SpartanNash brings stores in two states under Family Fare banner

Grocery distributor and retailer SpartanNash took another step forward in its plan to consolidate its supermarket banners.

Grand Rapids, Michigan-based SpartanNash said Tuesday that its No Frills, Sun Mart and Dan’s Supermarket grocery retail banners have been folded into its flagship Family Fare supermarket banner. Seven stores in Nebraska were remodeled to the Family Fare format this summer, and another five conversions are slated to be completed in North Dakota by the end of summer, the company reported.

“Family Fare brings hometown appeal, value and service to neighborhoods in communities large and small,” Amy McClellan, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at SpartanNash, said in a statement. “Converting these stores was part of our long-range plan to leverage the strength and equity of our banner brands for growth and operational efficiency. We are proud to unify and strengthen our retail experience by bringing Family Fare to new places in the Midwest where SpartanNash has been present for many years.”

In November, at its first-ever Investor Day event, SpartanNash unveiled a plan to consolidate retail banners in its corporate-owned supermarkets from about a dozen to four as part of an accelerated growth strategy.

With the move, the company said it aims to create a three-tier retail structure: a conventional supermarket segment under the Family Fare banner, an upmarket segment under the Martin’s Super Markets and D&W Fresh Market banners, and an ethnic segment under the Supermercado Nuestra Familia banner. Two stand-alone locations in Michigan, Forest Hills Foods and Ada Fresh Market by Forest Hills Foods, also are slated to remain.

At the time, SpartanNash had already been changing over some stores to Family Fare. Besides Family Fare, Martin’s, D&W, Supermercado and the two stand-alone banners, the company’s roster of supermarket banners has included VG’s Grocery, Dan’s Supermarket, Family Fresh Market, Fresh Madison Market, No Frills, Sun Mart, Dillonvale IGA and Econofoods.

The rebannering process at the No Frills, Sun Mart and Dan’s Supermarkets locations bring an enhanced store experience, including contemporary décor and store layout updates, plus a new shopper loyalty program, SpartanNash noted. Converted stores in Nebraska held grand reopening events to usher in the Family Fare banner, including showcasing Our Family private-brand products. Stores in Bismarck, North Dakota, are scheduled to hold such events on Aug. 5, rounding out the 12-store relaunch.

“The grand reopening events are perfectly aligned with the SpartanNash mission to deliver the ingredients for a better life and are a great way for our associates to strengthen their connections with neighborhood store guests,” McClellan added.

SpartanNash currently owns and operates 144 supermarkets—mainly under the Family Fare, Martin’s and D&W banners—in Michigan (81), Nebraska (22), Indiana (17), North Dakota (10), Minnesota (five), Wisconsin (four), Iowa (two), South Dakota (two) and Ohio (one).

In an email, McClellan reported that SpartanNash will evaluate other potential banner consolidation going forward.

“We are leveraging insights from our marketing innovation to unlock more opportunities within our scaled retail operations,” she said. “We will continue to look at more opportunities to leverage the strength and equity of our banner brands for growth and operational efficiency.”

According to SpartanNash’s website, store counts by banner include 90 locations in Michigan, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin for Family Fare; 20 locations in Indiana and Michigan for Martin’s Super Markets; 10 in Michigan for D&W Fresh Market; nine in Michigan for VG’s Grocery; five in North Dakota for Dan’s Supermarket; three in Nebraska for Supermercado Nuestra Familia; one apiece in Minnesota, Nebraska and Wisconsin for Family Fresh Market; one apiece in Michigan for Forest Hills Foods and Ada Fresh Market; one in Michigan for Fresh Madison Market; and one in Ohio for Dillonvale IGA.

*Editor's Note: Article updated with additional comment from SpartanNash.