Associate Retirement Plans - Additional Information (Detail)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) Trust	Jan. 02, 2016 USD ($)	Jan. 03, 2015 USD ($)
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined contribution plans expense	$ 11,900,000	$ 21,100,000	$ 13,600,000
Number of Trusts | Trust	2
Percentage of trust funded with pre-merger liability to plan participants	125.00%
Proceeds from company owned life insurance		5,004,000
Cash surrender value of plan assets included in other long term assets	$ 154,444,000	127,076,000
Aggregate amount of life insurance coverage	15,000,000
Distribution charges	2,800,000
Settlement accounting charge	$ 700,000
Defined contribution plan employees minimum period of service	10 years
Defined contribution plan employees age to eligible under the plan	55 years
Maximum age of major medical insurance with deductible and coinsurance provisions	65 years
Multiplier effect of Monthly postretirement health care benefits to covered employees	$ 5
Actuarial gains and losses are amortized when accumulation of such gains and losses exceeds	10.00%
Percentage point increase or decrease in assumed health care cost trend rate	1.00%
Red zone fund status	Less than 65 percent
Maximum [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
1% increase or decrease in assumed health care cost trend rate in accumulated postretirement benefit obligation	$ 100,000
Status or red zone plans	65.00%
Cash Balance Pension Plan [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Distribution charges			10,600,000
Settlement accounting charge			1,600,000
Average long-term expected return on pension plan assets	4.83%
Expected Company contribution in fiscal year ending December 30, 2017	$ 0
Super Foods Plan [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Distribution charges			10,600,000
Settlement accounting charge			1,600,000
SpartanNash Medical Plan [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Expected Company contribution in fiscal year ending December 30, 2017	400,000
Michigan Conference of Teamsters and Ohio Conference of Teamsters Health and Welfare Plans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Pension contributions during last plan year	14,300,000	15,100,000	14,300,000
Central States, Southeast and Southwest Areas Pension Plan [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Pension contributions during last plan year	13,400,000	12,900,000	$ 12,900,000
Cash Surrender Value [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Cash surrender value of plan assets included in other long term assets	$ 4,200,000	$ 4,200,000