Natural Foods Distributor Faces Cyberattack Halting Service to over 30,000 Grocers, Food Co-ops, and Retailers

Hello all,

We were informed over the weekend that our primary natural foods distributor, UNFI, experienced a cyberattack on its IT system and has halted all service and distribution until they can safely bring things back online in the coming weeks. This national disruption not only affects our store but more than 30,000 other stores, food co-ops, and supermarkets across the U.S. and Canada. We are doing our very best to shift heavier orders to local vendors and different distributors to help fill in the gaps wherever possible. Luckily, we can rely on our local and regional vendors for sourcing, and we are working closely with our national network of food co-ops to work with UNFI to prioritize deliveries to co-ops so we can restock items as soon as possible.

We ask for your patience and support while we work through this major hurdle. It is likely that we will experience temporary shortages until warehouses get their systems back up and running. We know this will be a big hit on us financially, and we encourage all of our supporters to please still make your regular visit - or maybe an extra visit - to the store. Stock up on your favorite local foods and other items that we do have in stock! Maybe try a new flavor or brand if your staple is out of stock. Your support will go a long way for us.

This nationwide food disruption reaffirms how important our work is. Our longstanding relationships with family farms, vendors, other cooperatives, and our surrounding neighborhoods continue to build a stronger local food economy when we face uncertainties. 

Please shop at the Co-op this week, and we will keep you informed once we have more information. 

All the best,

The Staff at Common Ground Food Co-op