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SpartanNash re-ups private-label pact with DeCA

Three-year extension with U.S. Defense Commissary Agency runs through 2025

Russell Redman

March 24, 2022

2 Min Read
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Seven of SpartanNash’s 18 distribution centers provide service to its military business segment.SpartanNash

Grocery distributor SpartanNash has extended its contract to supply private-brand products to the U.S. Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) to Dec. 15, 2025.

The three-year extension comes after DeCA initially selected SpartanNash as its DeCA private-label supplier in December 2016, the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based distributor said Thursday. In its fiscal 2021 10-K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), SpartanNash reported that almost 1,000 SKUs of private-brand products were in the DeCA system as of Jan. 1, 2022.

SpartanNash supplies private-label and national-brand goods to the armed forces through its MDV military distribution arm, based in Norfolk, Va., as well as through Coastal Pacific Food Distributors, its West Coast distribution partner. The private-brand products provided run the gamut of categories, from dairy, poultry, seafood, center-store groceries and natural/organic foods to tabletop, health care, beauty care, pet supplies, baby care and home goods.

“We are proud and grateful that DeCA has entrusted SpartanNash with a three-year contract extension as we work to strengthen our partnership in service of America’s military heroes and their families,” SpartanNash Chief Customer Officer David Sisk said in a statement. “SpartanNash’s mission is to deliver the ingredients for a better life, and our global supply-chain network enables us to bring that taste of home to those who are serving our country away from theirs.”

Related:SpartanNash appoints David Sisk as chief customer officer

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SpartanNash distributes groceries to 160 military commissaries and more than 400 exchanges in the U.S. and globally.

DeCA operates 236 commissaries on U.S. military installations worldwide, which sell roughly $4 billion of grocery products annually, according to SpartanNash. Overall, SpartanNash distributes grocery products to 160 military commissaries and more than 400 exchanges in 39 U.S. states and the District of Columbia as well as in Europe, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Honduras, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Djibouti.

Five of SpartanNash’s 18 distribution centers — in Norfolk; Oklahoma City; Bloomington, Ind.; Landover, Md.; and Pensacola, Fla. — serve the company’s military segment exclusively, while two more DCs — in Columbus, Ga., and San Antonio, Texas — provide service to both its military and food distribution businesses. In its 10-K report, SpartanNash stated that it’s one of fewer than four U.S. wholesalers with over $100 million in annual sales to DeCA commissaries that distributes products via the frequent delivery system, whereas other distributors supplying DeCA tend to be smaller regional and local providers. SpartanNash said its military DCs are located among the largest concentration of military bases in its market areas and near Atlantic ports.

Related:SpartanNash does its part to help Ukrainian refugees

In 2021, SpartanNash said its MDV division delivered more than 70,000 loads to domestic military families and 7,800 containers and 16 emergency airlifts to troops stationed overseas. For fiscal 2021, the military segment generated net sales of more than $1.89 billion, or 21.2% of SpartanNash’s total net sales for the year.

About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

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