UNFI Cyberattack Disrupts Grocery Supply Chains, Forcing Retailers to Seek Alternatives
United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI), a major grocery wholesaler, remains offline following a cyberattack on June 6 that forced the company to shut down its electronic ordering systems. With no timeline for full restoration, UNFI is relying on manual processes to fulfill orders, leaving many retailers scrambling to secure alternative suppliers.
Independent grocers and co-ops that depend on UNFI for organic and specialty products have faced significant disruptions. Darlings Grocery in La Pointe, Wisconsin, which sources about two-thirds of its inventory from UNFI, turned to Minnesota-based Mason Brothers and foodservice distributor Sysco to restock shelves but with limited success. Co-owner Gilpin Matthews noted that the lack of advance notice left stores with empty shelves, risking customer loss. Similarly, Orcas Food Co-op in Washington state, while less reliant on a single supplier, had to pivot to local vendors to maintain inventory.
Larger chains also felt the impact. Whole Foods Market, UNFI’s most prominent customer, experienced delivery delays, though a spokesperson declined to comment on the extent of the disruption. Meanwhile, Charley Family Shop ‘n Save in Pennsylvania mitigated shortages by partnering with North Carolina-based MDI and local suppliers, while LaBonne’s Markets in Connecticut faced temporary stockouts of UNFI-sourced items but managed to place an order over the weekend.
UNFI stated it has made "significant progress" in restoring systems but has not provided a recovery timeline. The company confirmed that Cub Pharmacy locations, which also experienced prescription fulfillment issues, have resumed normal operations. The incident underscores the vulnerability of supply chains to cyber threats, particularly for retailers dependent on a single distributor.
PCC Community Markets TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/pccmarkets
Whole Foods Market TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/c&s-wholesale-grocers
Cub TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/cubfoods
"id": "pccc&scub1768393469",
"linkid": "pccmarkets, c&s-wholesale-grocers, cubfoods",
"type": "Cyber Attack",
"date": "6/2025",
"severity": "60",
"impact": "2",
"explanation": "Attack limited on finance or reputation"{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': 'Natural foods retailers, '
'co-ops, Whole Foods Market, '
'pharmacies under Cub grocery '
'chain',
'industry': 'Food distribution',
'location': 'United States',
'name': 'United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI)',
'size': 'Large',
'type': 'Grocery wholesaler'},
{'customers_affected': 'Shoppers unable to access full '
'range of organic products',
'industry': 'Retail',
'location': 'La Pointe, Wisconsin',
'name': 'Darlings Grocery',
'size': 'Small',
'type': 'Natural foods retailer'},
{'customers_affected': 'Members relying on UNFI for '
'significant percentage of goods',
'industry': 'Retail',
'location': 'Eastsound, Washington',
'name': 'Orcas Food Co-op',
'size': 'Small',
'type': 'Grocery co-op'},
{'customers_affected': 'Shoppers experiencing supply '
'disruptions',
'industry': 'Retail',
'location': 'Greensburg, Pennsylvania',
'name': 'Charley Family Shop ‘n Save',
'size': 'Small',
'type': 'Grocery store'},
{'customers_affected': 'Shoppers unable to access some '
'natural and gluten-free '
'products',
'industry': 'Retail',
'location': 'Salisbury, Connecticut',
'name': 'LaBonne’s Markets',
'size': 'Medium',
'type': 'Supermarket chain'},
{'customers_affected': 'Stores experiencing restocking '
'delays',
'industry': 'Retail',
'location': 'United States',
'name': 'Whole Foods Market',
'size': 'Large',
'type': 'Grocery chain'},
{'customers_affected': 'Customers unable to fill '
'prescriptions during disruption',
'industry': 'Healthcare/Retail',
'location': 'United States',
'name': 'Cub grocery chain pharmacies',
'size': 'Large',
'type': 'Pharmacy'}],
'customer_advisories': 'Customers notified of manual order processing and '
'potential delays',
'date_detected': '2024-06-06',
'date_publicly_disclosed': '2024-06-09',
'description': 'United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI) experienced a cyberattack '
'that compelled the company to shut down its online platform '
'on June 6, 2024. The incident disrupted order processing, '
'forcing UNFI to rely on manual procedures and causing supply '
'chain issues for its customers, including natural foods '
'retailers, co-ops, and Whole Foods Market. UNFI is working to '
'restore its electronic ordering systems but has not indicated '
'a timeline for full recovery.',
'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': 'Negative impact due to supply chain '
'disruptions and empty shelves at '
'customer stores',
'downtime': 'Ongoing as of June 10, 2024',
'operational_impact': 'Manual order processing, disrupted supply '
'chain, delayed deliveries to customers',
'systems_affected': 'Online ordering platform, electronic ordering '
'systems'},
'investigation_status': 'Ongoing',
'references': [{'date_accessed': '2024-06-10', 'source': 'Grocery Dive'}],
'response': {'communication_strategy': 'Statements posted on website, '
'customer advisories',
'containment_measures': 'Shut down online platform, manual order '
'processing',
'incident_response_plan_activated': 'Yes',
'recovery_measures': 'Progress made toward safely restoring '
'systems, pharmacies resumed prescription '
'services',
'remediation_measures': 'Working to restore electronic ordering '
'systems'},
'stakeholder_advisories': 'Statements posted on UNFI website, customer '
'outreach',
'title': 'Cyberattack on United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI)',
'type': 'Cyberattack'}