Your vote is important. Even if you plan to attend the meeting,

PLEASE SIGN, DATE AND RETURN THE ENCLOSED PROXY CARD PROMPTLY OR

VOTE BY TELEPHONE OR INTERNET.

Your vote is important. Even if you plan to attend the meeting, PLEASE VOTE PROMPTLY BY TELEPHONE OR INTERNET, OR BY SIGNING, DATING AND RETURNING A PROXY CARD. See the information in the Questions and Answers section of our proxy statement regarding how to vote by telephone or internet, obtain a printed proxy card, revoke a proxy, and vote in person.

Use of Terms

In this proxy statement, “we,” “us,” “our,” the “Company,” “Spartan Stores” and “SpartanNash” refer to Spartan Stores, Inc., d/b/a SpartanNash Company, and “you” and “your” refer to each shareholder of SpartanNash.

Questions and Answers about the Proxy Materials and Our 2013 Annual Meeting

In addition, any other business that may properly come before the meeting will be considered and voted on. As of the date of this proxy statement, we are not aware of any other matters to be considered and voted on at the annual meeting. If any other matters are presented, the persons named as proxies on the enclosed proxy card will have discretionary authority to vote for you on those matters.

Internet Voting. You may vote via the Internet by visiting www.envisionreports.com/SPTN. You may navigate to the online voting site by clicking the “Cast Your Vote” button. Have the instructions attached to your proxy card ready when you access the site and follow the prompts to record your vote. This vote will be counted immediately and there is no need to send in your proxy card. Votes cast by Internet must be received by 1:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time on May 28, 2014.

Telephone Voting. To vote by telephone, dial the toll-free number on the instructions attached to your proxy card and listen for further directions. You must have a touch-tone phone. Telephonic votes will be counted immediately and there is no need to send in your proxy card. Votes cast by telephone must be received by 1:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time on May 28, 2014.

Voting by Mail. You may request a printed copy of your proxy card. If you properly sign and return the proxy card to the designated

address, the shares represented by that proxy card will be voted at the annual meeting and at any adjournment of the meeting. Votes cast by mail must be received no later than the start of the meeting.

If you specify a choice on the proxy card, your shares will be voted as specified. If you do not specify a choice, your shares will be voted for election of each of the nominees named in this proxy statement, and for each of the proposals described in this proxy statement. If any other matter comes before the meeting, your shares will be voted in the discretion of the persons named as proxies on the proxy card.

Please note that you may NOT vote shares held in street name in person at the annual meeting unless you request and receive a valid proxy from your broker.

If you hold your shares in street name and do not provide timely voting instructions to your broker, your bank or broker may vote your shares only on “routine” matters, such as the ratification of the Company’s independent public accounting firm. NYSE rules applicable to its member firms provide that your broker may not vote uninstructed shares on a discretionary basis on non-routine matters, such as the election of directors or approval of the executive compensation proposal. In such cases, the broker can register your shares as being present at the Annual Meeting for purposes of determining the presence of a quorum, but will not be able to vote on non-routine matters. This is called a “broker non-vote.”

Therefore, if you hold your shares in street name it is critical that you cast your vote if you want your vote to count.

Merely attending the meeting will not, by itself, revoke your proxy; you must cast a subsequent vote at the meeting using forms provided for that purpose. Your last valid vote that we receive before or at the annual meeting is the vote that will be counted.

Corporate Name Change. The approval of the proposed amendment to our Articles of Incorporation to change the name of the Company to “SpartanNash Company” requires the approval of a majority of the outstanding shares of Company common stock entitled to vote at the meeting. Failures to vote, broker non-votes, and abstentions will have the same effect as a vote against the proposal.

Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation. The advisory vote on executive compensation (the “say on pay” vote) will be approved if a majority of the shares that are voted on the proposal at the meeting are voted in favor of approval. Abstentions,

broker non-votes and other shares that are not voted on the proposal in person or by proxy will not be included in the vote count to determine if a majority of shares voted on this proposal voted in favor of approval. Because your vote is advisory, it will not be binding on the Company, the Board of Directors or the Compensation Committee. However, the Board of Directors and Compensation Committee value the opinions of our shareholders and will review the voting results and take them into consideration when making future decisions regarding executive compensation.

Ratification of Independent Auditors. The ratification of the selection of Deloitte & Touche LLP as our independent auditors for FYE 1/3/15 will be approved if a majority of the shares that are voted on the proposal at the meeting are voted in favor of ratification. Abstentions, broker non-votes and other shares that are not voted on the proposal in person or by proxy will not be included in the vote count to determine if a majority of shares voted on this proposal voted in favor of this proposal.

Required Vote for Other Matters. We do not know of any other matters to be presented at

the meeting. Generally, any other proposal to be voted on at the meeting would be approved if a majority of the shares that are voted on the proposal at the meeting are voted in favor of the proposal. Abstentions, broker non-votes and other shares that are not voted on the proposal in person or by proxy would not be included in the vote count to determine if a majority of shares voted on the proposal voted in favor of each such proposal.

The Board of Directors proposes that the following eleven individuals be elected as directors of SpartanNash for a one-year term expiring at the 2015 annual meeting of shareholders:

M. Shân Atkins

Dennis Eidson

Mickey P. Foret

Frank M. Gambino

Douglas A. Hacker

Yvonne R. Jackson

Elizabeth A. Nickels

Timothy J. O’Donovan

Hawthorne L. Proctor

Craig C. Sturken

William R. Voss

Biographical information concerning the nominees appears below under the heading “The Board of Directors.” The persons named as proxies on the proxy card intend to vote for the election of each of the nominees. The proposed nominees are willing to be elected and to serve as directors. If any nominee becomes unable to serve or is otherwise unavailable for election, which we do not anticipate, the incumbent Board of Directors may select a substitute nominee. If a substitute nominee is selected, the shares represented by your proxy

card will be voted for the election of the substitute nominee, unless you give other instructions. If a substitute is not selected, all proxies will be voted

for the election of the remaining nominees. Proxies will not be voted for more than eleven nominees.

Your Board of Directors recommends that you vote FOR election of all nominees as directors.

The Board of Directors proposes that Article I of the Company’s articles of incorporation be amended to read in its entirety as follows: “The name of the Corporation is SpartanNash Company.” The new name reflects the Merger of Spartan Stores, Inc. and Nash-Finch Company, which was completed on November 19, 2013. The

Company has done business under the “SpartanNash Company” name since the Merger.

Your Board of Directors recommends that you vote FOR the approval of the amendment to change the corporate name to SpartanNash Company.

As required under Section 14A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, shareholders may cast an advisory vote on the compensation of the Company’s named executive officers as disclosed in this proxy statement pursuant to the SEC’s compensation disclosure rules.

As described in more detail in the “Executive Compensation” section of this proxy statement, the Company has designed its executive compensation programs to attract, motivate, reward and retain the senior management talent to manage the Company to achieve our corporate objectives and increase shareholder value through long-term profitable growth. Our compensation programs are focused on pay-for-performance principles and are strongly aligned with the long-term interests of our shareholders. For these reasons, and the reasons discussed in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” section of this proxy statement, we are asking our shareholders to vote “FOR” the adoption of the following resolution:

“RESOLVED, that the shareholders of Spartan Stores, Inc., d/b/a SpartanNash Company

(the “Company”) approve, on an advisory basis, the compensation of the Company’s named executive officers, as disclosed in the Company’s proxy statement for the 2014 Annual Meeting of Shareholders under the heading entitled “Executive Compensation.”

This vote is not intended to address any specific item of compensation, but rather the overall compensation of our named executive officers and the philosophy and programs described in this proxy statement.

The vote is not binding on the Company, the Board of Directors or the Compensation Committee. However, the Board of Directors and Compensation Committee value the opinions of our shareholders and will take the results of the vote into consideration when making future decisions regarding executive compensation.

Your Board of Directors Recommends That You Vote FOR Approval of the Compensation of the Company’s Named Executive Officers.

SpartanNash’s Audit Committee has approved the selection of Deloitte & Touche LLP (“Deloitte”) as the Company’s independent auditors to audit the financial statements and internal controls of SpartanNash and its subsidiaries for FYE 1/3/15, and to perform such other appropriate accounting services as may be approved by the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee and the Board of Directors propose and recommend that shareholders ratify the selection of Deloitte to serve as the Company’s independent auditors for the fiscal year ending January 3, 2015.

The independence of the Company’s independent public accounting firm is of paramount concern to the Audit Committee and the Board of Directors. The Audit Committee evaluates the independence of the auditors at least annually. Deloitte has provided written affirmation that they are independent under all applicable standards, and the Audit Committee believes that Deloitte has effective internal monitoring of their independence. The Company and Deloitte have complied with SEC requirements on audit partner rotation. The lead audit partner was most recently replaced for FYE 12/28/13.

Independence is not the sole factor in the selection of the Company’s independent auditor.

The Audit Committee also considers price, quality of service and knowledge of SpartanNash and the Company’s industry when considering auditor selection.

More information concerning the relationship of the Company with its independent auditors appears below under the headings “Audit Committee,” “Independent Auditors,” and “Audit Committee Report.”

If the shareholders do not ratify the selection of Deloitte, the Audit Committee will consider a change in auditors for the next year.

Representatives of Deloitte are expected to be present at the annual meeting, will have the opportunity to make a statement if they desire to do so, and are expected to be available to respond to appropriate questions from shareholders.

Your Audit Committee, which consists entirely of independent directors, and Board of Directors recommend that you vote FOR ratification of the selection of Deloitte & Touche LLP as our independent auditors for FYE 1/3/15.

SpartanNash is committed to developing and implementing principles of corporate governance to help the Board fulfill its responsibilities to shareholders and to provide a framework for overseeing the management of the Company. The formal requirements pertaining to SpartanNash’s corporate governance structure are set forth in our restated articles of incorporation, bylaws and committee charters. In addition, the Board has adopted a written Corporate Governance Policy. The Policy is designed to communicate our fundamental governance principles and to provide management, associates, and shareholders with

insight to the Board’s ethical standards, expectations for conducting business, and decision-making processes. The Policy includes, among other things, guidelines regarding:

This section of our proxy statement summarizes certain charters, policies, and principles relating to SpartanNash’s corporate governance. More information regarding the Company’s corporate governance, including a copy of our Corporate Governance Policy, is available in the “Investor Relations—Corporate Governance” section of our website, www.spartannash.com.

Declassification of the Board of Directors

In 2010, the Board of Directors unanimously recommended, and the shareholders approved, amendments to the Company’s Articles of Incorporation that declassified the Board and caused each director to be elected annually for a one-year term. Previously, the Board had been divided into three classes of directors serving three year terms.

The declassification was phased in over a three-year period, which began at the 2011 Annual Meeting. This declassification was completed as of the 2013 Annual Meeting. Going forward, each director of the Company will stand for election for a one-year term of office.

Director Independence

The Board believes that the independence of directors is an essential feature of the Company’s governance. Independent directors help assure that the Board and its committees are dedicated to acting in the best interests of the

shareholders. Accordingly, SpartanNash’s Corporate Governance Policy requires that at least two-thirds of the directors must be independent (as defined by the applicable standards of the Nasdaq Listing Rules). More than two-thirds of the Company’s Board has consisted of independent directors for at least ten years. Currently, ten of SpartanNash’s eleven directors are independent under Nasdaq Marketplace Rules. At present, the Board has only two current or former management directors: Craig Sturken, the current Chairman of the Board, former Executive Chairman (having served in this capacity from October 2008 to February 2011) and former Chief Executive Officer (having served in this capacity from March 2003 to October 2008), and Dennis Eidson, the current President and Chief Executive Officer.

The Board of Directors’ Role in Risk Oversight

Management of risk is the direct responsibility of the Company’s senior leadership team. The Board of Directors is responsible for overseeing the Company’s risk management and risk mitigation. In its oversight of the Company’s risk-management process, the Board seeks to ensure that the Company is informed and deliberate in its risk-taking. The Company’s primary mechanisms for risk management are the Company’s enterprise risk management program (“ERM”), its internal audit program, strategic review sessions held between the Board and management, and the Company’s external audit by an independent accounting firm.

The Company relies on its ERM process to help identify, monitor, measure and manage risks. The ERM approach is designed to enable the Board of Directors to establish a mutual understanding with management of the effectiveness of the Company’s risk management practices and capabilities. The Company’s internal audit department provides management and the Board with information and analysis regarding operational, compliance and strategic risks, and seeks to improve business processes to minimize risks of fraud and abuse. Management and the

internal audit department provide the Audit Committee with reports and updates on risk management matters at each Audit Committee meeting.

At least annually, the Board of Directors undertakes a comprehensive review of the Company’s strategic plan and objectives with management. This review necessarily involves the identification and assessment of strategic risks attendant to initiatives such as acquisitions and divestitures, major investments, financings and capital commitments.

The Board implements its risk oversight function both as a whole and through Committees, which meet regularly and report back to the full Board. In particular:

Board Leadership Structure

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and the Board of Directors evaluate, from time to time, the leadership structure of the Board of Directors in light of a variety of factors that the Board considers important, including efficiency, the Company’s current Board composition, the experience and skills of our management team, and other factors.

The Board of Directors, upon the recommendation of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, has determined that at this time it is in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders to separate the roles of Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board in recognition of the differences between the two roles. The Chief Executive Officer is responsible for setting the strategic direction for the Company and the day to day leadership and performance of the Company, while the Chairman of the Board, who previously served as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer for over five years, provides guidance to the Chief Executive Officer and sets the agenda for Board meetings and presides over meetings of the full Board.

When the Chairman of the Board is the current or former Chief Executive Officer, as is currently the case, the Board will elect, from among the independent directors, a Lead Independent Director. The role of the Lead Independent Director is to aid and assist the Chairman and the rest of the Board in assuring effective corporate governance in managing the affairs of the Board and the Company. Specific responsibilities and authority of the Lead Independent Director include:

The Board of Directors believes that this leadership structure supports the risk oversight function of the Board (discussed above) by allowing the Chief Executive Officer and senior management to focus on strategic opportunities and risks within the framework of the Company’s risk management programs, while the Board, under the leadership of the Chairman, provides oversight in connection with those efforts, and the Lead Independent Director helps promote overall effective governance.

Committee Charters

The Board has appointed three chartered committees: the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee, and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. The Board has approved a written committee charter for each of these committees. The charters define basic principles regarding each committee’s organization, purpose, authority and responsibilities. The charters for the Audit, Compensation, and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees are available in the “Investor Relations—Corporate Governance” section of our website, www.spartannash.com.

Director Attendance

The Board is proud of its record of recruiting and retaining directors who have a diversity of experience; have the highest personal and professional integrity; have demonstrated exceptional ability and judgment; and are effective in serving the long-term interests of shareholders. Board and Committee attendance is critical to the proper functioning of the Board of Directors and is a priority. Each director is expected to make every effort to personally attend every Board meeting and every meeting of each Committee on which he or she serves as a member.

SpartanNash’s Board of Directors held 11 meetings during FYE 12/28/13. In FYE 12/28/13, each director attended at least 75% of the meetings of the Board of Directors and the committees on which he or she served. The Board is scheduled to meet at least quarterly and may meet more frequently. Independent directors meet in executive sessions, without the presence of management, at each regularly scheduled Board meeting.

Directors are also expected to attend the annual meeting of shareholders in person unless compelling personal circumstances prevent attendance. Despite the geographic diversity of their home cities, for at least the past nine years all of SpartanNash’s directors have attended the annual meetings of shareholders held during the periods in which they served as directors, with one exception for one director who was unable to attend one annual meeting of shareholders.

Alignment of Shareholder, Management, and Director Interests

The Board has long believed that directors and management should have a significant financial stake in the Company to align their interests with those of the shareholders. Therefore, the Board and the Compensation Committee have made equity awards a substantial component of management and director compensation. In addition, the Board of Directors has established stock ownership guidelines for corporate officers and directors to ensure that they face the same downside risk and upside potential as shareholders. Under the stock ownership guidelines, the Company’s executive officers are expected to achieve and maintain a level of stock ownership having a value that is approximately equal to or greater than a specified multiple of the executive’s annual base salary, ranging for various positions from five times the applicable salary to one times the applicable salary. Each member of the Board of Directors is also expected to acquire and continue to hold shares of the Company’s common stock having an aggregate market value from time to

time which equals or exceeds five times the rate of the regular annual retainer then in effect for non-employee directors who are not chairs. Please see the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” and “Compensation of Directors” sections of this proxy statement for additional information.

Hedging and Pledging Prohibited

Consistent with the Board of Directors’ belief that ownership of the Company’s stock by our executive officers and members of the Board of Directors promotes alignment of the interests of the Company’s shareholders with those of its leadership, the Board recognizes that transactions that are designed to hedge or offset declines in the market value of the Company’s stock can disrupt this alignment, interfere with the Company’s compensation programs, and undermine our stock ownership policies. For these reasons, the Board has adopted a policy that prohibits an executive officer or director of the Company from purchasing any financial instrument or entering into any transaction that is designed to hedge or offset any decrease in the market value of the Company’s common stock or other equity securities (including, but not limited to, prepaid variable forward contracts, equity swaps, collars, or exchange funds).

The Board of Directors also recognizes that officer and director pledging of the Company’s stock as collateral for indebtedness can be adverse to the interests of the Company’s shareholders because it creates the risk of forced sales that depress the value of the Company’s stock and may encourage excessive risk-taking by executives. Therefore, the Company’s executive officers and directors are not permitted to pledge, hypothecate, or otherwise encumber shares of the Company’s common stock or other equity securities as collateral for indebtedness. This prohibition includes, but is not limited to, holding such shares in a margin account. A copy of the Company’s Policy on Hedging and Pledging Company Stock is available in the “Investor Relations” section of our corporate website, www.spartannash.com.

Majority Voting

The Board believes that the Company and its shareholders are best served by having directors who enjoy the confidence of the Company’s shareholders. It will be presumed that any director who receives a greater number of votes “withheld” than votes “for” such election in an uncontested election at an annual meeting of shareholders (a “Majority Withheld Vote”) does not have the full confidence of the shareholders. A director receiving a Majority Withheld Vote is required to offer promptly his or her resignation from the Board to the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee upon certification of the shareholder vote. The resignation will be effective if and when accepted by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.

Retirement and Change in Employment Status

The Board of Directors believes that it is generally appropriate for directors to retire before the age of 72. A director will not ordinarily be nominated for re-election to the Board of Directors following the expiration of the term of office which ends after his or her 72nd birthday. The Board of Directors recognizes, however, that the wisdom, experience and contribution of an older director could benefit the Board and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee may, in its discretion, nominate a director for re-election after his or her 72nd birthday in a case which the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee determines to be exceptional. Currently, none of our directors is age 72 or older.

Directors recognize that they have been chosen for nomination or appointment to the Board of Directors in part because of the knowledge and insight they gain on a continuing basis from their active employment in their current positions and for the public respect they bring to the Company and its Board of Directors because of the positions they hold in the business community. A director who experiences a material change in his or her

employment status is expected to promptly offer his or her resignation as a director to the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. The Committee will promptly consider and vote upon acceptance or rejection of the director’s offer to resign (excluding the affected director from consideration of and voting on acceptance of the resignation).

Other Board Memberships

SpartanNash recognizes that the proper direction and management of the Company requires the dedication of the executive officers and a significant commitment from its directors. Accordingly, the Board has established a policy governing membership on the boards of other companies.

Executive officers of the Company must notify the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee before serving as a member of the board of directors of any other business organization. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee reviews the Chief Executive Officer’s membership on external boards of directors at least annually. The Chief Executive Officer may not serve on the board of directors of more than one business organization not affiliated with the Company without the prior review and approval of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. The Committee may limit the directorships for any other executive officer if it believes that they will interfere with the executive officer’s responsibilities to the Company. Non-management directors may not serve on more than three other public company boards without the prior review and approval of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.

Codes of Conduct and Ethics

SpartanNash is committed to the highest standards of integrity, honesty and ethics in business. The Board has approved, and the Audit Committee administers, a Code of Conduct and

Business Ethics (the “Code”) that articulates the Company’s standards regarding business ethics and expectations regarding the conduct of directors, management, and associates. This Code establishes basic guidelines to help the Company comply with legal requirements and conduct our business with honesty and integrity. The Code sets forth rules of conduct concerning disclosure of information, conflicts of interest, accurate recordkeeping and reporting, and receipt of personal benefits. The Code requires all associates of the Company to report promptly any violations of the Code. Associates may report violations through reporting systems on a confidential and anonymous basis. The Code is available in the “Investor Relations—Corporate Governance” section of our website, www.spartannash.com.

In addition, the Company has a comprehensive Code of Conduct Policy applicable to all associates that articulates the Company’s core values and sets forth standards of conduct regarding a broad range of topics, including antitrust compliance, securities matters, environmental law compliance, political contributions, workplace conduct, and other matters that are essential to the integrity of our business activities.

Succession Planning

Under our Corporate Governance Policy, the Board of Directors maintains and periodically reviews a succession plan for the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and such other executive officers as it deems appropriate to manage the continuity of leadership in the execution of the Company’s business strategies. The succession plans are based upon recommendations of the Compensation Committee, with input from the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.

Board and Management Communication

SpartanNash is committed to open and effective communication between the Board and

management. Directors are encouraged to consult with any SpartanNash manager or associate and may visit Company facilities without the approval or presence of corporate management. The Board encourages executive officers to invite managers to Board meetings from time to time who can provide additional insight into matters under discussion. The Board is required to dedicate a substantial portion of at least one meeting per year to discussions with management regarding the Company’s strategic plan.

Director Education

SpartanNash encourages all of its directors to attend continuing education programs so that they may stay abreast of developments in corporate governance and best practices and further develop their expertise. The Board of Directors expects that each director will attend periodically an appropriate continuing director education program.

Nominee Qualifications and the Nominations Process

There are no specific or minimum qualifications or criteria for nomination for election or appointment to the Board of Directors. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee identifies and evaluates nominees for director on a case-by-case basis, regardless of who recommended the nominee, and has no written procedures for doing so. The Board has identified certain qualifications, attributes and skills that should be represented on the Board as a whole. These are discussed beginning on page 28.

The Board of Directors believes that SpartanNash and its shareholders are best served by having a Board of Directors that brings a diversity of education, experience, skills, and perspective to Board meetings. The Board of Directors welcomes opportunities to include diverse perspectives, talents, ideas and contributions. Consistent with this philosophy, the Board of Directors may consider factors and

characteristics that are pertinent to diversity, such as race and gender, when evaluating nominees to stand for election or re-election to the Board.

The Company may engage and pay fees to third party search firms to assist the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee in identifying possible nominees for director and providing information to assist the Committee in the evaluation of possible nominees.

The Board of Directors expects that there would be no material difference in the manner in which the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee would evaluate a nominee for director that was recommended by a shareholder.

Shareholder Nominations of Director Candidates

Under our restated articles of incorporation, a shareholder of record may nominate a person for election as a director at a meeting of shareholders at which directors will be elected if, and only if, the shareholder has delivered timely notice to the Secretary of SpartanNash setting forth:

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will consider every nominee proposed by a shareholder that is received in a timely manner in accordance with these procedures and report each such nomination, along with the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee’s recommendations, to the full Board of Directors.

To be timely, a shareholder’s notice must be delivered to or mailed and received at SpartanNash’s principal executive offices at least 120 days before the date of notice of the meeting in the case of an annual meeting of shareholders, or not more than seven days following the date of notice of the meeting in the case of a special meeting of shareholders. Any nomination that does not comply with these procedures will be void.

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee may also, in its discretion, consider shareholders’ informal recommendations of possible nominees. Shareholders may send such informal recommendations to the Committee by directing them to SpartanNash in care of the Secretary, 850 76th Street, S.W., P.O. Box 8700, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49518.

Shareholder Communications with Directors

In accordance with SpartanNash’s Shareholder Communication Policy, shareholders who wish to send communications to SpartanNash’s Board of Directors may do so by sending them in care of the Secretary at the address set forth in the preceding paragraph. Such communications may be addressed either to specified individual directors or the entire Board. The Secretary has the discretion to screen and not forward to directors communications which the Secretary determines in his or her discretion are communications unrelated to the business or governance of SpartanNash and its subsidiaries, commercial solicitations, offensive, obscene, or otherwise inappropriate. The Secretary will, however, compile all shareholder communications which are not forwarded and such communications

will be available to any director. A copy of our Shareholder Communication Policy can be found in the “Investor Relations—Corporate

Governance” section of our website, www.spartannash.com.

General

The Board of Directors currently consists of eleven directors. Assuming that all of the nominees are elected, there will be eleven directors immediately following the annual meeting. At our 2010 Annual Meeting, our shareholders voted to amend the Company’s Articles of Incorporation to declassify our Board of Directors and cause each director to stand for election annually. The declassification was phased in over a three-year period, which began with the 2011 Annual Meeting and was completed in 2013. All directors will stand for election at the 2014 Annual Meeting. All directors elected at this year’s Annual Meeting will serve a one-year term, expiring at the 2015 Annual Meeting.

The biographies of each of the nominees and continuing directors below contains information regarding the person’s service as a director, business experience, director positions held currently or at any time during the last five years, and the experiences, qualifications, attributes or skills that caused the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and the Board to determine that the person should continue to serve as a director for the Company. Except as otherwise indicated, each of these persons has had the same principal position and employment for over five years.

Nominees for Directors

M. Shân Atkins (age 57) has been a director of SpartanNash since 2003. Since 2001, Ms. Atkins has been Managing Director of Chetrum Capital LLC, a private investment firm. Ms. Atkins is a director and chair of the Compensation Committee of The Pep Boys—Manny, Moe and Jack, an auto parts and service

retailer whose common stock is listed on the NYSE. Ms. Atkins is a director and member of the Human Resource and Compensation Committee and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of Tim Hortons, Inc., Canada’s leading quick service restaurant chain whose stock is traded on the NYSE. Ms. Atkins served as a director of Shoppers Drug Mart Corporation, a retail drug store chain whose stock is traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange, from 2005 to 2012, including service as chair of the Audit Committee from 2011 to 2012. Ms. Atkins serves as a director and chair of the Audit Committee of True Value Company, a retailer-owned hardware cooperative. From 1999 to 2001, Ms. Atkins served as a director and a member of the Audit Committee of Chapters, Inc., a book retailer whose stock was traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange prior to the company’s acquisition. From 1996 to 2001, Ms. Atkins served in a variety of executive positions with Sears, Roebuck and Co. (now known as Sears Holdings Corporation), a retailer whose common stock is listed on the NYSE, most recently as Executive Vice President, Strategic Initiatives. From 1982 to 1996, she served in a variety of positions with Bain and Company, Inc., an international management consulting firm, where she specialized in the consumer and retail sectors, most recently serving as Vice President. Ms. Atkins was an auditor with Price Waterhouse in Toronto, Canada, from 1979 to 1981. She has been a member of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants since 1981 and is a certified public accountant. Ms. Atkins’ qualifications to serve on the Board of Directors include her expertise in finance and accounting, her extensive experience as a director of other publicly traded corporations, and her experience in developing and executing strategic plans for major retail organizations

Dennis Eidson (age 60) has been a director of SpartanNash since October 2007, Chief Executive Officer since October 2008, President of SpartanNash since October 2007, and was our Chief Operating Officer from February 2007 to October 2008, and our Executive Vice President Marketing and Merchandising from March 2003 to February 2007. Prior to joining SpartanNash, Mr. Eidson served as the Divisional President and Chief Executive Officer of A&P’s Midwest region from October 2000 to July 2002, as the Executive Vice President Sales and Merchandising of A&P’s Midwest region from March 2000 to October 2000, and as the Vice President of Merchandising of A&P’s Farmer Jack division from June 1997 to March 2000. Mr. Eidson brings valuable insight and knowledge to the Board due to his service as President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Eidson also provides the benefit of his years of service in the grocery retail and distribution industry, including his executive experience at A&P.

Mickey P. Foret (age 68) has been a Director of the Company since the Merger of Spartan Stores and Nash Finch in November 2013. Mr. Foret served as a director of Nash Finch since 2005. Mr. Foret served until 2002 as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Northwest Airlines, Inc., an airline company, and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Northwest Airlines Cargo, Inc., a transportation and logistics company. Mr. Foret was employed in various management positions at Northwest Airlines from 1992 until 1996 as well as from 1998 until 2002. Mr. Foret previously served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Atlas Air Cargo, Inc. and as President and Chief Operating Officer, as well as in other management positions, at Continental Airlines, Inc. Mr. Foret has served as a director of Delta Air Lines, Inc. since October 2008, and as a director of the URS Corporation, an engineering design services firm, since March 2003. Mr. Foret has previously served as a director for the following companies: NorAm Energy Corp.; MAIR Holdings, Inc.; ADC Telecommunications, Inc.; First American Funds; Champion Airlines, Inc.; Worldspan L.P.; and

Northwest Airlines. The Company believes that Mr. Foret’s business experience, including his roles as Executive Vice President Finance and Chief Financial Officer for a Fortune 500 Company, as well as his extensive experience in financial and capital markets, give him the qualifications and skills to serve as a Director.

Dr. Frank M. Gambino (age 60) has been a director of SpartanNash since 2003. Dr. Gambino is a Professor of Marketing and the Director of the Food & Consumer Packaged Goods Marketing Program in the Haworth College of Business at Western Michigan University. He has been on the WMU faculty since 1984. Prior to joining WMU he had over 15 years of experience in the retail food industry. Dr. Gambino remains active within the food and consumer packaged goods industries at both the national and regional level. He is a frequent speaker, trainer and consultant to a diverse group of industry organizations. Currently, he serves on the Retail Site Development Committee for Wakefern Food Corporation (a grocery retailer cooperative) of Elizabeth, New Jersey, which is an advisory committee that reports to the Wakefern Board of Directors. Dr. Gambino is the current Vice-Chair of the Food Industry University Coalition for the National Grocers Association. He is also secretary to the Western Michigan University Food Industry Advisory Board. He is a past member of the board of directors for Alliance Foods and the Food Distribution Research Society and past senator to the WMU Faculty Senate. He has served and continues to serve on several industry advisory groups including such organizations as the National Grocers Association and the Food Marketing Institute. Dr. Gambino’s qualifications to serve on the Board of Directors include his knowledge and expertise in the food industry.

Douglas A. Hacker (age 58) has been a Director of the Company since the Merger of Spartan Stores and Nash Finch in November 2013. Prior to the Merger, Mr. Hacker served as a director of Nash Finch since 2005. Mr. Hacker is currently an independent business executive and

formerly served as Executive Vice President, Strategy for UAL Corporation, an airline holding company, from December 2002 to May 2006. Prior to this position, he served with UAL Corporation as President, UAL Loyalty Services from September 2001 to December 2002, and as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer from July 1999 to September 2001. Mr. Hacker also serves as a trustee of a series of open-end investment companies that are part of the Columbia family of mutual funds and as a director of Aircastle Limited, a commercial aircraft leasing company. The Company believes that Mr. Hacker’s extensive experience in financial and operating management, including his prior service as Executive Vice President, Strategy, and his service as Chief Financial Officer of a major airline, in addition to his depth of knowledge in executive compensation give him the qualifications and skills to serve as a Director.

Yvonne R. Jackson (age 64) has been a director of SpartanNash since her appointment to the Board in October 2010. Ms. Jackson is President and Principal of BeecherJackson, Inc., a human resources management consulting firm that she co-founded in 2006. From 2002 to 2005, she served as Senior Vice President, Corporate Human Resources of Pfizer, Inc., a global pharmaceutical company with over 100,000 employees whose stock is traded on the NYSE, where she was responsible for overall strategy development and the execution of Pfizer’s company-wide human resources policies and initiatives. From 1999 to 2002, she served as Senior Vice President Human Resources and Chief People Officer at Compaq Computer Co., a computer manufacturing and marketing company, prior to its acquisition by Hewlett-Packard. From 1993 to 1999, she served as Senior Vice President Human Resources and Chief People Officer at Burger King Corporation, a nationwide fast-food retailer whose stock is traded on the NYSE. From 2006 to 2012, Ms. Jackson served as a director of Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc., a regional grocery retailer whose stock was traded on Nasdaq prior to its sale, including service as chairperson of Winn Dixie’s Compensation

Committee. Ms. Jackson is a former director and member of the Compensation and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees of Best Buy Co., Inc., whose stock is traded on the NYSE. Ms. Jackson has over 30 years’ experience in human resources, including experience as the most senior human resources executive. Her experience enables her to assist the Board in its deliberations regarding succession planning, compensation and benefits, change management, talent management, organizational management and diversity strategies.

Elizabeth A. Nickels (age 51) has been a director of SpartanNash since 2000. Ms. Nickels is the Executive Director of Herman Miller Foundation. From February 2000 to May 2012, Ms. Nickels served as an executive at Herman Miller, Inc., an office furniture manufacturing company whose stock is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, including service as President of Herman Miller Healthcare from August 2007 to May 2012 and Executive Vice President of Herman Miller, Inc. from February 2000 to May 2012. Ms. Nickels also served as Chief Financial Officer of Herman Miller from February 2000 to August 2007. From 1993 to February 2000, she was Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Universal Forest Products, Inc., a wood products manufacturer whose stock is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market. Ms. Nickels has practiced as a certified public accountant and maintains her registration as a C.P.A. Ms. Nickels’ qualifications to serve as a director of SpartanNash include her wealth of experience and knowledge of business, finance and accounting matters gained through nineteen years of executive experience with publicly traded companies.

Timothy J. O’Donovan (age 69) has been a director of SpartanNash since 2003. Mr. O’Donovan is the retired Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Wolverine World Wide, Inc., a footwear company whose common stock is listed on the NYSE. Mr. O’Donovan served as Chairman of the Board

of Wolverine from April 2005 through December 2009. In April 2007, Mr. O’Donovan retired as Chief Executive Officer of Wolverine, a position which he held since April 2000. Mr. O’Donovan served as Wolverine’s Chief Executive Officer and President from April 2000 until April 2005, and as Chief Operating Officer and President from 1996 until April 2000. Before 1996, Mr. O’Donovan was Executive Vice President of Wolverine. Mr. O’Donovan also previously served as a director of Kaydon Corporation until it was acquired in October 2013. Mr. O’Donovan’s qualifications for service as a director of SpartanNash include his extensive experience as a public company executive and more than 25 collective years of experience on public company boards and service on both audit and compensation committees of public company boards.

Hawthorne L. Proctor (age 66) has been a Director of the Company since the Merger of Spartan Stores and Nash Finch in November 2013, and served as a director of Nash Finch since 2007. Major General (Ret.) Proctor currently serves as Managing Partner of Proctor & Boone LLC Consulting, and Senior Logistics Consultant in the Department of Defense Business Group of Intelligent Decisions, Inc., where he has worked since 2006. Major General (Ret.) Proctor served for nearly 35 years in the United States Army, where he performed with distinction in numerous senior logistics management roles including Commander, Defense Personnel Support Center and later Commander, Defense Supply Center, Philadelphia, 46th Quartermaster General of the United States Army, and J3, or Chief Operating Officer (COO) Defense Logistics Agency. After retiring from the United States Army, Major General (Ret.) Proctor served from 2004 to 2006 as COO for Innovative Logistics Techniques, Inc. (INNOLOG), an integrator of logistics systems for homeland security, defense and state and local government agencies. In November 2006, he became principal owner and COO of Proctor, Petersen & Marcum, Inc., a small service disabled veteran owned business and in 2009 he became President and Principal owner of ProMar Inc. also a small service

disabled veteran owned business. The Company believes that Major General (Ret.) Proctor’s extensive service with the military as a logistician, and his prior leadership of a $3.2 billion enterprise that provided food, clothing and medical supplies to Department of Defense organizations give him the qualifications and skills to serve as a Director.

Craig C. Sturken (age 70) is the Chairman of the Board of Directors. Mr. Sturken has been a director of SpartanNash since March 2003, was Chief Executive Officer of SpartanNash from March 2003 to October 2008, President of SpartanNash from March 2003 to October 2007, and Chairman of the Board of SpartanNash since August 2003 (including Executive Chairman from October 2008 to February 2011). Mr. Sturken spent his entire career in the grocery industry and has more than 40 years of retail grocery experience, including 10 years with the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company (“A&P”), a food retailer whose stock is traded on the NYSE. From October 2000 to March 2002, Mr. Sturken was the CEO of A&P’s Atlantic region, after which he retired. From October 1992 to October 2000, he was CEO of A&P’s Midwest region. Before A&P, Mr. Sturken held executive positions with The Grand Union Company and Hannaford Brothers’ Company. Mr. Sturken is uniquely qualified to serve as a director of SpartanNash by virtue of his four decades of experience in the retail grocery industry and his knowledge of the Company and its operations gained during his service as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer.

William R. Voss (age 60) has served as a director of the Company since the Merger of Spartan Stores and Nash Finch in November 2013. Prior to the Merger, Mr. Voss was the Chairman of the Nash Finch Board of Directors since May 2006. Mr. Voss has served for more than 10 years as Managing Director of Lake Pacific Partners, LLC, a private equity investment firm specializing in consumer products and services. He previously served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Natural Nutrition Group, Inc., a food processor; as Chief Executive Officer of McCain Foods, Inc.;

and as President and a Director of Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation. He also served as a Principal with Booz, Allen & Hamilton management consultants. He has served as a director of several other public and private companies. The Company believes that Mr. Voss’ extensive experience as an entrepreneur, executive, consultant, investor and director in the consumer products industry, as well as his experience serving as Chairman, President and Director of Fortune 500 companies, gives him the qualifications and skills to serve as a Director.

Qualifications, Attributes, Skills and Experience to be Represented on the Board as a Whole

The Board has identified particular qualifications, attributes, skills and experience that are important to be represented on the Board as a whole, in light of the Company’s current needs and the business priorities.

We are a leading regional grocery distributor and grocery retailer. We believe that we are the fifth largest wholesale distributor to supermarkets in the United States, the largest distributor to military commissaries in the United States and the largest wholesale distributor to supermarkets in Michigan. Grocery retailing and distribution is a highly competitive and dynamic business. Accordingly, the Board of Directors believes that at least some of our directors should have experience or specific knowledge in retail,

wholesale, military commissaries and exchange distribution industries at the executive level. The Board believes that directors with experience or in-depth knowledge of the retail grocery industry are uniquely qualified to inform the Board’s deliberations regarding business strategy. Because merchandising and marketing is central to our business, the Board believes that merchandising and marketing experience should be represented on the Board. In addition, the Board believes that its membership should include directors who have:

Board Committees

SpartanNash’s Board has three standing committees:

The table below shows the current membership of each Board Committee and the

number of meetings each Committee held in FYE 12/28/13.

Audit Committee. The Board of Directors has established the Audit Committee to assist the Board in fulfilling its fiduciary responsibilities with respect to accounting, auditing, financial reporting, internal controls and legal compliance. The Audit Committee oversees management and the independent auditors in the Company’s accounting and financial reporting processes and audits of the Company’s financial statements. The Audit Committee serves as a focal point for communication among the Board, the independent auditors, the internal auditors and management with regard to accounting, reporting, and internal controls. The Audit Committee represents the Board in oversight of:

The Audit Committee has direct authority and responsibility for the appointment, compensation, retention and oversight of the work of any accounting firm engaged for the purpose of

preparing or issuing an audit report or performing other audit, review or attestation services for the Company. The Audit Committee is also directly responsible for the resolution of disagreements between management and the independent auditors regarding financial reporting. The Audit Committee reviews the performance, independence, and objectivity of the independent auditors at least annually and takes or recommends to the full Board appropriate action to ensure the independence of the independent auditors. Independent auditors report directly to the Audit Committee.

See “Independent Auditors—Audit Committee Approval Policies” for a discussion of the Audit Committee’s procedures for approving services to be provided by the independent auditors to SpartanNash and its subsidiaries.

The Audit Committee operates under a charter adopted by the Board of Directors. A copy of the Audit Committee Charter is available in the “Investor Relations—Corporate Governance” section of our website, www.spartannash.com.

The Board of Directors has determined that Audit Committee members M. Shân Atkins, Mickey P. Foret and Elizabeth A. Nickels are Audit Committee financial experts, as that term is defined in Item 401(h)(2) of Securities and Exchange Commission Regulation S-K. Under SEC regulations, a person who is determined to be an Audit Committee financial expert will not be deemed an expert for any other purpose, including without limitation for purposes of Section 11 of the Securities Act of 1933, as a result of being designated or identified as an Audit Committee financial expert, and the designation or identification of a person as an Audit Committee financial expert does not impose on such person any duties, obligations or liability that are greater than the duties, obligations and liability imposed on such person as a member of the Audit Committee and Board of Directors in the absence of such designation or identification or affect the duties,

obligations or liability of any other member of the Audit Committee or Board of Directors.

Each member of the Audit Committee is independent, as that term is defined in Rule 5605(a)(2) of the Nasdaq Listing Rules and Rule 10A-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

Compensation Committee. The Board of Directors has established the Compensation Committee to assist the Board of Directors in fulfilling its responsibilities relating to compensation of the Company’s executive officers and the Company’s compensation and benefit programs and policies. The Compensation Committee has full power and authority to perform the responsibilities of a public company compensation committee under applicable law, regulations, stock exchange rules, and public company custom and practice.

The Compensation Committee has the authority and responsibility to:

The Compensation Committee also has additional powers, authority and responsibilities that are specified in the Compensation Committee Charter or delegated to the Compensation Committee by the Board of Directors or by Plans approved by the Board of Directors.

Compensation Committee Processes and Procedures. The Compensation Committee reviews executive compensation on a continuous basis each year, with the most comprehensive reviews typically taking place following fiscal year-end. The Committee reviews executive performance, current compensation levels, and compensation benchmarking data and analysis (please see the Compensation Discussion and Analysis section of this Proxy Statement for information about benchmarking analysis). The Committee reviews this information in the context of the Company’s performance and financial results. At the conclusion of this review, the Compensation Committee grants share-based awards if appropriate, establishes goals and objectives for the then-current fiscal year, and may adjust executive salaries. The Compensation Committee’s decision making process is explained in more detail in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis section of this proxy statement.

Consultants and Advisors. The Compensation Committee is authorized to engage consultants, advisors and legal counsel at the expense of the Company. The Compensation Committee Charter requires that any consultant engaged for the purpose of determining the compensation of executive officers must be engaged directly by the Committee and report to the Compensation Committee. The Compensation Committee has authority to approve contracts with

and payment of fees and other compensation of consultants, advisors and legal counsel.

Prior to engaging or receiving advice from any compensation consultant or advisor, the Committee reviews the independence of the proposed consultant or advisor, taking into account the following factors:

Please see the information under the caption “Use of Independent Compensation Consultants” in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis section of this proxy statement for more information.

Participation by Management. The Company’s compensation philosophy and the administration of its various compensation plans are determined by the independent directors of the Compensation Committee. Company policy and Nasdaq rules prohibit participation by the Chief Executive Officer in the process of determining his or her own compensation. The Company’s executive officers and Human Resources associates serve as resources to the Compensation Committee

and provide advice, information, analysis and documentation to the Compensation Committee upon request. In appropriate cases, in its discretion, the Compensation Committee may delegate its authority to the executive officers, being mindful that the Compensation Committee and the Board of Directors are responsible to the Company’s shareholders to perform the functions and fulfill the responsibilities charged to the Compensation Committee under its Charter. The Compensation Committee may delegate to the Chief Executive Officer authority to recommend the amount or form of compensation paid to other executive officers and associates subordinate to the Chief Executive Officer, subject to such limitations and reporting responsibilities as the Compensation Committee in its discretion may require. The Compensation Committee will not delegate to executive officers its authority to approve awards of stock options or other stock compensation.

Although the Compensation Committee makes many of the most significant compensation decisions in the first quarter of the fiscal year, the Company’s compensation planning process neither begins nor ends with any particular Committee meeting. Compensation decisions are designed to promote our fundamental business objectives and strategy. Business and succession planning, evaluation of management performance, and consideration of the business environment are year-round processes for the Compensation Committee and the full Board of Directors.

Share-based Award Policy. The Board of Directors has long believed that the process by which the Company awards stock options and other share-based compensation must be transparent, fair, and compliant with all applicable legal requirements and stock exchange rules. For these reasons, the Board of Directors has adopted the Policy Regarding Stock Option Grants and other Share Based Awards which provides, among other provisions, that:

A copy of the Policy Regarding Stock Option Grants and other Share Based Awards is available in the “Investor Relations—Corporate Governance” section of our website, www.spartannash.com.

Additional information regarding the Company’s compensation philosophy and the Compensation Committee’s processes and procedures is set forth in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis section of this proxy statement.

The Compensation Committee operates under a charter adopted by the Board of Directors.

A copy of the Compensation Committee Charter is available in the “Investor Relations—Corporate Governance” section of our website, www.spartannash.com.

Each member of the Compensation Committee is independent, as that term is defined in Rule 5605(a)(2) of the Nasdaq Listing Rules and Rule 10C-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. The Board of Directors has established the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee to assist the Board of Directors in fulfilling its responsibilities by providing independent director oversight of nominations for election to the Board of Directors and leadership in the Company’s corporate governance. The Committee has full power and authority to perform the responsibilities of a public company nominating and corporate governance committee under applicable law, regulations, stock exchange rules, and public company custom and practice.

The Committee has the authority and responsibility to:

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee also has additional powers, authority and responsibilities specified in its charter or delegated to the committee by the Board of Directors. A copy of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee Charter is available in the “Investor Relations—Corporate Governance” section of our website, www.spartannash.com.

Under the Corporate Governance Policy, if the chair of the Board is also the current or former Chief Executive Officer of SpartanNash, the Board will elect a Lead Independent Director from among the directors who are independent under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5605(a)(2). The responsibilities and authority of the Lead Independent Director are described in this proxy statement under the caption “Board Leadership Structure.”

Each member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is “independent” as that term is defined in Rule 5605(a)(2) of the Nasdaq Listing Rules.

Independent Auditors’ Fees

The aggregate fees billed by Deloitte & Touche LLP to SpartanNash and its subsidiaries for the 39-week fiscal transition period ended December 28, 2013 and FYE 3/30/13 are as follows:

Deloitte did not provide any services to SpartanNash or its subsidiaries related to financial information systems design and implementation during the past two fiscal years.

Audit Committee Approval Policies

The Audit Committee Charter sets forth the policy and procedures for the approval by the Audit Committee of all services provided by Deloitte. The charter requires that the Audit Committee pre-approve all services provided by the independent auditors, including audit-related services and non-audit services. The charter allows the Audit Committee to delegate to one or more members of the Audit Committee the authority to approve the independent auditors’ services. The decisions of any Audit Committee member to whom authority is delegated to pre-approve services are reported to the full Audit Committee. The charter also provides that the Audit Committee has authority and responsibility to approve and authorize payment of the independent auditors’ fees. Finally, the charter sets forth certain services that the independent auditors are prohibited from providing to SpartanNash or its subsidiaries. All of the services described above were approved by the Audit Committee. None of the audit-related fees or tax fees were approved by the Audit Committee pursuant to the de minimus exception set forth in Section 10A(i)(1)(B) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, although the Audit Committee Charter allows such approval.

The Board of Directors has appointed the Audit Committee to assist the Board in fulfilling its fiduciary responsibilities with respect to accounting, auditing, financial reporting, internal controls, and legal compliance. The Committee oversees management and the independent public accounting firm in the Company’s accounting and financial reporting processes and audits of the Company’s financial statements. The Committee serves as a focal point for communication among the Board, the independent public accounting firm, the internal auditors and management with regard to accounting, reporting, and internal controls.

The Committee acts under a charter which has been adopted by the Board of Directors and is available on the Company’s website at www.spartannash.com. The Audit Committee reviews the adequacy of the charter at least annually. The Board of Directors annually reviews the standards for independence for audit committee members under the Nasdaq Listing Rules and has determined that each member of the Audit Committee is independent. The Board of Directors has also determined that three members of the Audit Committee are audit committee financial experts under Securities and Exchange Commission rules.

Management of the Company is responsible for the preparation, presentation and integrity of the Company’s financial statements, the Company’s accounting and financial reporting, the Company’s disclosure controls and internal control over financial reporting, and procedures designed to assure compliance with accounting standards and applicable laws and regulations. The independent public accountants are responsible for auditing the Company’s financial statements, expressing an opinion as to their conformity with generally accepted accounting principles, and

providing an attestation report on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

The Audit Committee has reviewed, and discussed with management and the independent accountants, the Company’s audited financial statements for the transition period ended December 28, 2013, management’s assessment of the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting, and the independent accountants’ attestation report on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. The Audit Committee has discussed with the independent accountants the matters required to be discussed under applicable auditing standards. The Audit Committee has received the written disclosures and the letter from the independent accountants required by applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding the independent accountant’s communications with the Audit Committee concerning independence and has discussed with the independent accountants their independence. This included consideration of the compatibility of non-audit services with the accountants’ independence.

Based on the reviews and discussions described above, the Audit Committee has recommended to the Board of Directors that the audited financial statements be included in SpartanNash’s transition report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 28, 2013.

Respectfully submitted,

Mickey P. Foret, Chair

M. Shân Atkins

Dr. Frank M. Gambino

Elizabeth A. Nickels

Hawthorne L. Proctor

SpartanNash’s executive officers are appointed annually by, and serve at the pleasure of, the Board or the Chief Executive Officer.

Biographical information for Mr. Eidson is included above in the “Board of Directors” section of this proxy statement. The following sets forth biographical information as of the date of this proxy statement concerning SpartanNash’s executive officers who are not directors:

Theodore C. Adornato (age 60) has served as Executive Vice President Retail Operations since November 2013 and from February 2003 to January 2013. From January 2013 to November 2013, Mr. Adornato and Derek R. Jones exchanged duties, with Mr. Adornato serving as Executive Vice president Wholesale Operations, as part of an effort to promote a greater exchange of knowledge and perspective between the Company’s two business operations, and provide new leadership opportunities for members of its executive team. Before joining the Company, Mr. Adornato served as Regional Vice President of Tops Markets, L.L.C., Eastern Region, a subsidiary of Royal Ahold, from 1998 to 2003. Previously, Mr. Adornato held various management positions with Tops Markets and Acme Markets, Inc.

Edward L. Brunot (age 50) has served as Executive Vice President and President of MDV since the Merger of Spartan Stores and Nash Finch in November 2013. Prior to the Merger, Mr. Brunot served with Nash Finch as Executive Vice President and President and Chief Operating Officer of MDV since March 2012. Mr. Brunot served as Nash Finch’s Senior Vice President and President and Chief Operating Officer of MDV from February 2009 to March 2012. Mr. Brunot joined Nash Finch in July 2006 as Senior Vice President, Military. Mr. Brunot previously served as Senior Vice President, Operations for AmeriCold Logistics, LLC from December 2002 to May 2006, where he was responsible for 29

distribution facilities in the Western Region. Before that, Mr. Brunot was Vice President of Operations for CS Integrated from 1999 to 2002. Mr. Brunot served as a Captain in the United States Army and holds a BS degree from the United States Military Academy, West Point and an MS degree from the University of Scranton.

David deS. Couch (age 63) has served as Vice President Information Technology since 1996. Since the Merger of Spartan Stores and Nash Finch in November 2013, he has also served as Chief Information Officer. From 1991 to 1996, Mr. Couch was our Director of Information Technology. Prior to joining Spartan Stores in 1987, Dave was a Product Manager for the Colorado Telecommunication Division of Hewlett Packard Corporation, Technical Services Manager for the Loveland Instrument Division of Hewlett Packard Corporation, and Manager of Computer Services at General Foods Corporation in Battle Creek Michigan, and on the Processing Facilities Design Team for General Foods in White Plains, New York. Dave has taught college classes in communications and data center management. He holds a BS degree in Business Administration and a MS degree in Computer Science from University of Arizona.

Alex J. DeYonker (age 64) has served as Executive Vice President Chief Legal Officer since November 2013. From October 2006 until November 2013, Mr. DeYonker served as Executive Vice President General Counsel and Secretary. Mr. DeYonker joined the Company from Warner Norcross & Judd LLP, a Grand Rapids-based law firm with over 220 attorneys, where he had served as Managing Partner from 2002 to 2006 and Partner from 1988 until joining SpartanNash. While at Warner Norcross, Mr. DeYonker served as General Counsel to SpartanNash since 1995 and as the Company’s Corporate Secretary since 2000. He was also a Company Board member from 1999 to 2003, serving on the Executive and Nominating Committees.

Derek R. Jones (age 45) has been Executive Vice President Food Distribution since November 2013 and from June 2009 until his exchange of duties with Mr. Adornato (as noted above) in January 2013. Mr. Jones served as Spartan Stores’ Executive Vice President Supply Chain from September 2006 until June 2009. From March 2004 to August 2006, Mr. Jones was Vice President of Distribution for Unisource Worldwide, Inc., a marketer and distributor of printing and imaging systems and equipment. From July 2000 to March 2004, Mr. Jones was Regional Vice President of Supply Chain Operations for Office Depot, Inc., a global supplier of office products and services.

Kathleen M. Mahoney (age 59) has served as Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary since the Merger of Spartan Stores and Nash Finch in November 2013. Prior to the Merger, Ms. Mahoney served with Nash Finch as General Counsel and Secretary since July 2006, Vice President from February 2006 until July 2006, Senior Vice President from July 2006 to November 2009, and Executive Vice President since November 2009. Ms. Mahoney joined Nash Finch as Vice President, Deputy General Counsel in November 2004. Previously, she spent 13 years with the law firm of Oppenheimer, Wolff & Donnelly, LLP, where she served in a number of capacities including Managing Partner of their St. Paul office, Chair of the Labor and Employment Practice Group and Chair of the EEO Committee. Ms. Mahoney also served as Special Assistant Attorney General in the Minnesota Attorney

General’s office for six years. Ms. Mahoney earned her JD degree from Syracuse University College of Law and a BA from Keene State College.

Peter O’Donnell (age 54) has served as Vice President Chief Accounting Officer, Controller since the Merger of Spartan Stores and Nash Finch in November 2013. Before the Merger, Mr. O’Donnell served as Chief Accounting Officer, Controller of Nash Finch since November 2012. Mr. O’Donnell joined Nash Finch in 2007. Prior to that time, Mr. O’Donnell served as Vice President, Corporate Controller of Shopko Stores Inc. from May 2001 to May 2007, held management positions in Borders Group, Inc. from April 1992 to May 2001 and served as a senior manager of cost and finance consulting at Ernst & Young from May 1989 to April 1992. Mr. O’Donnell earned his BSBA degree in accounting from the University of Missouri and his MBA from Wharton business school.

David M. Staples (age 51) has been Executive Vice President since November 2000 and Chief Financial Officer since January 2000. Mr. Staples also served as Vice President Finance from January 2000 to November 2000. Mr. Staples oversees information technology, real estate, finance, treasury, and safety. From December 1998 to January 2000, Mr. Staples served as Divisional Vice President Strategic Planning and Reporting of Kmart Corporation and from June 1997 to December 1998 he served as Divisional Vice President Accounting Operations. He is a certified public accountant.

The Board of Directors has appointed the Compensation Committee to assist the Board in fulfilling its responsibilities relating to compensation of the Company’s executive officers and the Company’s compensation and benefit programs and policies. The Compensation Committee determines and implements the Company’s executive compensation philosophy, structure, policies and programs, and administers and interprets the Company’s compensation and benefit plans.

Our named executive officers for FYE 12/28/13 were:

Our compensation programs are designed to attract and retain leadership talent consistent with our performance goals. The following discussion provides information regarding the achievements that the compensation program is designed to reward, the elements of the compensation program, the reasons why we employ each element and how we determine amounts paid.

Executive Summary and Highlights

Business Context

In November 2013, Spartan Stores and Nash Finch completed their Merger, creating a leader in the grocery wholesale, retail, and military commissary and exchange channels. The tables below show our Company profile since FYE 3/31/12, including the impact to our profile from the Merger. We believe the data reflects the Company’s response to a continuing challenging economic environment, including the execution of our strategy of focusing on our store reinvestment program, building our private brands, increasing our presence in the fuel and pharmacy businesses and improving our value-added offering to our distribution customers. We believe we have built a stronger offering to our customers that has helped mitigate continuing extraordinarily difficult economic conditions.

While we are pleased with our financial results for our transition FYE 12/28/13, we believe that our investors should consider the Company’s financial results in the context of the continued challenging economic conditions in which we achieved them. As a grocery retailer and wholesaler, we are significantly affected by the economic conditions of the communities we serve, which, until our Merger with Nash Finch, were located principally in Michigan and served by our headquarters in Michigan. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Michigan at the end of FYE 3/31/12, FYE 3/30/13, and FYE 12/28/13 was 9.0%, 8.8%, and 8.3% respectively. Michigan’s unemployment rate exceeded the national rate for that entire three-year period. Moreover, Michigan’s

employment population ratio is one of the lowest in the United States. At November 2013, Michigan’s ratio was 54.8% compared to the U.S. average of

58.6%, and had declined since January 2008 by 5%, compared to the U.S. average decline of 4.3%.

Methodology

According to usual practice and based on the compensation analysis described in this section, in May 2013 the Compensation Committee made compensation decisions for the then-current fiscal year ending March 29,2014. The subsequent change in the Company’s fiscal year resulted in a transition period consisting of 39 weeks. In the material that follows, as explained in more detail below, annual cash awards actually earned reflect the shorter, 39-week transition period ending December 28, 2013, and long-term cash incentive award programs were adjusted to account for the Company’s changed fiscal year end.

Executive Compensation Decisions in FYE 12/28/13

The Compensation Committee believes that the Company’s policies and programs in effect during FYE 3/30/13 provided competitive compensation that rewarded executive performance. Consequently, it generally did not

make significant changes to the Company’s compensation programs or policies in FYE 12/28/13, except for certain adjustments in connection with the Merger and the change in fiscal year end, as described in this proxy statement.

Chief Executive Officer Compensation

Since his promotion to Chief Executive Officer in the fiscal year ended March 28, 2009 (“FYE 3/28/09”), the Compensation Committee has been transitioning Mr. Eidson’s compensation to be competitive with the CEO compensation of our Peer Group Companies. In May 2013, the Compensation Committee and Board continued to take steps to better align the CEO’s compensation with the market median for the Peer Group Companies. The steps included a 5% base salary increase and 1% increase to long-term incentive value. These increases also reflect Mr. Eidson’s performance which the Compensation Committee and Board of Directors review annually.

In FYE 12/28/13, Mr. Eidson’s total compensation increased 9% compared to the prior year primarily due to strong Consolidated Net Earnings performance resulting in annual incentive results above target level, as adjusted for the fiscal transition period. Compared to the prior year, long-term incentive compensation was lower because the ROIC portion of the May 2012 long-term incentive award was not earned, as 2-year ROIC performance was below threshold.

Other Named Executive Officer Compensation

Compensation changes for our other named executive officers were comprised of:

Plan Design Changes

No changes were made to the design of the annual incentive plan FYE 12/28/13.

The Compensation Committee implemented the long-term cash incentive plan in May 2010. Under that plan, executive long-term incentive pay opportunities were awarded based on the Company’s earnings per share (“EPS”) and return on invested capital (“ROIC”) performance. The Compensation Committee reviewed the long-term incentive plan after the completion of a full 3-year cycle of the performance-based cash program as of the end of FYE 3/30/13 and determined in May 2013 to continue award opportunities based on EPS and ROIC performance for a three-year performance and vesting period extending to May

2016 . Following the Merger and the Company’s subsequent change in fiscal year end, the Compensation Committee adjusted the long-term cash incentive award granted in May 2013. Specifically, the Compensation Committee pro-rated the award for the 39-week transition period ending 12/28/13 based on the EPS and ROIC metrics, and determined to apply three performance measurements, EPS, net sales and achievement of synergies from the Merger, for the two years remaining in the performance and vesting period. This two-year period will consist of a 105-week performance period covering the fiscal years ending January 3, 2015 and January 2, 2016 and an additional vesting period ending May 1, 2016. For the purposes of this award, “net sales” will be calculated based on the GAAP financial statements of the Company, however fuel sales will be adjusted using a pre-determined sales price per gallon sold. The May 2013 grants continue to be payable in May 2016, but only to the extent that performance is achieved and executives satisfy service requirements at that time.

Pay Practices

The Committee also reviews the Company’s compensation programs to use best practices and avoid poor pay practices. Below is a summary of certain practices we have implemented to serve our compensation philosophies, and certain practices we have avoided because we believe they do not serve our shareholders’ long-term interests:

The practices we follow:

The practices we DON’T follow:

In addition to the elements of compensation discussed above, our executives participate in certain defined benefit and deferred compensation plans. These plans are discussed below under the captions “Pension Benefits,” “Qualified Defined Contribution Retirement Plan,” and “Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation.”

Mix of Compensation Elements

When determining the mix of awards, the Compensation Committee considers factors such as the short-term and long-term compensation expense to the Company, the economic value delivered to the executives, the overall level of share ownership by the executives, share

availability under Company plans, annual share usage and dilution of shareholders, and practices at the Peer Group Companies. The Compensation Committee believes that the Company’s mix of pay is competitively aligned with the median for the Peer Group Companies, as illustrated in the tables below showing the compensation mix for FYE 12/28/13.

Pay for Performance

Our executive compensation elements and programs result in a “pay for performance” policy for our executives. This means that the Compensation Committee and the Board have implemented and intend to maintain compensation plans that link a substantial proportion of executive compensation to the achievement of goals that the Board considers important.

As a result of this general policy, a substantial portion of the compensation paid to our executives is incentive-based and therefore “at-risk.” Specifically, for FYE 12/28/13, approximately 67% of realizable total direct compensation paid to our named executive officers in the aggregate consisted of variable, or at-risk, compensation (i.e. stock awards and performance-based cash awards). The value of restricted stock awards to our named executive officers depends on the value of the share price. Our executive officers

do not realize value from annual or long-term cash incentive awards under the Company’s Executive Cash Incentive Plan of 2010 (the “Executive Plan”) unless the Company meets specified minimum financial goals.

The tables above illustrate the importance of at-risk compensation in our compensation programs. In addition to reviewing at-risk pay elements compared to the Peer Group Companies, the Compensation Committee analyzes the alignment of executive pay to Company performance. The Compensation Committee believes that when the Company outperforms Peer Group Companies on a relative basis, then our executive pay should be relatively higher. Alternatively, when Company performance is relatively lower, executive pay should be correspondingly lower. The Compensation Committee seeks to maintain this relationship through the use of at-risk pay elements that tie compensation to Company performance.

In May 2010, the Compensation Committee implemented a three-year long-term cash incentive plan to help improve the alignment between realizable pay of executive officers and composite financial performance. In May 2013, the Compensation Committee believed that the three-year long-term cash incentive plan was a factor in improving the alignment, and continued the plan with EPS and ROIC as performance metrics.

The table below analyzes the pay for performance relationship for the prior three fiscal years (consisting of FYE 3/26/11 to FYE 3/30/13). The purpose of the analysis is to evaluate whether

the Company’s compensation programs are aligned with the Company’s performance, as measured against certain peers. The analysis reflects that:

The Company believes that this analysis supports the Compensation Committee’s view that the performance-based long-term cash incentive plan implemented in FYE 3/26/11 to pay executives based on ROIC and EPS performance has contributed to the alignment of pay and performance. In addition, alignment improved in part because FYE 3/27/10 cycled out of the analysis; during FYE 3/27/10 performance shares were not earned and stock options were out-of-the-money.

Analysis of Compensation Elements for FYE 12/28/13

Overview

The following is a discussion of key compensation programs and decisions for FYE 12/28/13.

Following Mr. Eidson’s promotion to Chief Executive Officer in FYE 3/28/2009, the Compensation Committee has focused on

transitioning his compensation over a period of years from the median levels for a Chief Operating Officer at the Peer Group Companies to that of the Chief Executive Officer position, subject to satisfactory performance. In light of Mr. Eidson’s performance as Chief Executive Officer and our stated compensation policy of providing compensation consistent with market practices, the Compensation Committee approved a 5% increase in Mr. Eidson’s base salary in May 2013.

The Compensation Committee concluded that the base salaries for the other named executive officers were generally consistent with the 50th percentile market level of Peer Group Companies. Accordingly, other named executive officers received in October 2013 a 3% base salary increase, consistent with the general increase in the base salary for other Company associates at that time.

Each named executive officer was granted an opportunity to earn an annual incentive award under the Executive Plan. For each named executive officer, the value of the annual incentive award is dependent on the Company’s achievement of specified levels of consolidated net earnings and is paid in cash. If the threshold level of consolidated net earnings is not achieved, then no award is paid for the fiscal year (as occurred in FYE 3/27/10).

The performance targets for FYE 12/28/13 were adjusted and payouts were pro-rated to 75% of the incentive opportunity to adjust for the shortened, 39-week fiscal year. The annual incentive award opportunity provided to each named executive officer was calculated according to the following matrix: