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As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 4, 2015

Registration No. 333-            

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM S-1

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Delaware		5411		32-0331600
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)		(Primary Standard Industrial Classification Code Number)		(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: As soon as practicable after the effective date of this Registration Statement.

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, check the following box.    þ

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 post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) 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.    ¨

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		þ		Accelerated filer		¨
Non-accelerated filer		¨  (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(1)		Proposed Maximum Aggregate Offering Price(1)		Amount of Registration Fee
Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share		15,847,800		$35.85		$568,143,630		$66,018.29

(1)

Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(c) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and is based upon the average of the high and low sales prices of the Company’s common stock as reported on the NASDAQ Global Select Market on February 26, 2015.

 

 

The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

 

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The information in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. These securities may not be sold until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell nor does it seek an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

Subject to Completion. Dated March 4, 2015

PROSPECTUS

15,847,800 Shares

 

Common Stock

 

 

This prospectus relates solely to sales of Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. common stock by the selling stockholders named in this prospectus. The selling stockholders 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. Each of the selling stockholders may be deemed an affiliate of ours. See “Prospectus Summary — Selling Stockholders.”

These sales may occur at fixed prices, at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices related to prevailing market price, or at negotiated prices. The distribution of the common stock by the selling stockholders may be effected from time to time through brokerage transactions, block trades, purchases by a broker/dealer as principal and resale by the broker–dealer for its account, privately negotiated transactions and any other method permitted by applicable law. The brokers or dealers through or to whom the shares of common stock may be sold may be deemed underwriters of the shares within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, in which event all brokerage commissions or discounts and other compensation received by those brokers or dealers may be deemed to be underwriting compensation. To the extent required, the names of any underwriters and applicable commissions or discounts and any other required information with respect to any particular sale will be set forth in an accompanying prospectus supplement. See “Plan of Distribution” for a further description of how the selling stockholders may dispose of the common stock covered by this prospectus.

We are not selling any common stock under this prospectus and will not receive any proceeds from the sale 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.

Our common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “SFM.” On March 3, 2015, the last reported sale price of our common stock was $35.16 per share.

 

 

Investing in our common stock involves risks. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 8 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                     

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		Page
About this Prospectus			2
Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements			3
Prospectus Summary			5
Risk Factors			8
Use of Proceeds			9
Selling Stockholders			10
Description of Capital Stock			12
Plan of Distribution			16
Legal Matters			18
Experts			18
Where You Can Find Additional Information			18
Incorporation of Documents by Reference			18

Neither we, the selling stockholders nor any underwriter 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 prospectus supplement or free writing prospectuses we have prepared. We and the underwriters 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 or any prospectus supplement 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 a registration statement that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) using a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf registration process, the selling stockholders may sell certain shares of our common stock in one or more offerings. When the selling stockholders sell shares of common stock under this shelf registration process, we may provide a prospectus supplement that will contain more specific information about the terms of such offering. The prospectus supplement may add, update or change the information contained or incorporated in this prospectus. The prospectus supplement will supersede this prospectus to the extent it contains information that is different from, or that conflicts with, the information contained or incorporated in this prospectus. We may also authorize one or more free writing prospectuses to be provided to you that may contain material information relating to an offering. You should read and consider all information contained in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement (and any related free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you) in making your investment decision.

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.”

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, including the sections entitled “Prospectus Summary” and “Risk Factors,” contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (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 Form 10-K incorporated by reference herein and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in our Form 10-K incorporated by reference herein. Some of the key factors that could cause actual results to differ from our expectations include the following:

 

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our ability to open new stores;

 

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our ability to maintain or increase comparable store sales;

 

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disruption of significant supplier relationships;

 

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

 

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the failure of our information technology systems;

 

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

 

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

 

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our ability to maintain or improve operating margins;

 

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the impact of quality or food safety concerns;

 

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our ability to maintain our brand value and reputation;

 

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the retention of key management;

 

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

 

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union organization activities;

 

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our high level of fixed lease obligations;

 

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our ability to accurately estimate claims under our insurance plans;

 

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our ability to service our debt obligations;

 

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restrictions in our debt agreements;

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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general economic conditions affecting consumer spending;

 

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the geographic concentration of our stores;

 

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increased commodity prices and lack of availability;

 

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increased energy costs;

 

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the effect of increased labor costs;

 

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

 

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the occurrence of a widespread health epidemic;

 

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

 

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the effects of government regulation;

 

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liabilities arising out of our nutrition-oriented educational activities;

 

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our inability to protect our intellectual property;

 

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changes in accounting standards;

 

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the outcome of litigation against us;

 

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increased costs as the result of being a public company;

 

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

 

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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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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 Form 10-K and in any prospectus supplement, together with all of the other information included or incorporated by reference in this prospectus and in any 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.

 

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USE OF PROCEEDS

The selling stockholders will receive all of the net proceeds from the sale of the shares offered hereby. We will not receive any proceeds from this offering.

In connection with this offering, we will incur certain issuance costs, consisting of various registration, printing and professional services fees. We will expense these costs as incurred.

 

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SELLING STOCKHOLDERS

The selling stockholders may from time to time offer and sell any or all of the shares of our common stock set forth below pursuant to this prospectus. When we refer to “selling stockholders” in this prospectus, we mean the persons listed in the table below, and the pledgees, donees, transferees, assignees, successors and others who later come to hold any of the selling stockholders’ interests in shares of our common stock other than through a public sale.

The following table sets forth, as of the date of this prospectus, the names of the selling stockholders for whom we are registering shares for resale to the public, and the number of shares of common stock that the selling stockholders may offer pursuant to this prospectus.

This prospectus relates to the possible resale by certain of our stockholders of up to 15,847,800 shares of our common stock. We have agreed to register the resale of such shares of common stock pursuant to that certain Stockholders Agreement, dated as of July 29, 2013, by and among us and all of the holders of our common stock prior to our initial public offering.

Beneficial ownership is determined according to the rules of the SEC and generally means that a person has beneficial ownership of a security if he, she, or it possesses sole or shared voting or investment power of that security, including options that are currently exercisable or exercisable within 60 days of the date of this prospectus. Except as indicated by the footnotes below, we believe, based on the information furnished to us, that the persons named in the table below have sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares of common stock shown that they beneficially own, subject to community property laws where applicable. The information does not necessarily indicate beneficial ownership for any other purpose.

Based on the information provided to us by the selling stockholders as of the date of this prospectus, assuming that the selling stockholders sell all of the shares of our common stock being registered hereunder and do not acquire any additional shares, the selling stockholders will not own any shares of our common stock after the completion of any offering of the shares being registered hereunder.

We cannot advise you as to whether the selling stockholders will in fact sell any or all of such shares of common stock. In addition, the selling stockholders may sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of, at any time and from time to time, the shares of our common stock in transactions exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act after the date of this prospectus.

Our calculation of the percentage of beneficial ownership is based on 152,068,893 shares of common stock outstanding as of March 2, 2015.

The description of our relationships with the selling stockholders and their affiliates set forth in “Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K is incorporated by reference herein.

 

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Name of Selling Stockholder		Number of Shares Beneficially Owned Before the Offering				Percentage Beneficially Owned Before the Offering(1)				Number of Shares to be Sold in the Offering				Percentage Beneficially Owned to be Sold in the Offering(1)				Number of Shares Beneficially Owned After the Offering				Percentage Beneficially Owned After the Offering
AP Sprouts Holdings, LLC(2)			8,302,329				5.5	%			8,302,329				5.5	%			—				—
AP Sprouts Holdings (Overseas), L.P.(2)			7,545,471				5.0	%			7,545,471				5.0	%			—				—
TOTAL			15,847,800				10.4	%			15,847,800				10.4	%			—				—

 

(1)	Total does not equal the sum of the percentages in the table due to rounding.

(2)

Based upon information contained in Amendment No. 1 to Schedule 13G filed by the beneficial owners with the SEC on February 10, 2015. Apollo Investment Fund VI, L.P. (“AIF VI”) is the sole member of AP Sprouts Holdings, LLC (“Sprouts LLC”). Apollo Advisors VI, L.P. (“Advisors VI”) is the general partner of AIF VI. Apollo Capital Management VI, LLC (“ACM VI”) is the general partner of Advisors VI, and Apollo Principal Holdings I, L.P. (“Principal I”) is the sole member and manager of ACM VI. Apollo Principal Holdings I GP, LLC (“Principal I GP”) is the general partner of Principal I.

 

AP Sprouts Holdings (Overseas) GP, LLC (“Holdings Overseas GP”) is the general partner of AP Sprouts Holdings (Overseas), L.P. (“Sprouts Overseas). Apollo Management VI, L.P. (“Management VI”) is the manager of Sprouts LLC and Holdings Overseas GP, and the investment manager for AIF VI. AIF VI Management, LLC (“AIF VI LLC”) is the general partner of Management VI. Apollo Management, L.P. (“Apollo Management”) is the sole member and manager of AIF VI LLC, and Apollo Management GP, LLC (“Apollo Management GP”) is the general partner of Apollo Management. Apollo Management Holdings, L.P. (“Management Holdings”) is the sole member and manager of Apollo Management GP, and Apollo Management Holdings GP, LLC (“Management Holdings GP”) is the general partner of Management Holdings. Leon Black, Joshua Harris and Marc Rowan are the managers of Principal I GP, and the managers, as well as executive officers, of Management Holdings GP, and as such may be deemed to have voting and dispositive control over the shares of our common stock held by Sprouts LLC and Sprouts Overseas.

 

Sprouts LLC and Sprouts Overseas each disclaim beneficial ownership of all shares of our common stock and any other equity interests of ours that are held of record or beneficially owned by the other selling stockholder, and Holdings Overseas GP, AIF VI, Advisors VI, ACM VI, Principal I, Principal I GP, Management VI, AIF VI LLC, Apollo Management, Apollo Management GP, Management Holdings and Management Holdings GP (collectively, the “Apollo Entities”) each disclaims beneficial ownership of all shares of our common stock and any other equity interests of ours that are held of record by Sprouts LLC or Sprouts Overseas or beneficially owned by any of Sprouts LLC, Sprouts Overseas or the Apollo Entities.

 

The address of each of the selling stockholders, Holdings Overseas GP, AIF VI, Advisors VI, ACM VI, Principal I and Principal I GP is One Manhattanville Road, Suite 201, Purchase, New York 10577. The address of each of Management VI, AIF VI LLC, Apollo Management, Apollo Management GP, Management Holdings and Management Holdings GP, and Messrs. Black, Harris and Rowan, is 9 West 57th Street, 43rd Floor, New York, New York 10019.

 

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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

As of March 2, 2015, there were 152,068,893 shares of our common stock outstanding, held by 145 stockholders of record, and no shares of our preferred stock outstanding.

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.

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

 

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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.

Options and Restricted Stock Units

As of March 2, 2015, we had outstanding stock options to purchase an aggregate of 6,600,028 shares of our common stock, at a weighted average exercise price of $5.85 per share, outstanding under our 2011 Option Plan and our 2013 Incentive Plan and 99,375 shares of common stock issuable upon vesting of restricted stock units outstanding under our 2013 Incentive Plan.

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.

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.

 

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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.

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:

 

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

 

 

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

 

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

 

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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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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

The selling shareholders, which as used herein includes pledgees, donees, transferees, assignees, successors and others who later come to hold any of the selling stockholders’ interests in shares of our common stock other than through a public sale may, from time to time, sell, transfer, or otherwise dispose of any or all of their shares of common stock or interests in shares of common stock on any stock exchange, market, or trading facility on which the shares are traded or in private transactions. These dispositions may be at fixed prices, at prevailing market prices at the time of sale, at prices related to the prevailing market price, at varying prices determined at the time of sale, or at negotiated prices. The Company understands that under current SEC guidance the selling stockholders may be deemed to be “underwriters” within the meaning of the Securities Act with respect to the shares being offered.

The securities being offered by this prospectus may be sold by a selling stockholder using one or more of the following methods:

 

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through one or more underwritten offerings on a firm commitment or best efforts basis;

 

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ordinary brokerage transactions and transactions in which the broker-dealer solicits purchasers;

 

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

 

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

 

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an exchange distribution in accordance with the rules of the applicable exchange;

 

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privately negotiated transactions;

 

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short sales effected after the date the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part is effective;

 

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through the writing or settlement of options or other hedging transactions, whether through an options exchange or otherwise;

 

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broker-dealers may agree with the selling stockholders to sell a specified number of such shares at a stipulated price per share;

 

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a combination of any such methods of sale; and

 

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any other method permitted by applicable law.

To the extent required, the shares of our common stock to be sold, the respective purchase prices and public offering prices, the names of any agent, dealer, or underwriter, and any applicable commissions or discounts with respect to a particular offer will be set forth in an accompanying prospectus supplement or, if appropriate, a post-effective amendment to the registration statement that includes this prospectus.

The selling stockholders may, from time to time, pledge or grant a security interest in some or all of the shares of common stock owned by them and, if they default in the performance of their secured obligations, the pledgees or secured parties may offer and sell the shares of common stock, from time to time, under this prospectus, or under a supplement to this prospectus under Rule 424(b)(3) or other applicable provision of the Securities Act amending the list of selling stockholders to include the pledgee, transferee, or other successor in interest as a selling stockholder under this prospectus. The selling stockholders also may transfer the shares of common stock in other circumstances, in which

 

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case the transferees, pledgees, or other successors in interest will be the selling beneficial owners for purposes of this prospectus.

In connection with the sale of our common stock or interests therein, the selling stockholders may enter into hedging transactions with broker-dealers or other financial institutions, which may in turn engage in short sales of the common stock in the course of hedging the positions they assume. The selling stockholders may also sell shares of our common stock short and deliver these securities to close out their short positions, or loan or pledge the common stock to broker-dealers that in turn may sell these securities. The selling stockholders may also enter into option or other transactions with broker-dealers or other financial institutions or the creation of one or more derivative securities which require the delivery to such broker-dealer or other financial institution of shares offered by this prospectus, which shares such broker-dealer or other financial institution may resell pursuant to this prospectus (as supplemented or amended to reflect such transaction).

The aggregate proceeds to the selling stockholders from the sale of the common stock offered by them will be the purchase price of the common stock less discounts or commissions, if any. Each of the selling stockholders reserves the right to accept and, together with their agents from time to time, to reject, in whole or in part, any proposed purchase of common stock to be made directly or through agents. We will not receive any of the proceeds from this offering.

The selling stockholders also may resell all or a portion of the shares in open market transactions in reliance upon Rule 144 under the Securities Act, provided that they meet the criteria and conform to the requirements of that rule.

Any underwriters, broker-dealers, or agents that participate in the sale of the common stock or interests therein may be “underwriters” within the meaning of Section 2(11) of the Securities Act. Any discounts, commissions, concessions, or profit they earn on any resale of the shares may be underwriting discounts and commissions under the Securities Act.

In order to comply with the securities laws of some states, if applicable, the common stock may be sold in these jurisdictions only through registered or licensed brokers or dealers. In addition, in some states the common stock may not be sold unless it has been registered or qualified for sale or an exemption from registration or qualification requirements is available and is complied with.

We have advised the selling stockholders that the anti-manipulation rules of Regulation M under the Exchange Act may apply to sales of shares in the market and to the activities of the selling stockholders and their affiliates. In addition, to the extent applicable we will make copies of this prospectus (as it may be supplemented or amended from time to time) available to the selling stockholders for the purpose of satisfying the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act. The selling stockholders may indemnify any broker-dealer that participates in transactions involving the sale of the shares against certain liabilities, including liabilities arising under the Securities Act.

We have agreed to indemnify the selling stockholders against liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act and state securities laws, relating to the registration of the shares offered by this prospectus.

We have agreed with the selling stockholders to keep the registration statement of which this prospectus constitutes a part effective until such time as all of the shares covered by this prospectus have been disposed of pursuant to and in accordance with the registration statement.

 

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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.

EXPERTS

The financial statements and management’s assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting (which is included in Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting) incorporated in this prospectus by reference to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 28, 2014 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-1 under the Securities Act with respect to this offering of our common stock. 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 filed as a part of the registration statement. Statements contained in, or incorporated by reference into, this prospectus concerning the contents of any contract or any other document are not necessarily complete. If a contract or document has been filed as an exhibit to the registration statement, please see the copy of the contract or document that has been filed. Each statement in, or incorporated by reference into, this prospectus relating to a contract or document filed as an exhibit is qualified in all respects by the filed exhibit. The exhibits to the registration statement should be referenced for the complete contents of these contracts and documents. 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 have filed 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.

 

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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.

 

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our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 28, 2014, as filed with the SEC on February 26, 2015 and as amended on Form 10-K/A filed with the SEC on February 27, 2015; and

 

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our Current Reports on Form 8-K, as filed with the SEC on February 17, 2015 and February 25, 2015 (other than those portions of such report not deemed to be “filed” with the SEC).

Any statement contained in a document 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, the selling stockholders, nor the underwriters 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 and the underwriters 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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15,847,800 Shares

Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc.

Common Stock

 

 

 

Prospectus

 

 

 

 

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PART II

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

 

Item 13.

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. All amounts are estimates except for the SEC registration fee and the FINRA filing fee.

 

SEC registration fee		$	66,019
FINRA filing fee			85,722
Legal fees and expenses			200,000
Accounting fees and expenses			35,000
Printing and engraving expenses			50,000
Transfer agent and registrar fees and expenses			10,000
Blue sky fees and expenses			10,000
Miscellaneous fees and expenses			43,259
Total		$	500,000

 

Item 14.

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.

The underwriters are obligated, under certain circumstances, pursuant to the underwriting agreement filed as Exhibit 1.1 hereto, to indemnify us, our officers, and directors against liabilities under the Securities Act.

 

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Item 15.

Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities

The following sets forth information regarding all unregistered securities sold since January 1, 2012 and does not give effect to the conversion of each unit of Sprouts Farmers Markets, LLC into 11 shares of common stock of Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. upon the effectiveness of the corporate conversion:

On May 29, 2012, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Sprouts Farmers Markets, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Sprouts”), merged with and into Sunflower Farmers Markets, Inc. (“Sunflower”) and thereby Sprouts indirectly acquired all of the stock of Sunflower in exchange for cash and 1,354,373 Class A units (“Class A Units”), which were issued to Sunflower’s former stockholders (the “Sunflower Transaction”). Upon consummation of the Sunflower Transaction, a subsidiary of Sprouts issued $35,000,000 aggregate principal amount of Senior Subordinated Promissory Notes due 2019 to certain Sprouts team members, certain former Sprouts Arizona stockholders and other affiliates of Sprouts and investment funds affiliated with, and co-investment vehicles managed by, Apollo Management VI, L.P. (“the Apollo Funds”). In addition, as partial financing for the Sunflower Transaction, on May 21, 2012, Sprouts issued 75,574 Class A Units to AP Sprouts Coinvest, LLC, an Apollo Fund, in exchange for $5,000,000 in cash.

On July 23, 2012, Sprouts issued options to purchase 3,000 Class B units (“Class B Units”) at an exercise price of $66.16 to a now-former team member (“the Team Member”). On March 25, 2013, the Team Member exercised options to purchase 1,125 Class B Units pursuant to such option grant. On April 8, 2013, Sprouts repurchased such Class B Units from the Team Member for approximately $115,000 in cash.

On July 29, 2013, Sprouts Farmers Markets, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, converted into Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “corporate conversion”). As a result, 11,450,611 units and options to purchase 1,057,107 units of Sprouts Farmers Markets, LLC were converted into 125,956,729 shares and options to purchase 11,628,177 shares of common stock of Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. The corporate conversion was effected in accordance with the terms of the Second Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement of Sprouts Farmers Markets, LLC and did not constitute a sale for purposes of the Securities Act.

Unless otherwise stated and except for the corporate conversion, the sales of the above securities were deemed to be exempt from registration under the Securities Act in reliance upon Section 4(2) of the Securities Act (or Regulation D promulgated thereunder), or Rule 701 promulgated under Section 3(b) of the Securities Act as transactions by an issuer not involving any public offering or pursuant to benefit plans and contracts relating to compensation as provided under Rule 701. We did not pay or give, directly or indirectly, any commission or other remuneration, including underwriting discounts or commissions, in connection with any of the issuances of securities listed above. The recipients of the securities in each of these transactions represented their intentions to acquire the securities for investment only and not with a view to or for sale in connection with any distribution thereof, and appropriate legends were placed upon the stock certificates issued in these transactions. All recipients had adequate access, through their employment or other relationship with us or through other access to information provided by us, to information about us. The sales of these securities were made without any general solicitation or advertising.

 

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Item 16.

Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules

 

(a)

Exhibits

 

Exhibit Number		Description
1.1		Form of Firm Commitment Underwriting Agreement
2.1		Plan of Conversion of Sprouts Farmers Markets, LLC (1)
3.1		Certificate of Incorporation of Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (1)
3.2		Bylaws of Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (1)
5.1		Opinion of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
10.1		Sprouts Farmers Markets, LLC 2011 Option Plan (2)
10.2		Form of Stock Option Agreement under Sprouts Farmers Markets, LLC 2011 Option Plan (2)
10.3		Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. 2013 Incentive Plan (3)
10.3.1		Form of Stock Option Agreement under Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. 2013 Incentive Plan (4)
10.3.2		Form of Restricted Stock Unit Agreement under Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. 2013 Incentive Plan (4)
10.4		Employment Agreement, dated April 18, 2011, by and between Sprouts Farmers Markets, LLC and Doug Sanders (2)
10.4.1		Amendment No. 1, dated August 23, 2012, to the Employment Agreement, dated April 18, 2011, by and between Sprouts Farmers Markets, LLC and Doug Sanders (2)
10.5		Employment Agreement, dated July 15, 2011, by and between Sprouts Farmers Markets, LLC and Amin N. Maredia (2)
10.5.1		Amendment No. 1, dated April 18, 2013, to the Employment Agreement, dated July 25, 2011 by and between Sprouts Farmers Markets, LLC and Amin N. Maredia (3)
10.6		Employment Agreement, dated April 18, 2011, by and between Sprouts Farmers Markets, LLC and Jim Nielsen (2)
10.6.1		Amendment No. 1, dated March 12, 2014, to the Employment Agreement, dated April 18, 2011 by and between Sprouts Farmers Markets, LLC and James Nielsen (5)
10.7		Employment Agreement, dated January 23, 2012, by and between Sprouts Farmers Markets, LLC and Brandon Lombardi (2)
10.7.1		Amendment No. 1, dated November 15, 2012, to the Employment Agreement, dated January 23, 2012, by and between Sprouts Farmers Markets, LLC and Brandon Lombardi (2)
10.8		Merger Agreement, dated as of March 9, 2012, by and among Sprouts Farmers Markets, LLC, Sprouts Farmers Markets Holdings, LLC, Centennial Interim Merger Sub, Inc., Centennial Post-Closing Merger Sub, LLC, Sunflower Farmers Markets, Inc. and KMCP Grocery Investors, LLC, as Representative (2)
10.8.1		First Amendment to Merger Agreement, dated as of May 8, 2012, by and among Sprouts Farmers Markets, LLC, Sprouts Farmers Markets Holdings, LLC, Centennial Interim Merger Sub, Inc., Centennial Post-Closing Merger Sub, LLC, Sunflower Farmers Markets, Inc. and KMCP Grocery Investors, LLC, as Representative (2)

 

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Exhibit Number		Description
10.9		Credit Agreement, dated as of April 23, 2013, among Sprouts Farmers Markets, LLC, Sprouts Farmers Markets Holdings, LLC, the several lenders from time to time parties thereto, Credit Suisse AG, Cayman Islands Branch, as Administrative Agent and Collateral Agent, Goldman Sachs Bank USA, as Syndication Agent et al. (2)
10.10		Guarantee and Collateral Agreement, dated as of April 23, 2013, among Sprouts Farmers Markets, LLC, Sprouts Farmers Markets Holdings, LLC, the subsidiaries party thereto and Credit Suisse AG, Cayman Islands Branch, as Collateral Agent (2)
10.11†		Amended and Restated Nature’s Best Distribution Agreement, dated as of August 13, 2014 (6)
10.12		Stockholders Agreement dated as of July 29, 2013 (1)
10.13		Form of Indemnification Agreement by and between Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. and its directors and officers (2)
21.1		List of subsidiaries (7)
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 (7)
24.1		Power of Attorney (included on the signature page of this Registration Statement)
101.INS		XBRL Instance Document (7)
101.SCH		XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document (7)
101.CAL		XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document (7)
101.DEF		XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document (7)
101.LAB		XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document (7)
101.PRE		XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document (7)

 

†	Portions of this exhibit (indicated by asterisks) have been omitted pursuant to a confidential treatment order granted pursuant to a request submitted separately to the SEC pursuant to Rule 406 under the Securities 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 Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-188493) filed with the SEC on May 9, 2013, and incorporated herein by reference.

(3)	Filed as an exhibit to Amendment No. 3 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-188493) filed with the SEC on July 22, 2013, and incorporated herein by reference.

(4)	Filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on August 7, 2014, and incorporated herein by reference.

(5)	Filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March 12, 2014, and incorporated herein by reference.

(6)	Filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on November 6, 2014, and incorporated herein by reference.

(7)	Filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 26, 2015, and incorporated herein by reference.

 

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(b)

Financial Statement Schedules

Schedules have been omitted because the information required to be set forth therein is not applicable or is included in the consolidated financial statements or related notes incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item 17.

Undertakings

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act 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

(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;

(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:

Each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) as part of a registration statement relating to an offering, other than registration statements relying on Rule 430B or other than

 

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prospectuses filed in reliance on Rule 430A, shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the date it is first used after effectiveness. 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 first use, 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 date of first use.

(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;

(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.

 

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant has duly caused this registration statement on Form S-1 to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the city of Phoenix, State of Arizona, on March 4, 2015.

 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints J. Douglas Sanders, Amin Maredia and Brandon Lombardi 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 sign any registration statement for the same offering covered by this registration statement that is to be effective upon filing pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, and all post-effective amendments thereto, 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, Chief Executive Officer and Director (Principal Executive Officer)		March 4, 2015
/s/ Amin N. Maredia Amin N. Maredia		Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer)		March 4, 2015
/s/ Donna Berlinski Donna Berlinski		Vice President and Controller (Principal Accounting Officer)		March 4, 2015
/s/ Andrew S. Jhawar Andrew S. Jhawar		Chairman of the Board		March 4, 2015
/s/ Shon Boney Shon Boney		Director		March 4, 2015
/s/ Joseph Fortunato Joseph Fortunato		Director		March 4, 2015
Terri Funk Graham		Director
/s/ Lawrence P. Molloy Lawrence P. Molloy		Director		March 4, 2015
/s/ Steven H. Townsend Steven H. Townsend		Director		March 4, 2015

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EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit Number		Description
1.1		Form of Firm Commitment Underwriting Agreement
2.1		Plan of Conversion of Sprouts Farmers Markets, LLC (1)
3.1		Certificate of Incorporation of Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (1)
3.2		Bylaws of Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (1)
5.1		Opinion of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
10.1		Sprouts Farmers Markets, LLC 2011 Option Plan (2)
10.2		Form of Stock Option Agreement under Sprouts Farmers Markets, LLC 2011 Option Plan (2)
10.3		Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. 2013 Incentive Plan (3)
10.3.1		Form of Stock Option Agreement under Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. 2013 Incentive Plan (4)
10.3.2		Form of Restricted Stock Unit Agreement under Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. 2013 Incentive Plan (4)
10.4		Employment Agreement, dated April 18, 2011, by and between Sprouts Farmers Markets, LLC and Doug Sanders (2)
10.4.1		Amendment No. 1, dated August 23, 2012, to the Employment Agreement, dated April 18, 2011, by and between Sprouts Farmers Markets, LLC and Doug Sanders (2)
10.5		Employment Agreement, dated July 15, 2011, by and between Sprouts Farmers Markets, LLC and Amin N. Maredia (2)
10.5.1		Amendment No. 1, dated April 18, 2013, to the Employment Agreement, dated July 25, 2011 by and between Sprouts Farmers Markets, LLC and Amin N. Maredia (3)
10.6		Employment Agreement, dated April 18, 2011, by and between Sprouts Farmers Markets, LLC and Jim Nielsen (2)
10.6.1		Amendment No. 1, dated March 12, 2014, to the Employment Agreement, dated April 18, 2011 by and between Sprouts Farmers Markets, LLC and James Nielsen (5)
10.7		Employment Agreement, dated January 23, 2012, by and between Sprouts Farmers Markets, LLC and Brandon Lombardi (2)
10.7.1		Amendment No. 1, dated November 15, 2012, to the Employment Agreement, dated January 23, 2012, by and between Sprouts Farmers Markets, LLC and Brandon Lombardi (2)
10.8		Merger Agreement, dated as of March 9, 2012, by and among Sprouts Farmers Markets, LLC, Sprouts Farmers Markets Holdings, LLC, Centennial Interim Merger Sub, Inc., Centennial Post-Closing Merger Sub, LLC, Sunflower Farmers Markets, Inc. and KMCP Grocery Investors, LLC, as Representative (2)
10.8.1		First Amendment to Merger Agreement, dated as of May 8, 2012, by and among Sprouts Farmers Markets, LLC, Sprouts Farmers Markets Holdings, LLC, Centennial Interim Merger Sub, Inc., Centennial Post-Closing Merger Sub, LLC, Sunflower Farmers Markets, Inc. and KMCP Grocery Investors, LLC, as Representative (2)
10.9		Credit Agreement, dated as of April 23, 2013, among Sprouts Farmers Markets, LLC, Sprouts Farmers Markets Holdings, LLC, the several lenders from time to time parties thereto, Credit Suisse AG, Cayman Islands Branch, as Administrative Agent and Collateral Agent, Goldman Sachs Bank USA, as Syndication Agent et al. (2)

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Table of Contents

Exhibit Number		Description
10.10		Guarantee and Collateral Agreement, dated as of April 23, 2013, among Sprouts Farmers Markets, LLC, Sprouts Farmers Markets Holdings, LLC, the subsidiaries party thereto and Credit Suisse AG, Cayman Islands Branch, as Collateral Agent (2)
10.11†		Amended and Restated Nature’s Best Distribution Agreement, dated as of August 13, 2014 (6)
10.12		Stockholders Agreement dated as of July 29, 2013 (1)
10.13		Form of Indemnification Agreement by and between Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. and its directors and officers (2)
21.1		List of subsidiaries (7)
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 (7)
24.1		Power of Attorney (included on the signature page of this Registration Statement)
101.INS		XBRL Instance Document (7)
101.SCH		XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document (7)
101.CAL		XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document (7)
101.DEF		XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document (7)
101.LAB		XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document (7)
101.PRE		XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document (7)

 

†	Portions of this exhibit (indicated by asterisks) have been omitted pursuant to a confidential treatment order granted pursuant to a request submitted separately to the SEC pursuant to Rule 406 under the Securities 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 Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-188493) filed with the SEC on May 9, 2013, and incorporated herein by reference.

(3)	Filed as an exhibit to Amendment No. 3 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-188493) filed with the SEC on July 22, 2013, and incorporated herein by reference.

(4)	Filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on August 7, 2014, and incorporated herein by reference.

(5)	Filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March 12, 2014, and incorporated herein by reference.

(6)	Filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on November 6, 2014, and incorporated herein by reference.

(7)	Filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 26, 2015, and incorporated herein by reference.