As grocery shortages persist, UNFI says it’s recovering from cyberattack

United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI), a leading food distribution company, has announced that it is making 'significant progress' in its recovery efforts following a cyberattack that occurred nearly two weeks ago. As grocery stores throughout North America continue to face food shortages, UNFI is working to restore its electronic ordering systems, essential for its customers to place orders for their supermarkets. The cyberattack, which struck on June 5, was publicly disclosed by the company several days later. While UNFI has not elaborated on the specifics of the cyber incident, it informed investors last week that it had temporarily shut down its entire network as a precautionary measure to manage the situation. This ongoing outage has hindered the company’s ability to fulfill and distribute orders at scale. Among the most impacted retailers is Whole Foods, which relies heavily on UNFI as its main distributor. Several Whole Foods locations, including those in New York and California, have reported significant shelf shortages. An employee from a Whole Foods store in California mentioned to TechCrunch that certain products had been missing for days. Whole Foods has acknowledged the disruptions and is actively working to replenish its inventory 'as quickly as possible,' although it has not provided a specific timeframe for the return to normal shipping operations. Local grocery stores and larger supermarket chains are also experiencing varying degrees of supply disruption. Some have managed to source products from alternative distributors, while others continue to face difficulties with orders from UNFI. As the situation unfolds, UNFI has yet to release a timeline for its full recovery. Stakeholders and customers affected by this disruption are encouraged to reach out for more information about the cyberattack and its implications.