Undeterred by a growing list of grocery competitors in the Dallas area, Sunflower Farmers Market, a Colorado-based organic and natural supermarket chain, said it's opening a Plano store later this year.

Founder and chief executive Mike Gilliland said Tuesday that he expects to open five or six stores in the Dallas area over the next 18 months because he believes that area shoppers want more natural and organic foods at lower prices.

The Plano store is under construction in about half the space vacated by Albertson's at Preston and West Parker roads. It's less than a mile from a Whole Foods Market at Preston Road and West Park Boulevard.

"We like to locate near Whole Foods because they've educated the shoppers and we can sell to them at lower prices," Mr. Gilliland said.

Mr. Gilliland plans to announce the second location soon. Sunflower's produce departments include a mixture of organic and nonorganics, with more than 100 items being organic. It sells natural and organic meats and poultry and almost 800 private-label grocery products. Limiting selection for each item helps keep prices lower, he said.

Its advertising message is "serious food ... silly prices," and this week's circular specials include Cliff, Luna and Mojo bars for 89 cents and two 8-ounce containers of organic strawberries for $3.

Sprouts Farmers Market, a chain of small natural food stores based in Phoenix, opened its first area store in Plano in 2005 and now has seven stores here. Its rapid expansion is encouraging, Mr. Gilliland said. "Sprouts has had success there, and we think the demographics are right for us, too."

Sunflower Farmers Market also plans to open stores in Austin, home of organic grocery leader Whole Foods. Mr. Gilliland started Sunflower in 2002 and also founded Wild Oats Markets in 1984. Wild Oats was acquired by Whole Foods last year. Sunflower operates 14 stores in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico. In January, it announced $30 million in new venture capital to pursue expansion in Utah and Texas.