UNFI’s Customer and Supplier Circle of Excellence (COE) Awards: Celebrating Performance and Impact

January 31, 2025           2 minute read

We’re excited to announce the second annual Customer and Supplier Circle of Excellence (COE) Awards, honoring the remarkable achievements of UNFI’s retail and supplier partners based on their performance in 2024. The Circle of Excellence is more than just an awards ceremony, it’s an opportunity to connect and celebrate strong partnerships within our UNFI community. These celebrations recognize those driving growth, innovation, and meaningful impact across the industry and the communities they serve.

With ceremonies held throughout the year at three of our major selling shows -- Orlando, Las Vegas, and Mohegan Sun -  COE celebrates both retailers and suppliers that exemplify excellence in their categories. This program reflects UNFI’s purpose to deliver better food and a better future by fostering innovation, collaboration, and shared success.

For our customers: This year’s awards are categorized by region (East, Central, and West) and size (Independent Retailers and Regional/National Retailers). Each region will see one Performance Award and one Impact Award in each of these categories. The first ceremony in Orlando will highlight our East Region winners on February 11, 2025. Later in the year, we’ll honor Central and West Region customers in Las Vegas on July 16, 2025.

For our suppliers: This year’s awards recognize top-performing suppliers across 15 product categories, with awards distinguishing between Emerging and Established partners at the Mohegan Sun Selling Show on July 30, 2025.  This event will showcase the breadth of talent, innovation, and growth within our supply network.

Thank you to all of our customers and suppliers for your commitment to excellence. We look forward to honoring you at the upcoming ceremonies.

Curious about last year’s honorees? Check out the 2024 winners to learn more about how they've set the standard for excellence.