After announcing a slew of new leaders, including a new CEO, last week, United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI) has revealed that it has made another key move in its expansion plan. The distributor announced that it has formed an agreement with Vejii Holdings, a digital marketplace for plant-based and sustainable-living products.
"The customer shopping experience is our number one priority. Having a strong relationship with a health and specialty food leader like UNFI allows us to continue rapidly expanding our offering and access a wide variety of brands from across the globe." said Kory Zelickson, Chief Executive Officer of Vejii. "We are committed to making plant-based products more accessible, while also focusing on sustainability, and having the ability to scale with a distributor like UNFI allows us to remain competitive and committed to our customers."
Under the terms of the partnership, Vejii expects to improve its overall margin based on a tiered discount structure, according to a press release. Through the agreement, which went into effect July 15, reliability and consistency of supply will be improved to over 5000 products across 200 categories.
Currently, Vejii operates a multi-vendor platform that offers a wide range of global brands and products. Some of its categories include grocery, supplements, household supplies, wines, amongst others. As this new agreement takes shape, the company has announced plans to expand into new sectors such as clothing, furniture, and other sustainable products that align with its consumer base’s needs.
"The Vejii platform has been inspired by a commitment to our customers and their values. By providing high-quality, plant-based alternatives that they may not have had access to before, and hope to inspire those who may be interested in incorporating just a little more sustainability into their lifestyles, in an easy way," added Zelickson. "As a national distributor, UNFI works with thousands of brands helping them deliver broader exposure to their products. We offer the ability for these brands to connect directly with their target consumer."
With this new partnership formed with Vejii Holdings, how will UNFI further expand its reach in the plant-based and sustainable product space? Deli Market News will bring you the latest updates.
