SpartanNash releases inaugural ESG report

SpartanNash, the Michigan-based food solutions company, has released its inaugural Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) report, detailing the company’s efforts and initiatives.

“The release of our first-ever ESG report is just the beginning of the transformational journey happening at SpartanNash, and it serves as a reminder that we can only achieve business success when we protect and enhance the interests of our stakeholders,” said SpartanNash president and CEO Tony Sarsam. “Our board of directors, executive leadership team and associates have made a long-term commitment to promoting and integrating ESG into how we achieve our mission. We are proud of where we are today but recognize that progress is a journey, and we will dig deeper to set new benchmarks this year while continuing to hold ourselves accountable to ensure transparency and deliver a reliable, sustainable and resilient future for our stakeholders.”

The company owns and operates 145 supermarket locations under several banners including Family Fare, Martin’s Super Markets, D&W Fresh Market and more, along with a large private label collection. SpartanNash also recently renewed its contract with the U.S. Defense Commissary Agency, with the company continuing to provide private label products to commissaries and exchanges that deliver food to military service members and their families.

SpartanNash’s inaugural ESG report was developed under the guidance and oversight of dozens of senior leaders from SpartanNash, in addition to members of the executive leadership team and board of directors.

Highlights from the 2021 report include:

Good Health and Wellbeing

• Administered 140,000+ vaccinations against COVID-19 through company pharmacies.
• Invested in safety experts and programming that resulted in a 48% improvement in the associate recordable injury rate.

Economic Growth:

• Increased pay by an average of over 10% for all entry-level roles in retail and supply chain areas, representing over 90% of SpartanNash Associates.
• Expanded the company bonus program to include more associates, representing a $2.4M investment in target bonuses in 2021 and a 57% increase in participants.

Reduced Inequalities:

• Evolved the talent review and succession planning process to include creation of talent pools for key roles, with a focus on increased representation of women and BIPOC in leadership.

Zero Hunger:

• Donated the equivalent of more than five million meals to local non-profit organizations throughout the company’s footprint.

Responsible Consumption and Production:

• Partnered with Flashfood to discount food nearing its best-before date to eliminate 146,000 pounds of potential food waste.

Climate Action

• Developed a plan to reduce fleet mileage by 10% in 2022, which in turn would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 10,000 metric tons.

The full ESG report can be found here.