Sprouts Farmers Market — Local services in Knoxville

I've shopped twice here now. I'm a mom with 2 young kids, moms know sometimes that can be a little distracting, but that's life and that's ok. Came here the 2nd time with my family yesterday. I bought a kid's toothbrush for what I thought was $3.99 on sale. My husband bought 2 rib rack spice blends because at the front of the store, they have a tag on these spices that say BOGO free. My husband chose ones that were placed there so he'd get the BOGO, as we always get this brand at other local grocery stores for a better price. I also bought a Hello brand deodorant that I did not know the twister was broken until I got home. I did not pay attention when they were ringing us up, I had a lot going on and the store was very busy. Customer service was not friendly on that visit. I go today to return the deodorant and let them know they charged me wrong for the other items. The 2 ladies I spoke to were very nice! But sprouts' POOR customer really service showed here. I walked in, got in line and the friendly cashier said yes she can help me. Another employee Ana came to help and she was very nice! But the way they handled the situation was terrible. They said we'll have to see if these are on sale, I said ok, I told them where I got them. First she walked to the toothbrushes and she said the kid's toothbrush price is actually $6.49 (for 1, what economy is sprouts existing in when I can get a 4 pack for $3 at target), the sale tag was for a different item. They got me! Because I was focused on my kids, I didn't pay enough attention to the tiny print. Next they had to go to 2 entirely different places in the store just to determine if I was correct about their BOGO free deal. Nope, I was wrong they said. My husband picked up the spice blends from the same spot in front of the store with the BOGO free tag, which was for the rib rack brand. But she had to walk to the back of the store to get the 2nd rib rack blend he bought, it was no longer at front of the store. She then takes this back to cashier and cashier has to go in the computer to see how much they ring up for. Both $6.49, so you'd think they're BOGO free. She THEN has to go to the supervisor (who is standing with other employees at the front CHATTING, not helping anyone despite how long and difficult this simple process is already) to ask if they can honor the BOGO free deal. I'm waiting at the register. He then decides to go into a training opportunity & takes about 2-3 minutes to explain to them why they will not honor the BOGO free deal. She then finally comes back to me to say she won't honor it. They only refunded the broken deodorant that was $8. And she tried giving me store credit and I said no. I totally understand that they're learning and new that is not my point. My point is sprouts service is poor, they're not customer minded at all. Feels like they're very "gotcha" on pricing and that is...

I 💚 Sprouts! Was extremely happy hearing they were opening in Knoxville. I have been shopping at Sprouts in Phoenix and Atlanta for years, so of course I went to support the brand and check out the store on opening morning. It was packed! Very pleased to see the community reception/curiosity. The store is beautiful - the selection vast; gorgeous bakery items; delicious, fresh sushi; huge supplement and health section; bulk bins, which I adore; good selection of vegan products; fantastic produce department - my favorite! The 20% off up to $100 was such a nice perk. I shopped, stood in line for ages, checked out. The cashier asked questions about some of my bulk and produce purchases. It was apparent she wasn’t familiar with the items, so I answered her questions. My total seemed high. I paid and left, as it was extremely crowded. When I got home and looked at receipt, I had been grossly overcharged for many of the veg I bought - 2 bunches of beets were rung up per beet, things that were supposed to be a set price were weighed and charged by the pound. The next morning, I called and spoke with Jess, the store manager. She came across cold and unapologetic. She said the overcharges came down to training and to come in for a refund. I mentioned ALL the people who had gone through that cashier’s line who were also probably overcharged. She didn’t care. Well, I do! Food prices are so high. People budget. I was upset for all the patrons who found themselves in my situation and would have to return to the store for a refund. I did go back. There is no customer service. You have to go to the checkout area and find the head cashier, who will assist you. Not a good idea! My refund was $27+. I know you cannot control for every possible situation when opening a store, but you can train appropriately and ensure your staff is knowledgeable. I hope this overcharging experience doesn’t dissuade people from shopping at Sprouts. The head cashier informed me many people had come in for refunds....

I was so excited when I heard Sprouts was coming to Knoxville! I had heard such good things about it! Went the grand opening weekend. I wasn’t able to go until Sunday, but got there around 9am. I had read all the hype about the “parking lot pop up” samples and promises of samples inside. Out side was 1/2 a strawberry and 2 blueberries…and a blaring DJ. Inside was a Boars Head rep with sausage tasting and a sample of clementines. The atmosphere and lighting seemed tired and dated. There wasn’t anything that screamed that they were excited to be the flagship store in Knoxville. It was much smaller than I expected…and I felt the layout was all wrong. Who puts the meat and seafood section when you walk in the door? Honestly, I thought this area might be for specials and that I would find a bigger meat section somewhere else. Nothing felt local and most of the produce was prepackaged in plastic. 👎 The 20% off for opening weekend was the draw for me. There wasn’t any $3.99 /lb chicken left on a Sunday. I got a chicken fajita meal kit that was prepared in-store. The chicken overwhelmingly tasted like it was seasoned with curry….which isn’t right for a Mexican dish. I tried…I WANTED to love it. But for the reasons above, I probably...