United Natural Foods Inc. has concluded its 2023 UNFI Conventional Winter Show, held at the Minneapolis Convention Center in Minnesota.
UNFI’s Winter Show brought together more than 2,000 grocery retailers, providing them with access to the company’s network of suppliers and vendors.
Following its Natural Holiday Show held June 7-8 at the Mohegan Sun Resort and Casino, the Conventional Winter Show is timed to help prepare UNFI’s retailer partners for the holiday and winter selling periods. By introducing new products, innovative processes and supplier solutions, UNFI highlights how it is adding value for customers and serving as their strategic partner.
“Our annual shows provide an important opportunity to bring together our connected community of independent retailers, suppliers and associates, and provides a platform to update them on our multi-faceted transformation plan and the benefits that are helping improve our customer and supplier experience. The Conventional Winter Show leverages our expansive portfolio of products, merchandising strategies and insights to help retailers drive sustainable growth and profitability in the marketplace,” said Steve Dietz, chief customer officer.
“Our customers are always seeking new ways to bring their shoppers exceptional value, and in partnership with our suppliers, we are proud to offer them a productive and collaborative environment to find new and exclusive product offerings, special show deals and value-added services.”
UNFI’s Conventional Winter Show is one of five trade shows hosted annually by UNFI. This year’s show included:
- More than 2,000 customers, including domestic and international retailers;
- About 550 suppliers covering more than 200,000 square feet;
- 260 new products introduced in UNFI’s New Product Showcase;
- More than 300 monster buys (exclusive UNFI deals on many of the most popular consumer products) covering nearly every store category; and
- The introduction of UNFI’s Independent Grocer’s Guidebook 2.0, highlighting strategies and case studies from selected UNFI customers designed to help all retailers plan for the future of grocery.
“The UNFI Conventional Winter Show is a key part of our holiday planning, providing us with a valuable in-person opportunity to view new product innovations, research in-store merchandising strategies and connect with suppliers,” said Joe Zink, VP of center store merchandising at Skogen’s Festival Foods.
“Our partnership with UNFI is incredibly valuable, and our ability to see and experience the robust array of brands and seasonal products on offer enables us to fully prepare for the busy holiday selling season we are expecting this fall and winter.”
UNFI will next host its Fresh Specialty Show Aug. 23 in San Francisco, California, followed by its Natural Winter Show Sept. 27-28 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
