UNFI spotlights premium private label and wellness for holiday gifting
UNFI’s holiday show put premium private label, fresh produce and wellness items at the center of seasonal gifting, from dark chocolate bites to grass-fed beef.
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Premium private label, produce-driven baskets and wellness-minded pantry picks set the tone at UNFI’s Holiday and Winter Selling Show in Uncasville, Connecticut, where more than 1,400 grocery retail representatives and 715 suppliers gathered at Mohegan Sun. UNFI said nearly 70 new-to-market brands were on display across natural, organic, fresh, specialty, conventional and private label categories, a spread that pointed to a holiday season built less around one big centerpiece and more around layered, giftable assortments.
Sandy Douglas, UNFI’s chief executive, said the show reflected the company’s focus on helping retail customers differentiate and compete while supporting suppliers as they grow their brands. UNFI also used the event to recognize suppliers through its third annual Supplier Circle of Excellence Awards, underscoring how much of the holiday business now depends on brands that can move quickly, look polished and fit into the modern gift table.
The clearest consumer shift was in private label. UNFI said store brands are moving beyond budget positioning into premium-feeling entertaining options, with charcuterie pairings, crackers, antipasti, nuts, sauces and seasonal sweets such as Essential Everyday Dark Chocolate Peppermint Dark Bites and Woodstock Slightly Dipped Dark Chocolate Almonds. Those are the kinds of items that can fill a hostess basket, anchor a dessert board or tuck into a last-minute food gift without feeling generic.
Fresh departments were the other surprise source of gifting energy. UNFI highlighted citrus, red kiwis, broccolini, cherimoya and dragon fruit as ingredients shoppers increasingly use for wellness, recipe inspiration and unusual seasonal displays. In practice, that means holiday spreads that look more colorful and more personal, with produce doing some of the work that gift wrap once did.
UNFI also pointed to functional wellness products as another holiday occasion, especially items built around health, flavor, convenience, trusted certifications and everyday use. For premium meal occasions, the company singled out grass-fed beef options from Thousand Hills and Niman Ranch, a reminder that holiday gifting is not limited to sweets and snacks when families are planning dinner around quality ingredients.
The scale matters, too. UNFI said it serves 30,000 retail stores, and last year’s Holiday and Winter Selling Show drew more than 3,900 attendees, including over 1,400 retailers and more than 750 suppliers. In 2025, the company said one-third of grocery volume was focused on deals or value, private label sales were expected to grow 40% by 2030 and challenger brands had posted 27% growth in the food sector, all signs that this year’s holiday shelves will reward products that feel premium without losing everyday usefulness.
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