UNFI recognizes grocery retailers at Holiday and Winter Selling Show
UNFI recognizes grocery retailers at Holiday and Winter Selling Show
This year UNFI’s Holiday and Winter Selling Show brought together more than 5,300 attendees, including nearly 2,200 retail customer representatives and more than 900 supplier brands across the natural, organic, fresh, specialty and conventional grocery product categories. Exhibitors featured thousands of unique items — including exclusive, on-trend, and seasonal offerings — and more than 50 new-to-market products.
During the show, UNFI recognized 11 high-performing retailers that are raising the bar with innovative products, programs, and experiences as part of the company’s second annual Customer Circle of Excellence Awards.
“At UNFI, we’re proud to serve a diverse and dynamic network of 30,000 retail stores that are the heartbeat of their communities,” said Mark Bushway, president of natural, organic, specialty and fresh products and UNFI chief supply chain officer. “We’re honored to shine a light on a few of the many outstanding retailers who are driving growth through unique product offerings, high-impact merchandising strategies and differentiated shopping experiences that keep everyone in grocery at the top of their game.”
UNFI named Harmons Neighborhood Grocer the Local Independent of the Year and Vallarta Supermarkets the National Chain of the Year. UNFI also honored the following retailers by both region and size for driving exceptional business performance and meaningful community impact.
Central Region
- Local Independent Performance Award – Marohn’s Marketplace
- Local Independent Impact Award – Plum Market
- Regional Chain Performance Award – Dave’s Supermarkets and Lucky’s Markets of Ohio
- Regional Chain Impact Award – Dierbergs
West Region
- Local Independent Performance Award – Market of Choice
- Local Independent Impact Award – Jimbo’s
- Regional Chain Performance Award – Good Food Holdings
- Regional Chain Impact Award – Raley’s
National
- National Chain Impact Award - National Co+op Grocers (NCG)
To complement the show’s focus on innovative products and new-to-market brands, UNFI also hosted its signature Pitch Slam competition, which gives emerging suppliers in the Company’s UpNext program the opportunity to present their products to a live audience of their peers and retail buyers.
UNFI leaders shared the importance of differentiation for grocers to stand out and remain competitive in today’s evolving retail landscape. With online grocery shopping expected to grow an estimated 18 percent in the next 24 months, data-driven digital solutions and forward-thinking partnerships are key to helping retailers meet shoppers where they are and drive profitable growth.
Examples include the UNFI Media Network’s Audience Optimizer, which helps retailers execute smarter promotions and sharper targeting while maximizing their return on advertising spend. In addition, UNFI showcased AI-Powered Loss Prevention, a surveillance-integrated capability that has helped retailers drive up to 60 percent shrink reduction. This service is especially useful during the holiday season when many retailers see an uptick in loss.
