FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, June 12, 2020
CONTACT:
Allison Benczkowski, Director, Corporate Communications, 616-878-2644
Following Governor’s phased reopening plan and CDC guidelines, SpartanNash front of store bottle return areas will reopen with a focus on associate and customer safety
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Following Governor Whitmer’s safety protocols, phased reopening recommendations and CDC guidelines, SpartanNash today announced it will reopen bottle return areas in Family Fare, D&W Fresh Market, Martin’s Super Markets, VG’s, Forest Hills Foods and ValuLand stores throughout Michigan on Monday, June 15.
In compliance with the State of Michigan’s Phase 1 reopening plan, the bottle return areas that will be reopening are limited to those located at the front of the SpartanNash-owned store.
Bottle return areas will be open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, and bottle returns will be limited to $25 per person per day. If the bottle return bins reach capacity, the bottle return area will close for the day.
For a complete list of Family Fare, D&W Fresh Market, Martin’s Super Markets, VG’s, Forest Hills Foods and ValuLand stores whose bottle return areas will be open on June 15, please visit: spartannash.com/bottle-returns.
“Many of our customers have been saving their cans and bottles for the past several months, and we are ready to reopen our bottle return areas in a way that ensures the safety of our store guests and associates,” SpartanNash Executive Vice President and General Manager, Corporate Retail Tom Swanson said. “We appreciate our customers’ patience as we prepared for this reopening date, as well as their compliance with the adjusted experience as they clean out their garages and recycling bins.”
As bottle returns reopen on June 15, all participating SpartanNash stores will have signage displayed that helps customers adhere to social distancing guidelines and store capacity limits. Due to space limitations, only one customer will be allowed in the bottle return area at a time.
In compliance with SpartanNash’s COVID-19 safety and sanitation procedures, store associates will also wear gloves and face masks, and the bottle return area will be cleaned every 30 minutes.
“As we reopen our bottle return areas, we know that many are ready and excited to bring back their can and bottle returns, and we want to ensure it is a positive and safe experience,” Swanson said. “We ask that customers wait to bring back their cans if possible, as we believe the demand to return cans and bottles is high, which may result in long lines at the beginning of implementation of the Governor’s phased reopening plan.”
At stores where the bottle return is located in the back of the store or where bottle returns are handled over the counter, the bottle return areas will remain temporarily closed to ensure the safety of customers and associates, in compliance with the Governor’s phased reopening plan. SpartanNash will continue to follow the Governor’s guidance and will reopen additional bottle return areas when it is safe to do so.
For all of SpartanNash’s ongoing coronavirus-related efforts, visit: spartannash.com/spartannash-coronavirus-updates.
###
About SpartanNash
SpartanNash (Nasdaq: SPTN) is a Fortune 400 company whose core businesses include distributing grocery products to a diverse group of independent and chain retailers, its corporate-owned retail stores and U.S. military commissaries and exchanges; as well as operating a premier fresh produce distribution network. SpartanNash serves customer locations in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, Europe, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Honduras, Bahrain, Djibouti and Egypt. SpartanNash currently operates 155 supermarkets, primarily under the banners of Family Fare, Martin’s Super Markets, D&W Fresh Market, VG’s Grocery and Dan’s Supermarket. Through its MDV military division, SpartanNash is a leading distributor of grocery products to U.S. military commissaries.