UNFI Highlights Industry Trends and Supplier Excellence at Annual Holiday Show

United Natural Foods (UNFI) hosted its annual Holiday and Winter Selling Show, attracting over 3,900 attendees. The event highlighted emerging industry trends, including a growing private label market, rise of challenger brands, and increasing health and wellness options. UNFI recognized top-performing suppliers with its Supplier Circle of Excellence Awards.

United Natural Foods, Inc. (NYSE: UNFI), a leading grocery wholesaler, recently hosted its annual Holiday and Winter Selling Show, drawing over 3,900 attendees in Uncasville, Conn. The event, held on July 31, 2025, brought together more than 1,400 retailers and over 750 suppliers, showcasing thousands of unique products across various categories, including natural, organic, fresh, specialty, and conventional groceries.

During the show, UNFI experts shared the latest industry insights and emerging growth opportunities to help grocers stand out during the year’s biggest selling season. Key trends highlighted include:

- Promotions on the rise: Promotional activity has increased, with one-third of grocery volume focused on deals or value [1].
- Growing private label market: Investment in private label products is expected to see a 40% sales growth by 2030 [1].
- Rise of challenger brands: Challenger brands have gained an edge, generating 27% growth in the food sector last year [1].
- Booming health and wellness options: Fresh, high-protein, and better-for-you options are outpacing the rest of the store [1].
- In-store experiences: Unique assortments and in-store experiences continue to drive traffic and volume for retailers of all sizes [1].

To capitalize on these trends, UNFI leaders emphasized the importance of their Professional Services offerings, such as the data platform Scan Advantage, which helps customers and suppliers use consumer insights and analytics for better assortment and promotional planning during high-volume seasons.

Emily Brown, Store Manager at Catherine’s Market, praised UNFI Professional Services, stating, “Scan Advantage gives us the insight we need to align our operations and product mix with seasonal trends and consumer preferences. It helps us stay ahead of what they’re looking for, whether it’s national brands or ideas we can translate into our house-made bakery and deli offerings” [1].

The event also featured the second annual Supplier Circle of Excellence Awards, recognizing 31 supplier brand partners across 15 unique categories for their excellence in brand performance, category leadership, and product innovation. The highest award, Supplier of the Year, was given to Chobani, Loisa, and The Hershey Company [1].

Marcin Moscicki, Vice President of Sales at Chobani, commented on their partnership with UNFI, stating, “Our commitment to our people and our communities runs deep—we live it every day by working with local partners to end hunger. Our partnership with UNFI has helped us extend that impact even further, bringing nutritious food to more communities and making a meaningful difference where it’s needed most” [1].

UNFI is North America's premier grocery wholesaler, delivering a wide variety of fresh, branded, and owned brand products to over 30,000 locations. The company also provides value-added services and segmented marketing expertise to help customers and suppliers build their businesses and brands [1].

References:
[1] https://www.nasdaq.com/press-release/united-natural-foods-unveils-top-industry-trends-help-retailers-plan-holiday-and
[2] https://www.stocktitan.net/news/UNFI/united-natural-foods-unveils-top-industry-trends-to-help-retailers-cwnqkslkt64u.html