Major US grocery distributor warns of disruption after cyberattack

United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI), a key grocery distributor supplying Whole Foods and numerous other retailers, has reported a significant cyberattack that is impacting its order fulfillment capabilities. In a disclosure made to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday, the company revealed that it detected unauthorized access to its IT infrastructure last Thursday, prompting an immediate shutdown of certain network segments. Despite implementing temporary solutions to maintain some operations and continue serving customers wherever possible, UNFI acknowledged that the breach has led to substantial disruptions in its business activities. Based in Providence, Rhode Island, UNFI is one of North America’s largest grocery distributors, providing fresh produce and a variety of food products to over 30,000 retail locations in the U.S. and Canada. Notably, it serves as the primary distributor for Whole Foods, the grocery chain owned by Amazon, with a contract extension secured until May 2032. UNFI spokesperson Kristen Jimenez refrained from detailing the specifics of the cyberattack or confirming whether a ransom was demanded. "We are currently evaluating the unauthorized activity and are focused on restoring our systems to ensure a safe return to normal operations," Jimenez stated, highlighting that law enforcement has been notified about the incident. Whole Foods representatives have not yet responded to inquiries regarding the situation. This event marks the latest in a series of cyber incidents that have recently affected the retail and grocery sectors. Following breaches involving major U.K. retailers like Marks & Spencer and the Co-op, Google has issued warnings about hackers targeting U.S. retailers, although specific companies have not been identified. At this time, UNFI has not provided an estimated timeline for when its systems might be fully operational again.