United Natural Foods, Inc. Wraps Up Natural Winter Show; Steve Dietz and Saj Khan Discuss

Trends, innovations, and exciting industry developments recently took the spotlight at United Natural Foods, Inc.’s (UNFI) annual Natural Winter Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, bringing vital growth opportunities to the distributor’s partners.

“The UNFI shows physically connect our community of customers and suppliers in a way that creates real value for everyone,” said Steve Dietz, Chief Customer Officer at UNFI. “This natural show really showcased the innovation and passion from our natural and organic manufacturing partners and enabled retailers to discover new items that deliver the differentiated value proposition consumers expect from their local grocer, helping them remain competitive in their marketplace.”

The two-day event saw over 2,000 attendees from across the grocery, fresh, organic, and specialty departments. According to a press release, features of the Natural Winter Show included:

• Over 580 suppliers showcasing more than 800 brands
• Hundreds of new products, with more than 40 selected and featured in UNFI’s New Product Showcase Area and more than 35 highlighted as UpNext emerging brands
• The second appearance of the UNFI Food Safety and Quality Assurance team to help retailers navigate the new FDA rules on food traceability
• UNFI Professional Services experts providing solutions in Retail Technology, Store Operations, and Retail Marketing that help retailers reduce expenses, drive revenue, and enhance their customer’s shopping experience
• A unique Pitch Slam competition, presented by UNFI UpNext

“UNFI is just a terrific partner in so many aspects of our business,” said Saj Khan, Vice President of Grocery Operations and Purchasing at Nugget Markets. “Through events like this week’s Las Vegas show, they work alongside our team to help us identify new and trending products, source great deals, and assist in supplier negotiations that are impactful to our merchandising plans. They are instrumental to our continued growth and success.”

The distributor has also announced changes to its 2024 show schedule, announcing that all UNFI selling shows will support both the natural and conventional supplier and customer channels beginning January 2024. UNFI’s next events—the 2024 Spring and Summer shows—will be held February 7–8. For more details regarding the Winter show and other upcoming events, click here.

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