United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI) operates as the largest publicly traded wholesale distributor of health, specialty, and conventional grocery products in North America. The company's business model centers on sourcing over 250,000 products from thousands of suppliers and distributing them to more than 30,000 customer locations, including supermarkets, natural food stores, independent grocers, and e-commerce platforms. UNFI's product categories span grocery and general merchandise, perishables, frozen foods, nutritional supplements, personal care items, and organic/non-GMO products. The company also offers a growing portfolio of private-label brands, such as Essential Everyday and Wild Harvest.
UNFI operates through three primary segments: Natural, Conventional, and Retail. The Natural segment focuses on the wholesale distribution of natural, organic, and specialty products, representing the largest portion of its revenue (approximately $16.0 billion of its $31.78 billion total net sales in fiscal 2025). The Conventional segment handles traditional grocery items, a capability significantly expanded by its 2018 acquisition of SUPERVALU. The Retail segment includes the operation of its own grocery stores under the Cub Foods and Shoppers banners. Geographically, the company's footprint covers the United States and Canada, supported by a vast network of over 50 distribution centers. A defining characteristic of UNFI's competitive position is its long-standing relationship with Whole Foods Market, for which it serves as the primary distributor, historically accounting for a substantial portion of its total net sales. The company generates revenue primarily by earning a spread on the products it moves through its extensive distribution network.
