Why Empty Shelves Are Plaguing Whole Foods in Portland, Maine

There were certain things that many of us simply took for granted. One of those things that a trip to the grocery store would always include stocked shelves, filled with whatever items we were looking for. And if something happened to be out of stock, it would be back on the shelf within the blink of an eye.

What the pandemic taught most people is that a supply chain can be fragile. That grocery store shelves can go empty and that emptiness can last days and into weeks.

So when customers who visited Whole Foods in Portland, Maine, recently proclaimed seeing empty shelves and product out of a stock, they began asking what is going on. And the answer is an entirely different attack on the supply chain.

Cyber Attack Disrupts Supply Chain For Major Grocery Chains Like Whole Foods

There has been a large scale cyberattack on United Natural Foods, a major supplier of goods and products to grocery stores from California to Maine.

That cyberattack knocked out the ability for individual stores to order any product from UNFI's systems. Without the ability to order, it only took a couple of days for shelves to begin to look bare at places like Whole Foods in Portland, Maine.

When Will Whole Foods in Maine Begin to Restock Inventory?

According to The Record, the cyberattack that took down the UNFI ordering system took place on June 5. The company believes it will back up and running within the next few days.

That means store shelves likely will remain scarce of many of the most popular goods and products at Whole Foods until the supply chain is once again working at full capacity.

This is The Second Major Cyberattack on Grocery Chains in Less Than a Year

Prior to Thanksgiving in 2024, a major cyberattack was launched on systems for another company that supplies grocery stores. That attack knocked out additional systems, including the ability to order online at stores like Hannaford.