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 Introduction 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” and “Spartan Stores” refer to Spartan Stores, Inc., and “you” and “your” refer to each shareholder of Spartan Stores, Inc.

Questions and Answers about the Proxy Materials and Our 2012 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 August 15, 2012.

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 August 15, 2012.

Voting by Mail. You may request a printed copy of your proxy card. If you properly sign and return the proxy card, the shares represented by that proxy card will be voted at the annual meeting and at any adjournment 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.

shares in the manner you direct if you provide your broker with proper and timely voting instructions. Please use the voting forms and instructions provided by your broker or its agent. These forms and instructions typically permit you to give voting instructions by telephone or Internet, using a number or Internet address provided by the broker (you will not be able to vote street name shares using the internet address or telephone numbers established for registered shareholders identified above). If you are a street name holder and later want to change your vote, you must contact your broker. 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.

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 fiscal 2013 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 six individuals be elected as directors of Spartan Stores for a one-year term expiring at the 2013 annual meeting of shareholders:

M. Shân Atkins

Wendy A. Beck

Frank M. Gambino

Yvonne R. Jackson

Elizabeth A. Nickels

Timothy J. O’Donovan

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 six nominees.

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

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. (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 2012 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.

Spartan Stores’ 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 Spartan Stores and its subsidiaries for fiscal 2013, 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 March 30, 2013.

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 last replaced in fiscal 2009.

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 Spartan Stores 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 fiscal 2013.

Spartan Stores 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

Spartan Stores’ 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 Spartan Stores’ corporate governance. More information regarding the Company’s corporate governance, including a copy of our Corporate Governance Policy, is available in the “For Investors—Corporate Governance” section of our website, www.spartanstores.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 is being phased in over a three-year period, which began at last year’s Annual Meeting and is continuing this year.

Beginning with the 2013 Annual Meeting, every director of the Company will stand for election for a one-year term of office. Directors who are currently serving a term of office that will expire at the 2013 annual meeting will continue to serve until the end of their current term. Directors with terms expiring at the 2012 annual meeting will stand for election to 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, Spartan Stores’ 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, seven of Spartan Stores’ nine directors are independent. At present, the Board has only two current or former management directors: Craig Sturken, the current Chairman of the Board, former Executive Chairman and former Chief Executive Officer, 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 plans 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 Chairperson of the

Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee serves as 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 “For Investors—Corporate Governance” section of our website, www.spartanstores.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.

Spartan Stores’ Board of Directors held ten meetings during fiscal 2012. In fiscal 2012, each director attended at least 75% of the total of all 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, all of Spartan Stores’ directors have attended the annual meetings of shareholders for at least the past seven years, 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 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.

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 promptly offer 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

Spartan Stores 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

Spartan Stores 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 the Company’s HonorLine telephone system on a confidential and anonymous basis. The Code is available in the “For Investors—Corporate Governance” section of our website, www.spartanstores.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

Spartan Stores is committed to open and effective communication between the Board and management. Directors are encouraged to consult with any Spartan Stores 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

Spartan Stores 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 annually 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 indentified certain qualifications, attributes and skills that should be represented on the Board as a whole. These are discussed beginning on page 21.

The Board of Directors believes that Spartan Stores 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 has engaged and paid 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 Spartan Stores 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 Spartan Stores’ 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 Spartan Stores, Inc. in care of the Secretary, 850 76th Street, S.W., P.O. Box 8700, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49518-8700.

Shareholder Communications with Directors

In accordance with the Spartan Stores’ Shareholder Communication Policy, shareholders

who wish to send communications to Spartan Stores’ 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 Spartan Stores 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 “For Investors—Corporate Governance” section of our website, www.spartanstores.com.

General

The Board of Directors currently consists of nine directors. Assuming that all of the nominees are elected, there will be nine 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 is being phased in over a three-year period, which began with last year’s Annual Meeting. Continuing directors elected prior to the 2011 Annual Meeting will continue to serve the remainder of their three-year terms, and thereafter will be eligible to stand for re-election for a one-year term. All directors elected at the 2012 Annual Meeting will serve a one-year term, expiring at the 2013 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 with Terms Expiring in 2013

M. Shân Atkins (age 55) has been a director of Spartan Stores 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 New York Stock Exchange. 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 New York Stock Exchange. 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 New York Stock Exchange, 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.

Wendy A. Beck (age 47) has been a director of Spartan Stores since her appointment to the Board in October 2010. Ms. Beck is the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Norwegian Cruise Line, one of the leading cruise ship operators in the world. She was formerly CFO of Domino’s Pizza, a public pizza delivery company with more than 9,000 national and international franchise and company-owned retail stores, and an extensive food distribution operation. She also previously held Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer positions with Whataburger

Restaurants and Checkers Drive-In Restaurants, which was publicly traded during her time with Checkers Drive-In Restaurant, and was a senior tax accountant with Lincare, a publicly traded national healthcare services company. Ms. Beck is a Certified Public Accountant, a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and served on the Board of Directors for the Women’s Foodservice Forum from 2006 to 2011, including service on the Executive Committee and as Treasurer of that organization from 2006 to 2008. Ms. Beck possesses expertise in accounting, finance, taxes, budgeting, forecasting, SEC compliance and reporting, strategic planning, and information technology systems.

Dr. Frank M. Gambino (age 58) has been a director of Spartan Stores 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. 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.

Yvonne R. Jackson (age 62) has been a director of Spartan Stores since her appointment to the Board in October 2010. Ms. Jackson is President and Principal of BeecherJackson, 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 New York Stock Exchange. 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 acquisition, 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 50) has been a director of Spartan Stores since 2000. Ms. Nickels is the Executive Director of the 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 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 67) has been a director of Spartan Stores 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 New York Stock Exchange. 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 is also a director of Kaydon Corporation, a designer and manufacturer of bearing systems whose stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange. Mr. O’Donovan’s qualifications for service as a Director 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.

Continuing Directors with Terms Expiring in 2013

Craig C. Sturken (age 68) is the Chairman of the Board of Directors. Mr. Sturken has been a director of Spartan Stores since March 2003, was

Chief Executive Officer of Spartan Stores from March 2003 to October 2008, President of Spartan Stores from March 2003 to October 2007, and Chairman of the Board of Spartan Stores 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 New York Stock Exchange. 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 Spartan Stores 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.

Frederick J. Morganthall, II (age 60) has been a director of Spartan Stores since 2006. Mr. Morganthall is the President and Chief Operating Officer of Harris Teeter Supermarkets, Inc. (formerly known as Ruddick Corporation), a public company whose stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange. Mr. Morganthall was promoted to his current position at Harris Teeter Supermarkets, Inc. after serving as President of its subsidiary, Harris Teeter, Inc., which operates a supermarket chain operating in the southeastern and mid-Atlantic U.S., from October 1997 to March 2012. In 2011, Mr. Morganthall was elected Chairman of the Board of the Food Marketing Institute, an organization representing 1,500 food retailers and wholesalers with a combined annual sales volume of $680 billion. Prior to becoming President of Harris Teeter, Mr. Morganthall served Harris Teeter in other executive positions since 1992. Mr. Morganthall’s qualifications for service as a director of Spartan Stores include his extensive executive experience in the grocery industry (including distribution and supply chain operations) and his knowledge of competitive conditions and strategic developments in our industry.

Dennis Eidson (age 58) has been a director of Spartan Stores since October 2007, Chief Executive Officer since October 2008, President of Spartan Stores 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 Spartan Stores, 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.

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 tenth largest wholesale distributor to supermarkets 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 or wholesale 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:

The Board of Directors believes that Spartan Stores 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.

Board Committees

Spartan Stores’ Board has three standing committees:

The Executive Committee, which had been empowered to manage the business affairs and property of the Company between meetings of the full Board, was eliminated by the Board of Directors in August 2011.

The table below shows the current membership of each Board Committee and the number of meetings each Committee held in fiscal 2012.

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 Spartan Stores 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 “For Investors—Corporate Governance” section of our website, www.spartanstores.com.

The Board of Directors has determined that Audit Committee members M. Shân Atkins, Wendy A. Beck 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 and in-depth reviews typically taking place in February

and May. 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. 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 a resource 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 “For Investors—Corporate Governance” section of our website, www.spartanstores.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 “For Investors—Corporate Governance” section of our website, www.spartanstores.com.

Each member of the Compensation Committee is independent, as that term is defined in Rule 5605(a)(2) of the Nasdaq Listing Rules.

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 “For Investors—Corporate Governance” section of our website, www.spartanstores.com.

Under the Corporate Governance Policy, if the chair of the Board is also the current or former Chief Executive Officer of Spartan Stores, the chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will act as the Lead Independent Director. 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 Spartan Stores and its subsidiaries for fiscal 2012 and fiscal 2011 are as follows:

Deloitte did not provide any services to Spartan Stores 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 Spartan Stores 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 auditors 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 auditors, 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 in the “For Investors—Corporate Governance” section of the Company’s website at www.spartanstores.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 auditors, the Company’s audited financial statements for the year ended March 31, 2012, management’s assessment of the effectiveness of the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting, and the independent auditors’ attestation report on the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting. The Audit Committee has discussed with the independent auditors the matters required to be discussed by the Statement on Auditing Standards No. 114, as amended (AICPA, Professional Standards, Vol. 1 AU Section 380). The Audit Committee has received the written disclosures and the letter from the independent auditors 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 auditors their independence. This included consideration of the compatibility of non-audit services with the auditors’ 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 Spartan Stores’ Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended March 31, 2012.

Respectfully submitted,

Elizabeth A. Nickels, Chair

M. Shân Atkins

Wendy A. Beck

Frederick J. Morganthall, II

Spartan Stores’ 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 Spartan Stores’ executive officers who are not directors:

Theodore C. Adornato (age 58) has been Executive Vice President Retail Operations since 2003. 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.

David deS. Couch (age 61) has served as Vice President Information Technology since 1996. From 1991 to 1996, Mr. Couch was our Director of Information Technology. Previously, Mr. Couch held positions in product marketing, data center management and communication network management for Hewlett Packard and General Foods Corporation.

Alex J. DeYonker (age 62) has served as Executive Vice President General Counsel and Secretary since October 2006. 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 Spartan Stores. While at Warner Norcross, Mr. DeYonker served as General Counsel to Spartan Stores 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.

Alan R. Hartline (age 43) has served as Executive Vice President Merchandising and

Marketing since June 2009. Mr. Hartline previously served as Spartan’s Executive Vice President Merchandising from October 2008 to June 2009. Mr. Hartline was Spartan’s Senior Vice President Merchandising from February 2007 to October 2008, Vice President Center Store Merchandising from October 2003 to February 2007, and Vice President Retail Merchandising from May 2003 to October 2003. Prior to joining Spartan Stores, Mr. Hartline was strategic business manager at Daymon Worldwide, and spent two years with A&P’s Midwest division where he held positions as Senior Category Manager, Merchandising Program Manager, and Director of Strategic Pricing and Data Integrity. In addition, Mr. Hartline spent 15 years with the Kroger Company in various Operations and Merchandising positions.

Derek R. Jones (age 43) has been Executive Vice President Wholesale Operations since June 2009. Prior to holding that position, 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.

David M. Staples (age 49) 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.

Thomas A. Van Hall (age 56) has been Vice President Finance since March 2001. Prior to joining Spartan Stores, Mr. Van Hall served as Vice President—Planning and Analysis of the U.S. Foods Division of Sara Lee Corporation from May

2000 to March 2001. From December 1997 to May 2000, he was Vice President—Supply Chain and from 1991 to 1997 he served as Vice President—Finance of the Bil Mar Foods Division of Sara Lee Corporation. 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 fiscal 2012 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

The tables on the following page show our Company profile since fiscal 2010. We believe the data reflects the Company’s response to a challenging economic environment during Mr. Eidson’s tenure, 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 extraordinarily difficult economic conditions.

The following selected financial information for fiscal years 2010, 2011 and 2012 reflects the underlying strength of our business and

the results of our customer-centric strategies to deliver value to our consumers and shareholders in this difficult economy.

We believe that our investors should consider these 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 are located primarily in Michigan, and also Indiana and Ohio. The seasonably adjusted unemployment rate in Michigan at the end of fiscal 2010, 2011 and 2012 was 13.3%, 10.3% and 8.5% 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 March 2012, Michigan’s ratio was 54.8% compared to the U.S. average of 58.5%, and had declined since January 2008 by 5.0%, compared to the U.S. average decline of 4.4%.

Executive Compensation Decisions in Fiscal 2012

The Compensation Committee believes that the Company’s current policies and programs are effectively providing competitive compensation that rewards executive performance, and therefore did not make significant changes to the Company’s compensation programs or policies in fiscal 2012.

Chief Executive Officer Compensation

Since his promotion to Chief Executive Officer in fiscal 2009, the Compensation Committee has been transitioning Mr. Eidson’s compensation to be competitive with the CEO compensation of our Peer Group Companies. In fiscal 2012, 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 a 15% increase to long-term incentive value. These increases reflect Mr. Eidson’s performance as well as his gradual transition in pay, which is appropriate following promotion from Chief Operating Office to Chief Executive Officer.

As of the end of fiscal 2012, Mr. Eidson’s target total direct compensation (consisting of base salary and target values of annual and long-term incentives) remained approximately 15% below the median for such compensation among the Peer Group companies.

Compared to fiscal 2011, Mr. Eidson’s fiscal 2012 total direct compensation including salary, stock awards and non-equity incentive compensation (see the Summary Compensation Table) decreased slightly, by approximately 2%. The decrease in this compensation occurred because Spartan’s actual performance relating to annual incentive and long-term incentives was slightly below target for fiscal 2012; namely, the annual incentive metric of consolidated net earnings was 98.8% of target, the long-term incentive metric of earnings per share was 98.5% of target, and the second long-term incentive metric of return on invested capital was 99% of target. Because the majority of Mr. Eidson’s compensation depends on Spartan’s performance against these metrics, Mr Eidson’s realizable compensation was lower than in the prior year, even though, in an effort to bring Mr. Eidson’s compensation up to median of the Peer Group, the Compensation Committee increased Mr. Eidson’s base salary and long-term incentive value for fiscal 2012, and the compensation reported in fiscal 2012 for the long-term incentive plan includes for the first time an amount attributable to the return on invested capital metric. As detailed in footnote 5 to the Summary Compensation Table, Mr. Eidson has not received payout on the long-term incentives earned in fiscal 2012, as the required vesting period must be completed in order to receive any payout.

While Mr. Eidson’s realizable total direct compensation was lower than the prior year, the Company’s financial performance in fiscal 2012 exceeded performance in fiscal 2011 by several measures. Consolidated net sales and Adjusted EBITDA increased compared to the prior year, and the Company reduced its total net long-term debt by $19.6 million. Earnings from continuing operations decreased slightly, from $32.5 million to

$31.9 million, but if certain items that did not represent ongoing operating activities in fiscal 2012 and fiscal 2011 were excluded,¹ earnings from continuing operations would have increased to $31.9 million in fiscal 2012 from $30.7 million in the previous year. In light of these results, the Compensation Committee believes it has set appropriately challenging performance targets for our CEO and other named executive officers.

Other Named Executive Officer Compensation

Compensation changes for our other named executive officers were comprised of a 2% base salary increase which was the same as other Spartan associates, and a 15% increase in long-term incentive award values to position our executives closer to the median compensation levels at the Peer Group Companies.

No Plan Design Changes

No changes were made to the design of the annual incentive plan in fiscal 2012.

In fiscal 2011, the Compensation Committee implemented long-term cash incentive plan which tied executive long-term incentive pay to the Company’s earnings per share (“EPS”) and return on invested capital (“ROIC”) performance. In fiscal 2012, the Compensation Committee made no further design changes to the annual incentive or long-term incentive programs. The Compensation Committee expects to review the long-term incentive plan after completing a full 3-year cycle in fiscal 2013.

Pay Practices

The Committee also reviews the Company’s compensation programs to use best practices and avoid poor pay practices, including the following:

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” and

“Nonqualified defined contribution plans and other nonqualified deferred compensation plans.”

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, burn rate 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 following tables showing the compensation mix for fiscal 2012:

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 fiscal 2012, approximately 62% of total 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). Our executive officers do not realize value from annual or long-term cash incentive awards under

the Executive Plan unless the Company meets specified minimum financial goals. The value of restricted stock awards to our named executive officers depends on the value of the share price. Alternatively, when the company exceeds performance goals, compensation to our named executive officers increases accordingly.

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.

As discussed in our last proxy statement, in the period covering fiscal 2007 through fiscal 2010, the realizable compensation paid to our named executive officers was not well aligned with the Peer Group Companies or our financial performance. Total shareholder return and composite financial performance were positioned near the 60^th percentile of the Peer Group Companies, but realizable pay was only positioned at the 20^th percentile. The low level of realizable compensation relative to the performance raised some concern regarding the retention of executive talent. Accordingly, the Compensation Committee made changes in fiscal 2011 to better reward our executives for the Company’s EPS and ROIC performance, on an absolute basis and relative to the Peer Group Companies.

The Compensation Committee considers the low level of realizable compensation relative to performance misalignment to be related to several historical factors:

By implementing a long-term cash incentive plan in fiscal 2011, the Compensation Committee believes that the Company will improve the alignment between realizable pay and composite financial performance.

Analysis of Compensation Elements for Fiscal 2012

Overview

The following is a discussion of key compensation programs and decisions for fiscal 2012.

Following Mr. Eidson’s promotion to Chief Executive Officer in October 2008, the Compensation Committee has continued to focus on transitioning over a period of years his compensation 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 2011. As of the end of fiscal 2012, base compensation for Mr. Eidson remained below the 50th percentile for corresponding positions within the Peer Group Companies.

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, each other named executive officer received a 2% increase in base salary, effective in October 2011, 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 Spartan Stores, Inc. Executive Cash Incentive Plan of 2010 (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 fiscal 2010).

For fiscal 2012, the annual incentive award opportunity provided to each named executive officer was calculated according to the following matrix:

In fiscal 2011, the Compensation Committee adjusted the long-term incentive plan mix in part to address concerns regarding the Company’s use of shares under its equity incentive

compensation programs. The Compensation Committee also introduced multi-year performance-based cash awards. The Company continued this program (illustrated in the table below) for fiscal 2012 and fiscal 2013 so that a full three-year cycle could be evaluated.

In fiscal 2012, the Compensation Committee determined that the value of long-term incentive compensation of the Chief Executive Officer and other named executive officers was approximately 15% lower than the median for corresponding compensation paid at the Peer Group Companies. In view of that gap, and in recognition of the results the Company has achieved during challenging economic and market conditions, the Compensation Committee increased the grant date fair value of the restricted stock awards and target value of the long-term cash incentive awards to our named executive officers by approximately 15% compared to fiscal 2011.

Long-Term Cash Incentive Awards. In fiscal 2012, each named executive officer was granted an opportunity to earn a long-term cash incentive award under the Executive Plan, to be

earned and vested over the three-year period covering fiscal years 2012, 2013 and 2014.

The Compensation Committee selected EPS as a metric for the long-term incentive award because it is a basis for the valuation of our stock, and therefore an effective measure of the growth of shareholder wealth. The Compensation Committee selected ROIC because it focuses our executives on the cost of investment when making profit and loss decisions. ROIC also places appropriate emphasis on the balance sheet by causing executives to analyze investment of the Company’s resources, including in accounts receivable, inventory turns, prepayments and acquisitions.

The fiscal 2012 award opportunity for each named executive officer is as follows:

The target award for each named executive officer is expressed as a specific dollar amount determined by the Compensation Committee.

The amount of the long-term incentive award earned will be determined according to the following matrices: