SpartanNash CEO Reassures Military Resale Channel that Supply Chain is Strong

SpartanNash Company (the “Company”) (Nasdaq: SPTN) today announced its MDV military distribution operations continue to ship products to Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) commissaries and Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) and Navy Exchange Service Command (NEXCOM) exchanges despite the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) on communities throughout the world. SpartanNash is a leading distributor to U.S. military commissaries around the world.

“During this unprecedented time of growing need and uncertainty, SpartanNash is working diligently to ensure we are providing our nation’s heroes with essential household goods, groceries and comforts of home,” said Dennis Eidson, SpartanNash’s Interim President and Chief Executive Officer. “Our family of associates is working hard to keep our military commissaries’ and exchanges’ shelves stocked with household essentials, and to continue to serve as a trusted provider of food products, which has been our driving force for more than 100 years. We recognize in many remote military communities, we are the sole grocery distributor and our military heroes are relying on us.

“As we continue to navigate the evolving COVID-19 pandemic, we remain committed to ensuring the well-being and safety of our family of associates, customers and communities and supporting health officials and government leaders to contain the virus. Our supply chain team is in constant contact with our consumer-packaged goods (CPG) suppliers and holds daily telephonic meetings with our military customers to ensure we have consistent inventory to ship to our military heroes,” said Eidson.

SpartanNash is working collaboratively with military customers to create innovative shipment solutions for troops stationed outside the continental U.S. Solutions include airlifting product and revising naval shipping lanes into select European countries with U.S. military bases.

To ensure continued delivery during unprecedented retail and distribution sales volume trending at two to three times normal sales levels at some locations since the onset of COVID-19, SpartanNash announced today an initiative to hire qualified displaced workers for its military distribution centers located in Bloomington, Ind.; Columbus, Ga.; Landover, Md.; Norfolk, Va.; Oklahoma City, Okla.; Pensacola, Fla.; and San Antonio, Texas.

The temporary positions may turn into permanent career opportunities; positions are also available in SpartanNash’s more than 150 grocery stores located in nine states, as well as its multi-state wholesale distribution network, as announced in a release on March 17, 2020.

SpartanNash has been recognized as a Military Friendly Employer® and veteran-friendly company committed to hiring military heroes and their family members. For locations and to apply, visit careers.spartannash.com and search by location within either the supply chain, military distribution or retail website tabs.

“As a leading provider of grocery products to U.S. commissaries located throughout Europe, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Honduras, Bahrain, Djibouti and Egypt; SpartanNash and our MDV military distribution family of associates are committed to delivering a slice of home to military heroes and their families. Patriotism is one of our core values, and I couldn’t be more proud of how our team has answered the call to meet the needs of those who have sacrificed so much for our freedoms,” said Eidson.

About SpartanNash

SpartanNash (Nasdaq: SPTN) is a Fortune 400 company whose core businesses include distributing grocery products to a diverse group of independent and chain retailers, its corporate-owned retail stores and U.S. military commissaries and exchanges. SpartanNash serves customer locations in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, Europe, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Honduras, Bahrain, Djibouti and Egypt. SpartanNash currently operates 155 supermarkets, primarily under the banners of Family Fare, Martin’s Super Markets, D&W Fresh Market, VG’s Grocery and Dan’s Supermarket. Through its MDV military division, SpartanNash is a leading distributor of grocery products to US military commissaries.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These include statements preceded by, followed by or that otherwise include the words “outlook,” “believe,” “anticipates,” “continue,” “expects,” “guidance,” “trend,” “on track,” “encouraged” or “plan” or similar expressions. The statements in the “Outlook” section of this press release are inherently forward looking. Forward-looking statements relating to expectations about future results or events are based upon information available to SpartanNash as of today's date and are not guarantees of the future performance of the Company, and actual results may vary materially from the results and expectations discussed. Additional risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the Company's ability to compete in the highly competitive grocery distribution, retail grocery, and military distribution industries. Additional information concerning these and other risks is contained in SpartanNash’s most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K, recent Current Reports on Form 8-K and other SEC filings. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements concerning SpartanNash, or other matters and attributable to SpartanNash or any person acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements above. SpartanNash does not undertake any obligation to publicly update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date hereof.