PHOENIX — Sprouts Farmers Market shoppers are described by executives as “health enthusiasts” and “innovation seekers.” The specialty grocery chain’s assortment is curated to appeal to these consumer segments.

“For example, in proteins, more than 50% of our beef sales are grass-fed, more than 50% of our chicken sales are organic, and 90% of our grocery sales have specific diet attributes such as vegan and non-GMO,” Jack L. Sinclair, chief executive officer of Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc., said during an Aug. 1 conference call with securities analysts to discuss second-quarter results. “Even in produce, which many consider a commodity, over 40% of our sales are organic. This is a significant difference from other grocers.

“Our innovation seekers are also finding a treasure trove of products from locally sourced produce to our private label Sprouts brand. In the second quarter, we focused on our seasonal produce assortments in each region and shared the local grower stories in-store. For the second quarter, approximately 19% of our produce sales were from local farms.”

Sprouts has expanded its private label offerings this year with more than 200 new items “focusing on relevant taste profiles and health attributes,” Mr. Sinclair said.

“We're doing a really nice job of bringing products to the market that you can't find anywhere else under the Sprouts brand,” he said. “So, I'm encouraged for that, and I think it will continue to grow almost irrespective of how the economy grows. I think as a mix, as a mix of our business, our Sprouts brand will be strong going forward.”

The retailer also features a rotating selection of new and unique products from emerging brands in a dedicated innovation set within its stores.

“… we’ve got so many new innovative items; we’ve got this innovation table in our stores, which features 30 to 40 items every quarter that are completely unique to Sprouts, and we’re doing a lot of sampling on that and seeing a lot of success in the drinks category, in the snacks category, in those type of initiatives,” Mr. Sinclair said.

Net income for the second quarter ended July 2 increased 8.6% to $67.3 million, equal to 65¢ per share on the common stock, from $62 million, or 57¢ per share, in the prior-year period. In the current quarter, the company incurred expenses related to store closures and a supply chain transition. Adjusted net income of $73.3 million was up 18% from $62 million.

Net sales advanced 6% to $1.7 billion from $1.6 billion. The increase in sales was driven by the addition of new stores combined with comparable store sales growth of 3.2%, said Lawrence P. Molloy, chief financial officer.

“On the product front, our strongest performing categories remain the ones with the most differentiation such as grocery, bakery, dairy and proteins, further supporting our strategic decision to focus on these key departments important to the Sprouts customer,” Mr. Molloy said. “Our private label or Sprouts brand sales grew 12% and represented 20% of total sales as innovation seekers value uniqueness and quality only to be found at Sprouts.”

Mr. Molloy is set to retire at the end of the year after a 10-year career with the company. A search for his successor is underway.

During the quarter, Sprouts opened six new stores and is on track to open at least 30 new stores this year. The company now operates a total of 391 stores in 23 states.

Net income for the six months ended July 2 totaled $143.5 million, or $1.39 per share, down 4.5% from $150.3 million, or $1.37, in the comparable period. Net sales were $3.4 billion, up 5.8% from $3.2 billion.

For the full year, management continues to expect net sales growth of 5% to 6% and comparable store sales growth of 2% to 3%.