UNFI Recovering from Cyberattack Amid Grocery Shortages

UNFI Cyberattack Recovery and Ongoing Supply Disruptions

United Natural Foods (UNFI), a major food distributor, reports substantial headway is being made in its recovery from a recent cyberattack. The incident, which took place nearly two weeks ago, continues to cause food shortages at grocery stores throughout North America that depend on UNFI’s services.

Restoration of Ordering Systems

In a statement released on Sunday, UNFI indicated that its electronic ordering systems are being brought back online. These systems are crucial for customers to submit orders for their grocery stores and supermarket chains.

Impact on Supply Chain

The cyberattack, first detected on June 5th and publicly disclosed shortly thereafter, has significantly hampered UNFI’s ability to operate. The company serves over 30,000 stores across both the United States and Canada, providing essential fresh produce and other grocery items.

To contain the breach, UNFI proactively shut down its entire network. This necessary action, however, has prevented the company from fulfilling and distributing customer orders on a large scale.

Grocer Impacts: Whole Foods and Beyond

Whole Foods, a prominent grocer, is among those heavily affected, relying on UNFI as its “primary distributor.” Reports indicate shelf shortages at numerous Whole Foods locations.

TechCrunch’s own reporting, along with accounts from stores in the New York area and a Whole Foods employee in California, confirm that certain products have been unavailable for several days.

While Whole Foods has stated its commitment to restocking shelves “as quickly as possible,” a firm timeline for the return to normal shipment levels remains unavailable.

Wider Disruption Across Retail

Disruptions are not limited to Whole Foods. Employees at both independent grocery stores and large supermarket chains have reported varying degrees of supply chain issues.

Some retailers are receiving limited supplies from alternative distributors, while others continue to struggle with placing orders through UNFI’s systems.

Impact on Military Grocery Stores

The outages are also impacting grocery stores operated by the U.S. Defense Department, serving active duty military personnel and veterans.

An employee at a Defense Commissary Agency store reported experiencing empty shelves and shipment delays.

Defense Commissary Agency Response

Kevin Robinson, a spokesperson for the Defense Commissary Agency, confirmed that the UNFI cyberattack is affecting 53 of its stores.

“The DeCA supply chain team has been working closely with UNFI to implement manual workarounds, which have helped to minimize disruptions in stores,” Robinson stated.

Recovery Timeline Remains Uncertain

Currently, UNFI has not provided a definitive timeline for full recovery from the cyberattack.

If you possess further information regarding the UNFI cyberattack, or are a corporate customer impacted by these disruptions, you can securely contact the reporter via encrypted message on Signal at zackwhittaker.1337.

This article was originally published on June 16th and updated on June 17th with details from the U.S. Defense Department.