United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI) completed its spring and summer selling show in San Diego, California, the first of the company’s 2025 show season.
UNFI’s two-day show brought together more than 4,300 attendees, connecting 1,800 retailers with 800 supplier brands. Exhibitors showcased thousands of brands spanning natural, organic, fresh, specialty and conventional grocery products. During the show, UNFI experts discussed current trends and emerging growth opportunities across the grocery retail industry.
Top trends include:
- Retail media is projected to grow more than 24 percent annually between 2024 and 2028.
- Private label brands are estimated to grow 40 percent over the next six years.
- Fresh product growth is now outpacing the rest of the store.
- Natural/organic and functional food/beverages are expected to grow 4 percent annually over the next four years.
- Creating a differentiated experience is key to success for grocery retailers of all sizes.
Louis Martin, president of conventional grocery products and UNFI chief commercial officer, reflected on the continued growth of retail media and said, “While many retailers are engaging their shoppers digitally, there are still untapped opportunities to create a more comprehensive and customized digital experience. By partnering with UNFI, both retailers and suppliers can access our broad range of digital and professional services, like the UNFI Media Network, to drive profitable growth.”
[RELATED: UNFI Realigns Wholesale Business]
A highlight of the show was a conversation with UNFI Co-Founder and Board Member Michael Funk, who shared his perspectives on the evolution of the grocery industry and UNFI’s focus on helping its customers be as competitive as possible.
“Innovation is key to keeping this industry vibrant,” Funk said. “We need to constantly reset and adapt to best meet the needs of our customers.”
“We have a true partnership with UNFI, who’s been our primary distributor since 2010,” said Aaron Jones, senior director of merchandising and logistics, Bristol Farms. “I’ve enjoyed growing the relationship, finding unique brands and learning about new-to-market products UNFI is bringing in. We’ve continued to strengthen our partnership on every level, from corporate buying to our store teams.”
During the show’s Pitch Slam competition, emerging suppliers in UNFI’s UpNext program had the opportunity to pitch their innovative new products to a live audience.
“We’re thrilled to be a UNFI UpNext supplier,” said Eric Ji Sun Wu, co-founder of Sobo Foods and winner of the San Diego Pitch Slam. “We don’t know how we would have done this without the endlessly patient support the UNFI team has given us and the unreal visibility for Sobo Foods at this event.”
To support communities impacted by the Los Angeles County fires, the UNFI Foundation provided a donation to Food Forward, a nonprofit organization that is working to deliver fresh produce to the affected areas.
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