Prepared for Sprouts Farmers Market · Anna Hickey & Lily Sharpe
LesserEvil
Enters the
Tortilla Set

The modern better-for-you flavor platform Sprouts doesn't have yet — and needs.

4 SKUs Recommended
7–8 Facings Brand Block
S3 / S4 Placement
54
SKUs Analyzed
88
Total Facings
9
Current Brands
0%
OOS Rate
98%
Promo Part.
$5.29
Median Price
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Section 01 · Category Snapshot
High-activity.
Highly promoted.

Click each metric tile to see why it matters for LesserEvil's entry case.

54
SKUs Analyzed
A broad set means real competition — but also that weak SKUs are ripe for replacement by a brand with a cleaner story.
88
Total Facings
88 facings across 54 SKUs = ~1.6 average. Concentrated brands hold far more — the bottom is over-allocated to low-velocity SKUs.
9
Brands
With 9 brands, LesserEvil needs a defined role, not just another SKU. A brand block with a distinct flavor identity is the right entry strategy.
0%
OOS Rate
Zero OOS means getting on shelf requires a displacement argument — not an urgency play. The case must be about category improvement.
98%
Promo Participation
Near-universal promotion means LesserEvil must support promotional mechanics from day one. TPR flexibility is essential from the start.
$5.29
Median Price
$5.29 median creates a clear gap between mainstream and premium — identifying the accessible premium zone as wide open for LesserEvil.
Key Takeaway
The tortilla chip set is active, competitive, and worth optimizing — this is not a passive category. Entry requires a clear role, not just shelf presence.
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Section 02 · Current Shelf Reality
Top-heavy set.
Fragmented bottom.

Click any brand to reveal its shelf role and strategic vulnerability.

Siete
26%
Premium
Sprouts (PL)
25%
Private Label
Late July
24%
Mainstream Organic
Boulder Canyon
11%
BFY Snack
Others (5 brands)
~14%
Fragmented
Key Takeaway
Top 3 brands control ~75% of the set. The remaining 25% is fragmented across low-velocity players — that's LesserEvil's entry point and displacement opportunity.
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Section 03 · The White Space
No brand owns
modern BFY flavor.

Toggle between what's overcrowded and what's wide open.

Key Takeaway
LesserEvil should not enter as "another organic tortilla chip." The winning position is entering as a flavor-led better-for-you snack brand — the platform that doesn't yet exist in this set.
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Section 04 · Pricing Strategy
The accessible premium
position is wide open.

Click any row on the ladder to see the competitive pricing context.

MASA
Ultra-Premium
$12.99
Siete
Premium
~$6.99
★ Open Lane
← LesserEvil's Position
TBD
Late July / Sprouts PL
Mainstream
~$5.00
Category Median
Midpoint
$5.29
Key Takeaway
There is a clear, unoccupied lane between Siete (~$6.99) and the mainstream organic tier (~$5.00) — the accessible premium zone where LesserEvil can own flavor-forward BFY with room for promotional flexibility.
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Section 05 · SKU Strategy
One anchor.
Three flavor drivers.

Click each card to see why it earns shelf space.

🧂
Sea Salt
Core Anchor
Establishes baseline category credibility
Sea Salt is the category's universal entry point — it signals clean ingredients and earns first-time trial without flavor risk. Every serious BFY brand needs it. This is LesserEvil's category credential, the SKU that says "we belong here." It also sets the comparison point against Siete's Sea Salt for ingredient-savvy shoppers.
🧀
Nacho Cheese
Flavor Driver
The better-for-you Doritos alternative
Nacho Cheese is the most underserved flavor in this BFY set. No clean-ingredient cheesy option exists today. LesserEvil's Nacho Cheese fills that gap directly — it's the reason a Doritos-loyal shopper visits Sprouts and upgrades their snack routine. High trial potential, high repeat rate, strong household penetration ceiling.
🌶️
Jalapeño Lime
Growth SKU
Taps the spicy / chili-lime demand curve
Spicy-citrus is one of the fastest-growing flavor profiles in salty snacks. Jalapeño Lime places LesserEvil in a trend-forward zone with zero clean BFY competition in this set. It's the discovery SKU — the one that gets Instagrammed, generates basket adds, and brings new shoppers into the brand franchise from adjacent snack categories.
🤠
Ranch
Repeat Driver
Familiar, family-friendly repeat engine
Ranch is the household auto-replenishment SKU. Familiar enough for the non-adventurous buyer, clean enough for the BFY-conscious shopper. Once a household tries Sea Salt or Nacho Cheese, Ranch becomes the weekly staple. It's not the flashy SKU — it's the one that builds velocity week after week and sustains the brand block's space justification.
Key Takeaway
Each SKU has a distinct job: Sea Salt earns credibility, Nacho Cheese drives trial, Jalapeño Lime creates discovery, and Ranch builds repeat. This is a cohesive assortment, not a grab-bag of flavors.
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Section 06 · Shelf Placement Plan
Brand block,
not scattered placement.

Click any shelf slot to see placement rationale for that position.

S3 — Eye Level (Prime Trial Zone)
Siete
Sea Salt
Siete
Multi
LE
Nacho
Cheese
LE
Jalapeño
Lime
Late July
Blue Corn
Late July
Organic
S4 — Mid Level (Brand Block Continuity)
Boulder
Avocado
LE
Sea Salt
LE
Ranch
Sprouts
PL Sea
Sprouts
PL Blue
LesserEvil (7–8 facings)
Siete
Late July
Sprouts PL
Boulder Canyon
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Section 07 · Space Creation Plan
Space from fragmented
facings — not from leaders.

Click any brand row to reveal the displacement rationale.

Brand
Reduce
Release
Reason
Chicas
− 2 facings
+ 2 facings
Low velocity, duplicative sea salt
Chicas holds 2 facings in a sea salt segment already well-served by Siete and Sprouts PL. Velocity data would support reducing to free up premium flavor space for a brand delivering incremental volume. No meaningful category role is lost.
MASA
− 1 facing
+ 1 facing
Ultra-premium ($12.99), niche audience, low turns
MASA at $12.99 serves a very specific audience. One facing is sufficient — a second facing is holding shelf real estate without proportional velocity return. One reduction is defensible in a category review conversation.
Casa Arte Sano
− 1 facing
+ 1 facing
Low brand recognition, high shopper education cost
Low brand recognition means high shopper education cost for Sprouts with limited velocity return. A single facing is unlikely to sustain even modest velocity targets in a competitive 9-brand set. This is an easy win in the space conversation.
Late July
− 1 to 2 facings
+ 1–2 facings
Duplicative flavor facings (blue corn, sea salt)
Late July holds multiple Blue Corn and Sea Salt facings delivering similar shopper outcomes. Trimming 1–2 duplicative flavors does not harm the brand's core role — it improves shopability and reduces redundancy without disrupting a category leader.
Sprouts (PL)
− 1 facing
+ 1 facing
Duplicative organic / blue corn SKU
Sprouts PL can hold its value anchor role with fewer duplicative SKUs. One organic or blue corn facing can be trimmed without undermining PL's role as the value platform. Sprouts retains strong private label representation with a tighter, cleaner SKU set.
Xochitl / Gheelish
− 1 facing
+ 1 facing
If needed — niche, limited mass appeal
Last resort if total facing reduction needs to reach 7–8. These brands serve niche audiences with limited mass-market velocity. One facing reduction is unlikely to impact category turns meaningfully — and frees the final position needed for LesserEvil's block.
Key Takeaway
This is not an attack on category leaders. It is a targeted cleanup of fragmented, duplicative space that makes room for a stronger challenger with a defined brand role and flavor platform.
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Section 08 · Buyer Case
Why Sprouts
should say yes.

Click each proof point to expand the case.

🏷️
Brand Fit
Known BFY snack brand with equity in adjacent salty snack categories at Sprouts
Clean, simple ingredients match the Sprouts shopper's values explicitly and consistently
LesserEvil is not a challenger asking for a favor — it's a brand with proven Sprouts-shopper alignment
💲
Pricing Fit
Occupies the accessible premium gap between Siete (~$6.99) and private label — uniquely unoccupied
Supports TPR and promotional mechanics without bleeding into mainstream pricing territory
Builds category AUR and reduces over-reliance on the sub-$5 price tier
📦
Shelf Fit
A clean brand block improves shopability vs. fragmented low-recognition SKUs it replaces
7–8 facings at S3/S4 creates a visible, navigable brand presence that earns its space
Reduces decision fatigue — shoppers navigate a cleaner, higher-equity set
🛒
Shopper Fit
Bridges the gap between Siete loyalists and mainstream organic purchasers — a real whitespace shopper
Flavor-forward assortment drives trial from snack-occasion shoppers currently underserved in BFY
Household repeat potential — Ranch and Sea Salt sustain long-term basket contribution
Key Takeaway
This is a category upgrade, not just a new item request. LesserEvil improves the set for Sprouts, for shoppers, and for the long-term health of the tortilla chip category.
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Section 09 · Final Recommendation
Place LesserEvil as
the modern BFY
flavor platform
in tortilla chips.
4
SKUs
7–8
Facings
S3/S4
Placement
SKU Lineup
🧂 Sea Salt — Core Anchor
🧀 Nacho Cheese — Flavor Driver
🌶️ Jalapeño Lime — Growth SKU
🤠 Ranch — Repeat Driver
Space Source
Chicas — reduce 2 facings
MASA — reduce 1 facing
Casa Arte Sano — reduce 1 facing
Late July — reduce 1–2 facings
Sprouts PL — reduce 1 facing
LesserEvil gives Sprouts a modern better-for-you tortilla chip platform that brings flavor, brand recognition, and premium accessibility to a category currently dominated by incumbents and fragmented niche players. This is a category upgrade — and a clear yes.
Anna HickeySprouts Buyer
Lily SharpeSprouts Buyer
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