US Grocery Distributor Cyberattack: Supply Chain Disruption Warning

UNFI Reports Cyberattack, Order Fulfillment Disrupted

United Natural Foods (UNFI), a significant grocery distributor serving retailers including Whole Foods, announced on Monday that it experienced a cyberattack. This incident is anticipated to cause interruptions in the company’s capacity to process and deliver customer orders.

Unauthorized Network Access

According to a filing made with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday, UNFI detected unauthorized access to its IT systems last Thursday. Immediate action was taken to isolate affected network segments.

The company has implemented temporary solutions to maintain service to customers where feasible. However, the intrusion continues to disrupt normal business operations.

UNFI's Extensive Distribution Network

Headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, UNFI stands as one of the largest grocery distributors in North America.

The company provides fresh produce, packaged goods, and various food products to over 30,000 retail locations and supermarkets throughout the United States and Canada.

Key Partnership with Whole Foods

UNFI functions as the primary distributor for Whole Foods, the grocery chain owned by Amazon.

Their longstanding partnership was recently reinforced with a contract extension, securing their relationship through May 2032.

Details of the Attack Remain Unclear

When contacted by TechCrunch, UNFI spokesperson Kristen Jimenez refrained from detailing the specifics of the cyberattack.

She also did not confirm whether a ransom demand had been made by the attacker(s).

“We are currently evaluating the unauthorized activity and diligently working to restore our systems in a secure manner,” Jimenez stated, adding that the incident has been reported to the appropriate law enforcement agencies.

Whole Foods' Response Awaited

A representative for Whole Foods did not respond to a request for comment regarding the situation as of Monday.

Recent Trend of Attacks on Retail Supply Chains

The incident at UNFI represents the latest in a growing number of cyberattacks targeting the retail and grocery supply chain.

Recent data breaches at U.K. retailers Marks & Spencer and the Co-op have raised concerns.

Google has also issued a warning about hackers specifically targeting U.S. retailers, although affected companies were not publicly identified.

Recovery Timeline Uncertain

UNFI has not yet provided an estimated timeframe for the full restoration of its systems.

Do you have additional information regarding the cyberattack at UNFI? Are you a corporate customer impacted by these disruptions? Securely contact this reporter via encrypted message at zackwhittaker.1337 on Signal.