PHOTOS: UNFI Canada hosts 'reimagined' 2026 Innovation Showcase

Grocery wholesaler UNFI Canada held its 2026 Innovation Showcase this week.

The “reimagined” event, held April 27 and 28 in Concord, Ont., combined UNFI’s Vendor Summit and Showcase, bringing together retailers, suppliers and the company’s partners. 

The Vendor Summit kicked off with a half-day dedicated exclusively to supplier partners. Attendees heard from a variety of industry experts including: Empire’s Rob Alsop, Nick Gibson of NIQ and Karen Proud of the Office of the Grocery Sector Code of Conduct. 

The summit included the Circle of Excellence Awards. BrandSeed was recognized as Boutique Broker of the Year, Propel as Large Broker of the Year, Sambazon for Best in Service, and Cwench as Fastest Growing Brand. 

Additionally, in honour of UNFI’s 50th anniversary, the company awarded $50,000 to The Grocery Foundation. 

The sold-out Innovation Showcase featured more than 165 exhibiting suppliers at its new venue in Concord.  

Circle of Excellence Retailer Awards were presented to Marché Tau, Dad’s Organic Market  and Healthy Planet.

A Pitch Slam competition saw five innovative brands take to the stage to compete for a prize package valued at $35,000, with Mitsoh emerging as the winner.

The next UNFI Innovation Showcase will be held in February 2027.

See photos from the 2026 event in the gallery below. Photography courtesy UNFI.