UNFI Identifies Key Trends Shaping Fresh Departments for Retailers in 2026

While shoppers are spending more deliberately, the fresh departments are still earning their attention. Categories including produce, floral, bakery, deli, specialty cheese, meat, and seafood are outperforming the rest of the store, with fresh product sales up 3.7% year over year*.

That performance reflects shifting shopper expectations: better taste, stronger nutrition, added convenience, and more transparency from the products they buy.

For retailers, success in fresh now depends on understanding these drivers and partnering with experts who can translate trends into execution on the sales floor.

Ron Selders, UNFI’s President...

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