Grocery Stores with 32 Massachusetts Locations Facing Challenges After Cyber Attack

Massachusetts is a great place to live. Residents and visitors have their choice of city or county life, plenty of restaurants, and, of course, plenty of shopping.

Massachusetts is home to an abundance of independent retailers, from bookstores to sports equipment and gift shops. While small and family-owned businesses are a vital part of the state's economy, big box stores have their place in Massachusetts as well.

One of the most popular grocery chains in Massachusetts is Whole Foods. The USDA-certified organic grocer has long been a staple in the health, all-natural, and organic food industry, and currently has just over 30 locations in the Bay State.

Whole Foods recently navigated a public health warning regarding a brand of ground beef the grocery carries, and now a distributor issue is plaguing the chain.

Cyberattack on Food Distributor Plagues Massachusetts Whole Foods Stores

A recent suspected cyberattack on Whole Foods' largest distributor is causing problems for the supermarket chain in Massachusetts stores, along with the rest of the nation.

According to recent reports, on June 5, United Natural Foods, Inc. says they identified "unauthorized activity” in their systems, which prompted to company to proactively shut down some operating systems. The distributor makes private label, fresh, and its own branded products, shipping them out to more than 30,000 grocery stores, including all 32 Massachusetts Whole Foods locations.

As the company navigates a recovery from the possible attack, a statement from the company said stores like Whole Foods and other customers are the top priority, and the distributor is looking to minimize impacts on the stores. The statement did not specifically identify what systems were compromised and how that would affect stores.