“What I bring to the table is a different lens from which to look at the category — a customer focus. With any category you start to focus on the items themselves and not what the customer is looking for. I believe it is good to step back and spend time looking at what we can do better and what works for our customers.”

Constable believed the produce department needed a new pair of eyes to examine it when she became head of the team — eyes that saw the department as a shopper rather than as a produce buyer. “For example, I saw that we had citrus merchandised in four or five different places within the department,” she said. “When a customer comes in to buy citrus, they want to see all their choices in one place, not scattered about. We put them together.”

The team also changed the layout of the wet wall of vegetables to coincide with how the customers uses each item rather than how it is bought on the front end. For example, all the snacking items were merchandised together as were the cooking vegetables and salad items. That helps an individual shopper assess the produce options as they move through the department with a specific use in mind.

Constable noted that these changes were not a mandate from her, but rather a product of trying various resets, testing and learning. “We did the resets in one to five stores before rolling them out across the chain. We are still constantly testing and learning.”

Finding innovative products that appeal to the curious-minded, which is a common description of many Sprouts customers, has its challenges in the produce department. Virtually, every grocery store carries the same core produce SKUs with differentiation a difficult attribute to achieve.

“We do have an innovation manager on our team looking for what’s next,” Constable said. “We start at ground zero at the seed level looking for grower trends.”

She added that the produce innovation and sourcing teams are always testing and learning and looking for new products with a heavy focus on flavor. Constable, as well as several other executives, mentioned the Lucy Glo apple as an excellent example of innovation in the produce department.

The Lucy Glo apple, marketed by Chelan Fresh in Washington, is a sweet-tart, red-fleshed apple with glowing yellow skin, known for its vibrant pink interior and crisp texture, offering a taste that balances tangy notes with berry-like sweetness. As the new apple variety was being trialed, Sprouts leaned into its retail introduction and was among the first to go to market with this new apple. The variety checked all the company boxes for innovation as it was different and offered a unique flavor compared to your typical apple variety.

In mid-November of 2025, a Sprouts customer posted a video on Instagram chronicling their in-store purchase and at-home tasting. The video went viral with more than 4 million views by mid-December. It also led to many more postings as other social media influencers shared their own purchase and taste testing videos. Sales skyrocketed and it has been difficult to keep the variety in stock. It is an excellent example of the type of innovation Sprouts strives for in fresh produce. 

Speaking of Sprouts’ well publicized purpose to help customers live and eat better and the produce department’s typical array of products, Constable noted that the department is both figuratively and literally at the center of the specialty store’s activity. Fresh produce, she said, is inherently healthy with virtually all of its SKUs helping the Sprouts customer “live and eat better.”

The produce procurement teams lead with their organic selection, as more than 50 percent of all produce options are organic, with the total produce department representing more than 20 percent of store sales. A national grocery retailer does not exist that sells a greater percentage of organic vs conventional produce.

Within the produce department, Sprouts features many other produce attributes such as jumbo avocados on a daily basis, a large assortment of locally-grown fruits and vegetables, many alternate varieties of apples grapes and citrus.

Constable said the produce merchandising & sourcing teams delights in finding new products, along with the innovation team, with a diverse set of leaders Meghan Diaz, Reyna Graves and Daniel Spivey, leading the way. 

Constable said five pillars drive the produce decision making: freshness, organic, local, innovative and strategic sourcing. These are the attributes they are striving for and by which they judge new and existing produce items. 

As mentioned, Constable has not been reticent to bring non-produce experts into the produce purchasing arena. “When I am building a team, the first attribute is to find someone who can step in, look around and give us a fresh perspective,” she said. “I value a diversity of skill sets, including team members who have a deep knowledge of produce.”

While Constable has gained a lot of produce specific knowledge in the past three years, she does not believe that is paramount to running a successful produce program at Sprouts. She believes a balance of talents and skills is the key to success. Within her team, she is continually trying to create a culture of curiosity. Her management style is to set the stage for the team and give each member the autonomy to use their own skills and knowledge to succeed. A stroll through the department and sales analytics point to a strategy that is clearly working.

Noting her own career path, Constable also leans into diversity as being a major driver. “Variety is my passion. I am a constant learner, and I always want to be in a position to continue learning,” she said, adding that desire informed her decision to embrace the produce department promotion with unbounded enthusiasm.