US natural and organic retailers Sunflower Farmers Market and Sprouts Farmers Market have completed plans to merge their businesses.

The combined company now has a footprint of nearly 150 natural food stores. These will be operated under the Spouts name and all Sunflower stores are expected to be re-branded by the end of the year. The retailers first unveiled the merger plan in March.

At the time, the groups said that the combined company will be a “prominent player in the western United States retail food industry” with projected annual revenues of US$2bn.

Through the deal, Sprouts has extended its geographic reach. With the addition of Sunflower’s 35 stores, Sprouts has gained outlets in the new markets of Nevada, Utah, New Mexico and Oklahoma. It has also added to its store numbers in California, Arizona, Colorado and Texas, the company said.