The California-based grocery chain, Sprouts Farmers Market, is taking on the luxurious smoothie market dominated by Erewhon's costly, layered Coconut Cloud smoothie. For customers who relish the idea of a deluxe smoothie experience but find the thought of parting with a 20-dollar bill quite daunting, they may want to consider reaching for Sprouts' Tropical Glowgetter the next time they're in the sunny city of Los Angeles.

Unveiled earlier this year, the Tropical Glowgetter, a marvelous blend of pineapple and banana with blue spirulina swirls, has drawn parallels to Erewhon's massively esteemed Coconut Cloud. Priced just shy of $7, Sprouts manageable offering is gaining attention.

Available only at select Sprouts locations with smoothie bars, the new addition to the menu has been all the rage on social media and even made appearances in Colorado and Arizona. There are reports of it sighting also at the Sprouts branch in Chula Vista, California, as well as several other places in the Golden state, including San Diego and Oakland.

On whether the Tropical Glowgetter has managed to tantalize the taste buds of the discerning social media audience, opinions appear split down the middle. On one hand, Instagram influencer @Hungry4Munchies, with a following of nearly a quarter of a million, labeled its flavor fitting for the lower price point. On the other hand, he felt it didn't quite match up to Erewhon's smoother texture or perceived health benefits.

A remarkable difference lies in the recipes of the smoothies served at both grocery chains. With ingredients like organic agave, bananas, pineapple, unsweetened coconut milk, collagen, and organic blue spirulina, Sprouts Tropical Glowgetter is an overall nutritious drink, Adrian Hernandez, RDN and owner of AEH Nutrition, notes. However, the missing almond butter and avocado could be a letdown for those tracking protein counts.

Erewhon's Coconut Cloud, on the other hand, sports a lengthy list of ingredients such as almond milk, pineapple, banana, vanilla collagen, vanilla Stevia, blue spirulina, and copious coconut cream – all contributing to the smoothie's higher calorie content and richer taste.

Both drinks boast a list of healthy ingredients, but differ in their healthy fat constituents, says Allyson Brigham, MS, RDN. So, the final decision might boil down to one's personal preference on ingredient quality, healthy fat content, and perceived value.

Being synonymous with pricey natural food, Erewhon is still the first name that comes to mind when one thinks of high-end smoothies with blue spirulina swirls. Their smoothie bar lineup has earned an extraordinary following, with the likes of Hailey Bieber and Nara Smith endorsing their drinks. Vogue Business has even reported that Bieber's Strawberry Glaze Skin smoothies notch up to 40,000 sales per month.

For a major portion of the audience, the soaring price of Erewhon's smoothie is a symbol of aspiration or source of dissatisfaction due to the high cost. In this context, one can't help but wonder whether the high-priced Coconut Cloud would still pique people's interest without its whopping $19 tag.

Given the buzz surrounding this smoothie face-off, we reached out to the Sprouts team to get inside scoop on the availability, but no comments have been received as of yet. Also, official brand social channels haven't showcased Tropical Glowgetter, thus, for the time being, we must play the waiting game to see how this battle of the smoothies plays out.