UNFI Progresses in Restoring North America Grocery Supply After Cyberattack

United Natural Foods (UNFI), a leading food distributor serving over 30,000 grocery stores including Whole Foods, has been recovering from a cyberattack that occurred on June 5, which severely disrupted its electronic ordering systems and caused widespread food shortages across North America. UNFI has reported significant progress in restoring these systems and has begun receiving and shipping orders again, but has not provided a timeline for full recovery. The attack forced UNFI to shut down its entire network, impacting its ability to fulfill and distribute orders at scale, leading grocery stores to scramble for alternative suppliers amid ongoing supply chain disruptions. Whole Foods, a major customer relying on UNFI as its primary distributor, confirmed shelf shortages and supply issues, though it is working to restock as quickly as possible. This incident highlights the critical role wholesalers like UNFI play in the U.S. grocery supply chain and exposes vulnerabilities, as many supply chain and logistics systems are not fully prepared for such cyber disruptions. The widespread impact underscores the thin margins and complex logistics involved in food distribution, as well as the industry's dependence on these key wholesale distributors for efficient operations.