GRAND RAPIDS, MI - SpartanNash has acquired Fresh Encounter Inc. (FEI), a 49-store supermarket chain serving Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky. FEI has been a food distribution customer of SpartanNash for 58 years, and SpartanNash will continue employment for FEI’s 2,500 team members. The supermarkets are owned by third-generation grocers Michael Needler Jr. and Julie Anderson.

“Fresh Encounter has been a successful family-owned and operated business for decades, and we are proud to continue this legacy,” said Tony Sarsam, Chief Executive Officer, SpartanNash. “This acquisition is an exciting milestone in our company’s strategic growth plans. Not only will we welcome 2,500 new associates to the SpartanNash family, we will also begin serving shoppers in Kentucky and grow our existing footprint across Ohio and Indiana. Retail is a critical component of our business model and long-term strategic plan, as we meet consumer needs and leverage insights from our stores to continuously innovate our products and operations across our wholesale business.”

This is the second retail acquisition for SpartanNash in 2024, following the addition of Metcalfe’s Market in April.

With FEI’s acquisition, SpartanNash’s retail footprint expands to 33 percent, and contributes to the company’s growth and earnings goals shared in its 2025 long-term plan, a press release explained.

“We are proud of the business our family has built and look forward to advancing our relationship with SpartanNash,” said Michael Needler Jr., Chief Executive Officer, FEI. “As their customer, we have seen firsthand the People First culture at SpartanNash, and we appreciate the career opportunities and growth this will unlock for Fresh Encounter team members.”

FEI operates under the retail store banners Community Markets, Remke Markets, Chief Markets, and Needler’s Fresh Market. The transaction is expected to close in late November, though the terms of the deal were not disclosed.

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