UNFI Concludes First Selling Show of the Year

United Natural Foods, Inc. concluded its first comprehensive product and solution regional selling show, reinforcing the company’s customer and supplier-focused strategy. The UNFI show featured the company’s complete range of natural, conventional, fresh, and organic products and total store solutions, all focused on supporting UNFI’s western region customers.

The two-day event brought together more than 5,500 attendees, representing hundreds of UNFI customers, and connected them with UNFI’s extensive network of suppliers offering a comprehensive product assortment, spanning grocery, fresh, natural, organic, and specialty departments. The show also featured UNFI’s Professional Services, which is focused on driving growth and efficiency for retailers.

“We are excited to showcase our wall-to-wall representation of natural, organic, fresh, and conventional products,” said Steve Dietz, UNFI’s chief customer officer. “We’re helping our suppliers expand their product reach while helping our retailers access more of the right products for their markets, at competitive prices. Our suppliers and products span from top-selling national brands to local one-of-a-kind innovators, and are ready to connect with our retailers, whether single store operators, small local chains, larger regional chains, or national accounts. Our professional services team and vendors are on-site as well, to help retailers save money.”

UNFI’s first comprehensive product and solution show included:

• More than 5,500 attendees, including domestic and international retailers and suppliers.
• Over 700 suppliers, covering more than 100,000 square feet, showcasing more than 1,000 brands.
• Hundreds of new products, with more than 40 selected and featured in UNFI’s New Product Showcase Area and several dozen highlighted as UpNext emerging brands.
• More than 60 Certified Diverse Suppliers.
• UNFI Professional Services experts, providing solutions to help retailers drive traffic, save money and time, and enhance their shoppers’ experience.
• UNFI’s unique Pitch Slam competition, where contestants pitched their innovative new products to a live audience. The San Diego winners were Tea Drops, which makes a fair-trade, eco-friendly alternative to tea bags, and Fishwife, which produces premium, ethically-sourced, tinned seafood.

“It was great to see the full range of products and services that UNFI offers all in one show,” said Ryan White, program category manager at New Seasons Market. “We appreciate the way they partner with us and help us identify new trends and bring us new products, assist in supplier negotiations, and source great deals. They are key to our continued growth and success.”

The San Diego show was also the first time the company recognized its customers and suppliers with Circle of Excellence and Customer- and Supplier-of-the-Year awards. These awards honor innovation, market positioning, size, and geography of our customers and suppliers across the country. Following the Orlando show later this month, the company plans to publish the complete list of customer winners from both shows.

UNFI’s upcoming shows:

UNFI’s 2024 Spring and Summer show is scheduled for Feb. 20-21 in Orlando (Central and East). The company’s Holiday and Winter shows are scheduled for June 5-6 in Uncasville, Conn., (East), and Aug. 6-7 in Minneapolis (Central and West), respectively.

For more information on UNFI Shows, customers or suppliers can visit: https://www.unfi.com/shows-events or email events@unfi.com.

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