Acquisitions
In 1999, Wild Oats Markets, Inc. acquired Henry's Marketplace from the Henry Boney Family. The Henry's chain included 23 stores in Southern California and one in Northern California. Following a highly debated merger in August 2007, Wild Oats was acquired by Whole Foods Market.
Soon thereafter, in October 2007, Whole Foods Market sold all 35 Henry's Farmers Market and Sun Harvest Market stores to a subsidiary of Los Angeles grocer Smart & Final, Inc., for $166 million. Earlier in 2007, Smart & Final had been acquired by the private equity firm Apollo Management.
"Sprouts" is the second specialty market brand developed by the Henry Boney family, who sold their Henry's Farmers Markets in 1999. Sprouts has announced that it will be merging with Henry's Farmers Market. The combined company, which will operate under the name Sprouts Farmers Market, had 98 stores and more than 7,000 employees at the time the transaction closed in the second quarter of 2011. Two locations in Temecula, California will operate under the Henry's Farmers Market name due to an unrelated retailer with a similar name, Sprouts Natural Market, operating in the area.
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