SpartanNash - 1792 Exchange

Rating Overview

SpartanNash is Medium Risk.

SpartanNash is Medium Risk. The company often yields to political activism in shaping corporate governance, potentially alienating consumers, dividing employees, and harming shareholders. The company implements race and identity-based policies that replace merit, excellence, and integrity with preferential treatment and outcomes. The company occasionally embraces corporate initiatives that redirect its central focus from business goals to partisan policies and divisive issues at times. This approach fails to safeguard free exercise, free speech, and free enterprise.

Rating Criteria

Corporate Weaponization Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Cancellations	Medium Risk
Discriminatory Philanthropy	High Risk
Employment Protection	High Risk

Corporate Weaponization ⓘ

Corporate Governance and Public Policy Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Advocacy Bias	High Risk
Funding	Medium Risk
Political Actions	No Data

Corporate Governance and Public Policy ⓘ

Rating Criteria Detail

Criteria Risk Level Rationale

Corporate Weaponization

Criteria:

Has canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors due to their political views or religious beliefs OR corporately boycotts, divests, or sanctions regions, people groups, or industries.

Risk Level:

Medium

Rationale:

SpartanNash received a score of 20 on the 2025 Corporate Equality Index (CEI) from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a political stakeholder group. The company recruits employees based on sexual identity issues. The company discriminates against vendors that do not promote divisive sex and gender policies, indicating it prioritizes sexual issues over merit (1)(2). The company integrates ESG into its business practices. From its Vendor Code of Conduct: “Where feasible, Vendors should take steps to incorporate how they will mitigate the impact of climate change into their strategies and business resiliency plans, through establishing greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emission reduction targets, selecting low-GHG products and services, and other initiatives, where relevant. If requested by SpartanNash, we encourage Vendors to disclose energy and emissions management policies and performance” (3). The company promotes divisive sex and gender policies. Its Vendor Code of Conduct requires international vendors to include sexual orientation in their nondiscrimination policy (4). However, SpartanNash has not publicly canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors due to political or religious differences (5)(6).

Criteria:

Charitable giving (including employee matching programs) policies or practices discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or religious beliefs.

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

SpartanNash’s HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company will not donate to non-religious charities unless they embrace controversial sexual identity policies (1)(2). SpartanNash’s foundation guidelines require that organizations abide by its nondiscrimination policy, including on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, thereby excluding some religious charities (3).

Criteria:

Employment policies fail to protect against viewpoint or other discrimination and/or are ideological in nature.

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

SpartanNash appears to prioritize diversity over merit in its leadership composition. From its 2022 ESG Report: “The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee also oversees the Company’s efforts to promote diversity and inclusion at all levels of the organization, including for the Board of Directors.” The company appears to prioritize diversity over merit in its recruiting, hiring, and promotion: “Significantly increase efforts to attract, recruit, retain and promote females, people of color and Veterans” (1). The company offers DEI training to its employees (2). SpartanNash does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (3)

Corporate Governance and Public Policy

Criteria:

Uses corporate reputation to support causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

SpartanNash supports DEI within its business practices. From its 2022 ESG Report: “The assessment also reconfirmed our stakeholders’ interest in Diversity & Inclusion, an area in which SpartanNash had made important advances” (1). The company supports ESG within its business practices. From its 2022 ESG Report: “To ensure our ESG actions resonate with our key stakeholders, last year we engaged a third-party firm to conduct a materiality assessment that helped us prioritize the top issues in the hearts and minds of our Associates, customers, partners and investors” (2). The company scored a 20 out of 100 on the 2023-2024 Corporate Equality Index (CEI) from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a political stakeholder group (3)(4).

Criteria:

Uses corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level:

Medium

Rationale:

SpartanNash’s HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company provides a benefits package for employees that includes some transgender medical benefits for covered employees and dependents, including children. This may include paid short-term leave, puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, chest surgeries, genital surgeries, medical visits and lab monitoring, travel and lodging. By allowing a political stakeholder group to dictate operations, the company increases health care costs and risks dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders (1)(2). Otherwise, it has not used corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies (3)(4).