Whole Foods is facing shortages due to a cyberattack at its primary distributor, United Natural Foods (UNFI), which is experiencing a nationwide technology system outage.
The cyberattack is affecting UNFI's ability to select and ship products, impacting delivery schedules and product availability.
Whole Foods instructed staff to limit communication with customers and cite 'temporary supply challenges' as the only approved response.
UNFI is gradually restoring its systems and aims to increase capacity over the coming days.
The company disclosed the cyberattack to federal regulators and took its network offline after detecting the intrusion.
TechCrunch observed empty shelves at some Whole Foods and other grocery stores reliant on UNFI.
The full impact of the cyberattack on stores and customers may not be evident until later this week.
Whole Foods spokeswoman mentioned they are working on restocking shelves quickly and apologized for any inconvenience caused.
UNFI's net sales for the quarter ended May 3, 2025, were reported at $8.1 billion.
Readers with information regarding the cyberattack or impacted corporate customers can contact the reporter via encrypted message.
The story was first published on June 10 and updated with information on UNFI's recovery.
Whole Foods did not specify how quickly the situation may be resolved as UNFI works to bring back ordering and receiving capabilities.
The cyberattack has led to disruptions in grocery supply chains, potentially affecting stores across the U.S. and Canada.
Reports of empty shelves have emerged, signifying ongoing challenges faced by retailers reliant on UNFI.
UNFI CEO disclosed taking the entire network offline following the intrusion, aiming to restore services and meet customer expectations.
The impacts of the cyberattack may escalate through the week as UNFI continues its recovery efforts.