FORM 4	UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION	OMB APPROVAL
[  ] Check this box if no longer       subject to Section 16. Form 4 or       Form 5 obligations may continue.       See Instruction 1(b).	Washington, D.C. 20549   STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP	OMB Number:    3235-0287   Expires:  January 31, 2005   Estimated average burden   hours per response. ... 0.5
(Print or Type Responses)	Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

1.    Name and Address of Reporting Person*                                                                                                    Staples,                    David                  M.    (Last)                                         (First)                                        (Middle)	4.    Statement for Month/Day/Year                 1/16/03
850 - 76th Street SW                                                           (Street)	5.    If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Day/Year)
Grand Rapids,                  Michigan            49518     (City)                                         (State)                                            (Zip)
2.    Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol      Spartan Stores, Inc. ("SPTN")	6.    Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer                                     (Check all applicable)              Director                                            10% Owner      X         Officer (give title below)                      Other (specify below)                                                      Exec. Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
3.    I.R.S. Identification Number of Reporting Person, if an entity (voluntary)	7.    Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)             X     Form Filed by One Reporting Person                  Form Filed by More than One Reporting Person

Table I -- Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security       (Instr. 3)	2.Transaction    Date    (Month/    Day/Year)	2A. Deemed       Execution       Date, if any       (Month/       Day/Year)	3. Transaction       Code       (Instr. 8)		4. Securities Acquired (A)       or Disposed of (D)       (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)			5. Amount of      Securities      Beneficially      Owned      Following      Reported      Transaction(s)      (Instr. 3 and 4)	6.Ownership    Form: Di-    rect (D) or    Indirect (I)    (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of      Indirect      Beneficial      Ownership      (Instr. 4)
			Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price

 

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FORM 4 (continued) Table II -- Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security     (Instr. 3)	2. Conversion     or Exercise     Price of     Derivative     Security	3. Transaction     Date     (Month/     Day/Year)	3A.Deemed      Execution      Date, if any      (Month/      Day/Year)	4. Transaction     Code     (Instr. 8)		5. Number of Derivative     Securities Acquired (A)     or Disposed of (D)     (Instr. 3, 4, and 5)		6. Date Exercisable     and Expiration Date     (Month/Day/Year)
				Code	V	(A)	(D)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date
Phantom Stock	(1)	1/16/03		A		2,133.173		(1)	(1)

7. Title and Amount of     Underlying Securities (Instr. 3 and 4)		8. Price of     Derivative     Security     (Instr. 5)	9. Number of Derivative     Securities Beneficially     Owned Following     Reported Transaction(s)     (Instr. 4)	10. Ownership Form of       Derivative Securities       Beneficially Owned       at End of Month       (Instr. 4)	11. Nature of Indirect       Beneficial Ownership       (Instr. 4)
Title	Amount or Number of Shares
Common Stock	2,133.173	$1.56	2,133.173	D

Explanation of Responses:         

(1) This Form 4 reports the award of phantom stock pursuant to the Spartan Stores, Inc. Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan ("Plan"). Shares of phantom stock are issuable on a one-for-one basis and are payable in cash following termination of employment in accordance with the Plan.

By:	/s/ David M. Staples	February 6, 2003
	**Signature of Reporting Person	Date
	David M. Staples
	*By Alex J. DeYonker
	Attorney-in-Fact

Reminder:	Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* **	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v). Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
Note:	File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure

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LIMITED POWER OF ATTORNEY

                    The undersigned does hereby constitute and appoint ALEX J. DEYONKER and TIMOTHY L. HORNER, or any one or more of them, his or her true and lawful attorneys and agents to do any and all acts and things and to execute and file any and all instruments that such attorneys and agents, or any of them, may consider necessary or advisable to enable the undersigned (in his or her individual capacity or in a fiduciary or other capacity) to comply with the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Act"), and any requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission in respect thereof, in connection with the preparation, execution and filing of any report or statement of beneficial ownership or changes in beneficial ownership of securities of SPARTAN STORES, INC. (the "Company") that the undersigned (in his or her individual capacity or in a fiduciary or other capacity) may be required to file pursuant to Sections 13 or 16 of the Act including, without limitation, full power and authority to sign the undersigned's name, in his or her individual capacity or in a fiduciary or other capacity, to any report, application or statement on Form ID, Forms 3, 4 or 5, Schedules 13D or 13G, or to any amendments or any successor forms thereto, or any form or forms adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission in lieu thereof or in addition thereto, hereby ratifying and confirming all that such attorneys and agents, or any of them, shall do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

                    The undersigned agrees that the attorneys-in-fact named herein may rely entirely on information furnished orally or in writing by the undersigned to such attorneys-in-fact. The undersigned also agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the attorneys-in-fact against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) that arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or omission of necessary fact in the information provided by the undersigned to the attorneys-in-fact for purposes of executing, acknowledging, delivering or filing any such forms, or any amendments or any successor forms thereto, or any form or forms adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission in lieu thereof or in addition thereto.

                    This authorization shall be in addition to all prior authorizations to act for the undersigned with respect to securities of the Company in these matters.

Date: July 12, 2000 /s/ David M. Staples David M. Staples