During its first Holiday and Winter Selling Show of 2025, United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI) connected grocery retailers with a variety of supplier brands while taking a moment to celebrate several of its high-performing retailers.
The 2025 Holiday and Winter Selling Show, held July 15-17 in Las Vegas, brought together more than 5,300 attendees, including nearly 2,200 UNFI retail customer representatives and more than 900 supplier brands across the natural, organic, fresh, specialty and conventional grocery product categories. Exhibitors featured thousands of items – including exclusive, on-trend and seasonal offerings – and more than 50 new-to-market products.
Honoring grocery retailers
During the show, UNFI recognized 11 retailers that are raising the bar with innovative products, programs and experiences as part of the company’s second annual Customer Circle of Excellence Awards.
“At UNFI, we’re proud to serve a diverse and dynamic network of 30,000 retail stores that are the heartbeat of their communities,” said Mark Bushway, president of natural, organic, specialty and fresh products and UNFI’s chief supply chain officer.
“We’re honored to shine a light on a few of the many outstanding retailers who are driving growth through unique product offerings, high-impact merchandising strategies and differentiated shopping experiences that keep everyone in grocery at the top of their game.”
In a live ceremony, UNFI named Harmons Neighborhood Grocer as the “Local Independent of the Year” and Vallarta Supermarkets as the “National Chain of the Year.” UNFI also honored the following retailers by both region and size for driving exceptional business performance and meaningful community impact.
Central Region
- Local Independent Performance Award – Marohn’s Marketplace
- Local Independent Impact Award – Plum Market
- Regional Chain Performance Award – Dave’s Supermarkets and Lucky’s Markets of Ohio
- Regional Chain Impact Award – Dierbergs
West Region
- Local Independent Performance Award – Market of Choice
- Local Independent Impact Award – Jimbo’s
- Regional Chain Performance Award – Good Food Holdings
- Regional Chain Impact Award – Raley’s
National
- National Chain Impact Award – National Co+op Grocers (NCG)
“It’s an incredible honor to be recognized by UNFI as part of their Circle of Excellence Awards. This recognition is a reflection of the entire Vallarta team and the passion they bring to every part of our business – from merchandising and marketing to customer experience and community impact,” said David Hinojosa, chief operating officer, Vallarta Supermarkets.
“We’re proud to serve our communities, and this award inspires us to keep striving for excellence. Thank you to UNFI for celebrating the work we do, and to our entire Vallarta family for making it possible.”
Read more about the Central and West region winners here.
UNFI also recognized East region winners during its Spring and Summer Selling Show earlier this year in Orlando, Florida.
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Bringing visibility to emerging brands
To complement the show’s focus on innovative products and new-to-market brands, UNFI also hosted its Pitch Slam competition, which gives emerging suppliers in the company’s UpNext program the opportunity to present their products to a live audience of their peers and retail buyers.
“When we created Huxley, we set out to make an energy drink that consumers would feel good about drinking – something as natural and balanced as it is delicious,” said Simon Solis-Cohen, Huxley founder.
“UNFI’s UpNext program has helped us broaden our visibility and reach more consumers in their favorite stores. We’re grateful for the partnership and look forward to continuing to grow together.”
Exploring insights and services
UNFI leaders shared the importance of differentiation for grocers to stand out and remain competitive in today’s evolving retail landscape. With online grocery shopping expected to grow an estimated 18 percent in the next 24 months, data-driven digital solutions and forward-thinking partnerships are key to helping retailers meet shoppers where they are and drive profitable growth.
Examples include the UNFI Media Network’s Audience Optimizer, which helps retailers execute smarter promotions and sharper targeting while maximizing their return on advertising spend (ROAS). In addition, UNFI showcased AI-Powered Loss Prevention, a surveillance-integrated capability that has helped retailers drive up to 60 percent shrink reduction. This service is especially useful during the holiday season, when many retailers see an uptick in loss.
UNFI’s Holiday and Winter Show for the East region will be held July 29-31 at the Mohegan Sun Casino & Resort in Uncasville, Connecticut.
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