Stabilizing transactions consist of bids for or purchases of shares in the open market while the offering is in progress for the purpose of pegging, fixing or maintaining the price of the securities.

In connection with any offering, the underwriters may also engage in penalty bids. Penalty bids permit the underwriters to reclaim a selling concession from a syndicate member when the securities originally sold by the syndicate member are purchased in a syndicate covering transaction to cover syndicate short positions. Stabilizing transactions, syndicate covering transactions and penalty bids may cause the price of the securities to be higher than it would be in the absence of the transactions. The underwriters may, if they commence these transactions, discontinue them at any time.

Fees and Commissions

We will pay the expenses, other than underwriting discounts and commissions, associated with the registration and sale of shares to be sold by the selling stockholders. The selling stockholders will pay any underwriting discounts, selling commissions or other minor expenses.

 

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LEGAL MATTERS

The validity of the shares of common stock offered hereby will be passed upon for us by Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP. Any underwriters will also be advised about legal matters by their own counsel, which will be named in the applicable prospectus supplement.

EXPERTS

The financial statements incorporated in this Prospectus by reference to the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 29, 2013 have been so incorporated in reliance on the report of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-3 under the Securities Act with respect to the common stock offered hereby. This prospectus, which constitutes a part of the registration statement, does not contain all of the information set forth in the registration statement, some items of which are contained in exhibits to the registration statement as permitted by the rules and regulations of the SEC. For further information with respect to us and our common stock, we refer you to the registration statement, including the exhibits. A copy of the registration statement and the exhibits filed therewith may be inspected without charge at the public reference room of the SEC, located at 100 F Street, N.E., Room 1580, Washington, D.C. 20549. You may obtain information on the operation of the public reference rooms by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC also maintains an Internet website that contains reports, proxy statements, and other information about issuers, like us, that file electronically with the SEC. The address of that website is www.sec.gov.

We file periodic reports, proxy statements, and other information with the SEC. These periodic reports, proxy statements, and other information will be available for inspection and copying at the SEC’s public reference facilities and the website of the SEC referred to above. We also maintain a website at www.sprouts.com. You may access our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act with the SEC free of charge at our website as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. The information contained in, or that can be accessed through, our website is not part of this prospectus.

INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE

The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” information from other documents that we file with it, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be part of this prospectus. Information in this prospectus supersedes information incorporated by reference that we filed with the SEC prior to the date of this prospectus.

We incorporate by reference into this prospectus and the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part the information or documents listed below that we have filed with the SEC.

 

    our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 29, 2013, as filed with the SEC on February 27, 2014;

 

    our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarters ended March 30, 2014 and June 29, 2014, as filed with the SEC on May 7, 2014 and August 7, 2014, respectively;

 

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    our Current Reports on Form 8-K, as filed with the SEC on March 12, 2014 and May 16, 2014 (as amended by our Current Report on Form 8-K/A filed with the SEC on August 6, 2014);

 

    our Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A, as filed with the SEC on March 17, 2014 (other than those portions of such Proxy Statement not deemed to be “filed” with the SEC); and

 

    the description of our common stock contained in our Registration Statement on Form 8-A, as filed with the SEC on July 29, 2013, including any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description.

We incorporate by reference any filings made with the SEC in accordance with Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act on or after the date of this prospectus and until the date all of the securities offered hereby are sold or the offering is otherwise terminated, with the exception of any information furnished under Item 2.02 and Item 7.01 of Form 8-K, which is not deemed filed and which is not incorporated by reference herein. Any such filings shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference and to be a part of this prospectus from the respective dates of filing of those documents.

Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in this prospectus will be deemed modified, superseded or replaced for purposes of this prospectus to the extent that a statement contained in this prospectus modifies, supersedes or replaces such statement.

You may request, orally or in writing, a copy of any or all of the documents incorporated herein by reference. These documents will be provided to you at no cost, by contacting: Investor Relations, Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc., 11811 North Tatum Boulevard, Suite 2400, Phoenix, Arizona 85028, (480) 814-8016, email address: InvestorRelations@sprouts.com. In addition, copies of any or all of the documents incorporated herein by reference may be accessed at our website at www.sprouts.com. Other than the documents specifically set forth above, the information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus, and you should not consider any information contained on, or that can be accessed through, our website as part of this prospectus or in deciding whether to purchase our common stock.

Neither we nor the selling stockholders have authorized anyone to provide any information or to make any representations other than those contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or in any free writing prospectuses we have prepared. We take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you.

 

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LOGO

Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc.

Common Stock

 

 

PROSPECTUS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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PART II

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

 

Item  14. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution

The following table sets forth the costs and expenses, other than underwriting discounts and commissions, payable by us in connection with the sale and distribution of the common stock being registered.

 

SEC registration fee

   $         *   

FINRA filing fee

     225,500   

Legal fees and expenses

     **   

Accounting fees and expenses

     **   

Printing and engraving expenses

     **   

Transfer agent and registrar fees and expenses

     **   

Blue sky fees and expenses

     **   

Miscellaneous fees and expenses

     **   
  

 

 

 

Total

   $ **  
  

 

 

 

 

* To be deferred pursuant to Rule 456(b) and calculated in connection with the sale of common stock under this registration statement pursuant to Rule 457(r).
** Estimated fees and expenses are not presently known. The foregoing sets forth the general categories of expenses (other than underwriting discounts and commissions) that we anticipate that we will incur in connection with the offering of securities under this registration statement. An estimate of the aggregate expenses in connection with the issuance and distribution of the securities being offered will be included in the applicable prospectus supplement.

 

Item  15. Indemnification of Directors and Officers

Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (referred to as the “DGCL”) authorizes a court to award, or a corporation’s board of directors to grant, indemnity to directors and officers in terms sufficiently broad to permit such indemnification under certain circumstances for liabilities, including reimbursement for expenses incurred, arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (referred to as the “Securities Act”).

Our certificate of incorporation provides for indemnification of our directors, officers, team members, and other agents to the maximum extent permitted by the DGCL, and our bylaws provide for indemnification of our directors, officers, team members, and other agents to the maximum extent permitted by the DGCL.

In addition, we have entered into indemnification agreements with our directors and officers containing provisions which are in some respects broader than the specific indemnification provisions contained in the DGCL. The indemnification agreements require us, among other things, to indemnify our directors against certain liabilities that may arise by reason of their status or service as directors and to advance their expenses incurred as a result of any proceeding against them as to which they could be indemnified.

We maintain insurance policies that indemnify our directors and officers against various liabilities arising under the Securities Act and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, that might be incurred by any director or officer in his capacity as such.

Any underwriting agreement that we enter into in connection the sale of the common stock being registered may provide for indemnification of our directors and certain of our officers by the underwriters against certain liabilities.

 

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Item  16. Exhibits

 

Exhibit

Number

  

Description

  1.1*    Form of Underwriting Agreement
  2.1    Plan of Conversion of Sprouts Farmers Markets, LLC (1)
  5.1    Opinion of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
23.1    Consent of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)
23.2    Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, independent registered accounting firm
23.3    Consent of Buxton Company (2)
24.1    Power of Attorney (included on the signature page of this Registration Statement)

 

* To be filed, if necessary in connection with an offering of common stock, subsequent to the effectiveness of this registration statement, by amendment to this registration statement or incorporated herein by reference from documents to be filed with the SEC under the Exchange Act.
(1) Filed as an exhibit to Amendment No. 4 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-188493) filed with the SEC on July 29, 2013, and incorporated herein by reference.
(2) Filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 27, 2014, and incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item  17. Undertakings

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

(i) To include any prospectus required by section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;

(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; and

 

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(iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;

Provided, however, that paragraphs (i), (ii) and (iii) of this section do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to section 13 or section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in this registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the registration statement.

(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

(4) That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser:

(i) Each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and

(ii) Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii), or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by section 10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date.

(5) That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities:

The undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:

(i) Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;

(ii) Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;

 

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(iii) The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and

(iv) Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.

(6) That, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to section 13(a) or section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the city of Phoenix, State of Arizona, on August 11, 2014.

 

SPROUTS FARMERS MARKET, INC.
By:  

/s/ J. Douglas Sanders

  J. Douglas Sanders
  President and Chief Executive Officer

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints J. Douglas Sanders and Amin Maredia, and each one of them, as his true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him and in his name, place, and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this registration statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith, as fully to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents or any of them, or his or their substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

Signature

  

Title

 

Date

/s/ J. Douglas Sanders

J. Douglas Sanders

  

President and Chief Executive Officer

    (Principal Executive Officer)

  August 11, 2014

/s/ Amin N. Maredia

Amin N. Maredia

  

Chief Financial Officer

    (Principal Financial Officer)

  August 11, 2014

/s/ Donna Berlinski

Donna Berlinski

  

Vice President and Controller

    (Principal Accounting Officer)

  August 11, 2014

/s/ Andrew S. Jhawar

Andrew S. Jhawar

   Chairman of the Board   August 11, 2014

/s/ Shon Boney

Shon Boney

   Director   August 11, 2014

/s/ Joseph Fortunato

Joseph Fortunato

   Director   August 11, 2014

/s/ George G. Golleher

George G. Golleher

   Director   August 11, 2014

/s/ Terri Funk Graham

Terri Funk Graham

   Director   August 11, 2014

/s/ Lawrence P. Molloy

Lawrence P. Molloy

   Director   August 11, 2014

/s/ Steven H. Townsend

Steven H. Townsend

   Director   August 11, 2014


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EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit

Number

  

Description

  1.1*    Form of Underwriting Agreement
  2.1    Plan of Conversion of Sprouts Farmers Markets, LLC (1)
  5.1    Opinion of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
23.1    Consent of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)
23.2    Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, independent registered accounting firm
23.3    Consent of Buxton Company (2)
24.1    Power of Attorney (included on the signature page of this Registration Statement)

 

* To be filed, if necessary in connection with an offering of common stock, subsequent to the effectiveness of this registration statement, by amendment to this registration statement or incorporated herein by reference from documents to be filed with the SEC under the Exchange Act.
(1) Filed as an exhibit to Amendment No. 4 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-188493) filed with the SEC on July 29, 2013, and incorporated herein by reference.
(2) Filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 27, 2014, and incorporated herein by reference.