8-K

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): February 16, 2011

SPARTAN STORES, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Michigan	000-31127	38-0593940
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)	(Commission File Number)	(IRS Employer Identification no.)
850 76th Street, S.W. P.O. Box 8700 Grand Rapids, Michigan		49518-8700
(Address of principal executive offices)		(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (616) 878-2000

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the Registrant under any of the following provisions:

¨ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425).

¨ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12).

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)).

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)).

Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

On February 16, 2011, Craig C. Sturken notified the Board of Directors of Spartan Stores, Inc. (the “Company”) that he will retire as an executive officer of the Company, effective February 18, 2011. Mr. Sturken’s retirement as an executive officer is part of the executive leadership transition process discussed by Mr. Sturken and the Board of Directors. Mr. Sturken will continue to serve as a non-employee director of the Company and Chairman of the Board of Directors. As Chairman, Mr. Sturken will receive an annual retainer as Chairman of the Board in the amount of $150,000. Mr. Sturken will not receive meeting fees for his service as a director, but he will otherwise be eligible to participate in the Company’s director compensation programs, as described in the Company’s proxy statement filed with the Commission on June 25, 2010.

As of the date of his retirement, Mr. Sturken held outstanding and unvested shares of restricted stock granted to him pursuant to the Company’s shareholder-approved 2001 Stock Incentive Plan and Stock Incentive Plan of 2005 (the “Plans”). Pursuant to the terms of each Plan and each award of restricted stock, a pro-rata portion of each award of restricted stock automatically vested upon Mr. Sturken’s retirement. Accordingly, effective February 18, 2011, 25,128 shares of restricted stock previously awarded to Mr. Sturken automatically vested. The terms of the Plans and each award also provide that the Compensation Committee may, in its discretion, waive the restrictions remaining on any shares of restricted stock following an associate’s retirement. In recognition of Mr. Sturken’s distinguished service and extraordinary contributions to the Company over the past eight years, the Compensation Committee waived the restrictions on the remaining shares of restricted stock previously awarded to him that would not have otherwise vested upon his retirement. As a result of the Compensation Committee’s action, the Company recognized the incremental compensation expense associated with the vesting of 49,032 shares of restricted stock on February 18, 2011. The Company accounts for share-based compensation expense in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718.

Item 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure.

On February 18, 2011, the Company issued the press release attached to this Current Report on Form 8-K as Exhibit 99.1. The press release is furnished pursuant to Item 7.01 and shall not be deemed to be “filed” for the purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, nor shall it be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such a filing.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d)	Exhibits: The following document is attached as an exhibit to this report on Form 8-K:
99.1	Press Release dated February 18, 2011.

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

Date: February 18, 2011	SPARTAN STORES, INC.
	By	/s/ David M. Staples
		David M. Staples Chief Financial Officer

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EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit Number	Document
99.1	Press Release dated February 18, 2011.

EX-99.1

Exhibit 99.1

For Immediate Release
Investor Contact: Dave Staples	Media Contact: Jeanne Norcross
Executive Vice President & CFO	Vice President Corporate Affairs
(616) 878-8793	(616) 878-2830
-Or-
Katie Turner
Senior Vice President
ICR
(646) 277-1228

Spartan Stores Announces Craig Sturken to Remain Chairman of the Board

of Directors; Retires From Executive Responsibilities

GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN–February 18, 2011–Spartan Stores, Inc., (Nasdaq:SPTN) today announced that Craig Sturken will remain Chairman of the Board and a close advisor to the Company, although Mr. Sturken is retiring from his position as Executive Chairman.

Mr. Sturken joined Spartan Stores in March 2003 as President and Chief Executive Officer and was elected Chairman of the Board of Directors in August 2003. In 2008, Dennis Eidson succeeded Mr. Sturken, who remained as Executive Chairman of the Board.

“While the Board and I agreed that stepping back from my executive responsibilities is the appropriate next step in our executive leadership transition process, I intend to remain an active and constructive leader of the Board,” Mr. Sturken said. “I am extremely proud of our accomplishments over the past eight years as we built Spartan Stores into a leading and well respected regional grocery distributor and retailer and am confident that under Dennis’ continuing operational leadership, the company will continue to improve the effectiveness of our business strategy.”

“We are pleased that Craig is remaining an active and valued member of our Board as we continue to position Spartan Stores for long term profitable growth,” said Dennis Eidson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Spartan Stores. “We appreciate the many contributions that Craig has made to our company while serving as an executive employee. During his association with the company, Spartan has experienced tremendous store base growth through a combination of organic growth and acquisitions. Along the way, Craig has provided us with important perspective in the supermarket industry and solid business advice and we look forward to his continued guidance.”

Spartan Stores’ Board of Directors is comprised of ten directors, eight of whom will be independent.

About Spartan Stores

Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Spartan Stores, Inc., (Nasdaq:SPTN) is the nation’s eleventh largest grocery distributor with 1.4 million square feet of warehouse, distribution, and office space located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Company distributes more than 40,000 corporate and national brand products to approximately 370 independent grocery stores in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio, and to our 97 corporate owned stores located in Michigan, including Family Fare Supermarkets, Glen’s Markets, D&W Fresh Markets and VG’s Food and Pharmacy.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are identifiable by words or phrases such as “strategy”; that an event or trend “will” occur or “continue” or that Spartan Stores or its management is “confident” of or “positioned” for a particular result. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of factors that could cause actual results to differ materially. Our ability to successfully realize growth opportunities, expand our customer base, effectively implement and achieve the expected benefits of capital investments, warehouse consolidation and store openings, successfully respond to the weak economic environment and changing consumer behavior, anticipate and successfully respond to openings of competitors’ stores, achieve expected sales, cash flows, operating efficiencies and earnings, implement plans, programs and strategies, reduce debt, and continue to pay dividends is not certain and depends on many factors, not all of which are in our control. Additional information about the risk factors to which Spartan Stores is exposed and other factors that may adversely affect these forward-looking statements is contained in Spartan Stores’ reports and filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Other risk factors exist and new risk factors may emerge at any time. Given these risks and uncertainties, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as predictions of future results. Spartan Stores undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect developments or information obtained after the date of this press release.

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