SpartanNash Shares Strides in Associate Engagement and Sustainability
SpartanNash is out with its latest corporate responsibility report, which shows progress in key areas of its business. A few years into the organization’s transformation under an ambitious leadership team, the food solutions company reported notable results in sustainability, associate safety and employee engagement, among other areas.
The “People First” culture set by CEO Tony Sarsam shortly after he came on board in 2020 continues to move forward in a measurable way, according to company leaders. “We are proud of the impact we’ve made, particularly in the areas of safety, sustainability, and associate engagement over the past four and a half years under the current leadership team. In fact, we’ve received several national recognitions for our work around safety and associate engagement. Our success is driven by the dedicated efforts of our associates, and we will continue to stay focused on being a customer-centric innovative food solutions company,” said Adrienne Chance, SVP and chief communications officer, in a recent interview with Progressive Grocer.
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It’s a rising-tide-lifts-all boats kind of culture, she added. “We recognize that our associates’ success directly impacts our ability to serve customers and create lasting value. By fostering a People First culture, we empower our team to deliver the best experience for both independent customers and store guests to achieve our vision of a day when they can say, 'I can’t live without them,'” she noted.
Metrics reveal progress in these areas. For example, SpartanNash achieved a top-quartile Total Recordable Incident Rate of 2.0, reflecting a 25% year-over-year reduction and an 83% decrease in lost-time incidents since 2020. In the talent sector, turnover declined 7% and 90-day new hire retention rose 4% compared to the prior year. The company currently has a workforce of around 17,000 people.
As it seeks to keep retention numbers up, SpartanNash has also invested in programs centered on associate engagement. Among other initiatives, the company introduced a daycare subsidy program to support employees with childcare expenses and organized a large event in which associates came together to pack 500,000 meals for people impacted by natural disasters.
SpartanNash’s unique structure as a retail operator and wholesaler/distributor extends its corporate responsibility arc. “As a food solutions company that operates across multiple facets of the grocery industry, including both wholesale and retail, our approach to corporate responsibility is holistic,” Chance explained, citing significant investments in people-centric and sustainability programs. “These efforts underscore our commitment to not only meeting the needs of our associates, shoppers, and independent customers, but also ensuring that our business contributes positively to the communities we serve and society as a whole.”
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On that holistic note, the report also recapped sustainability results. Last year, the company added 191 new tractors to its fleet to decrease fleet emissions and reviewed the use of renewable natural gas tractors throughout its fleet. SpartanNash also worked to cut refrigeration emissions by switching from high to low GWP refrigerants in stores and transportation.
To curb waste, SpartanNash continued a cross-functional effort that includes managing minimum order quantities, using a centralized reclaimer/salvager to optimize the distressed product handling process and donating eligible items to local partners. In addition, the company works with waste vendors to direct more items to recycling, anaerobic digestion, or incineration for energy recovery.
Resource conservation is another priority. Last year, SpartanNash worked to offset its water withdrawal attributed to the acquisition of three new retail stores by decommissioning one car wash in its convenience store operations.
The full report is available online.
With 20,000 associates, SpartanNash operates two complementary business segments: food wholesale and grocery retail. Its global supply chain network serves wholesale customers that include independent and chain grocers, national retail brands, e-commerce platforms, and U.S. military commissaries and exchanges. On the retail side, SpartanNash operates 200 brick-and-mortar grocery stores, primarily under the banners of Family Fare, Martin's Super Markets, and D&W Fresh Market, in addition to dozens of pharmacies and fuel centers. The company is No. 45 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2024 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.
