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United Natural Foods Spotlights Top Industry Trends and Innovations to Help Grocery Retailers Differentiate this Holiday and Winter Selling Season

  • United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI) hosted its 2026 Holiday & Winter Selling Show at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn., featuring over 1,400 retail representatives & 715 suppliers.
  • The event showcased innovative products across natural, organic, fresh, specialty, conventional, & private label categories, including nearly 70 new-to-market brands.
  • UNFI CEO Sandy Douglas highlighted the show's focus on helping retailers differentiate while supporting supplier growth through the third annual Supplier Circle of Excellence Awards.
  • Key holiday trends identified include private label brands evolving into premium, trusted choices for holiday entertaining, with examples like Essential Everyday Dark Chocolate Peppermint Bark Bites.
  • Fresh produce is driving culinary inspiration among younger consumers, featuring specialty items such as red kiwis, broccolini, cherimoya, & dragon fruit.
  • Functional wellness trends show shoppers seeking ingredients that balance indulgence with better-for-you attributes, highlighted by products like Recess nonalcoholic beverages & FOND Regenerative bone broth.
  • UNFI honored 19 supplier partners with the Supplier Circle of Excellence Awards, with Lumen, Better Sour, Organic Valley, & Frontier Co-op receiving top honors.
  • Frontier Co-op CEO Tony Bedard accepted the UNFI Legacy Supplier Award, citing nearly five decades of industry advancement & UNFI's support for their growth.
  • UNFI serves approximately 30,000 retail locations across North America with a broad assortment of products & data-driven insights to help grocers grow profitably.