Empty shelves plague some Whole Foods after distributor knocked offline

Whole Foods employees say a major cyberattack on a leading distributor has left some store shelves and freezers empty.

Whole Foods employees say a major cyberattack on a leading distributor has left some store shelves and freezers empty. “Our frozen cooler is empty, our bread hearth is bare and customers are increasingly upset,” one barista and bakery employee at a Whole Foods located in Arkansas told CNN. The employee, who requested anonymity because she was not authorized to speak to the media, complained there is a “complete lack of transparency” about the disruption and that “nearly every department has been heavily impacted.” United Natural Foods, the primary food distributor to Whole Foods, disclosed the damaging cyberattack and disruption to its business on Monday, sending its stock plunging 7%. UNFI (UNFI) shares sank more than 10% on Tuesday, leaving it down about 17% since disclosing the cyberattack It’s unclear how widespread the supply disruptions to Whole Foods are, but an update from UNFI on Tuesday suggests significant problems. The company said it’s currently shipping to customers only on a “limited basis.” Whole Foods would not provide details on how many of its locations have been impacted by the cyberattack. However, a Whole Foods spokesperson told CNN that the Amazon-owned grocery store is working to restock shelves as quickly as possible and apologized to customers for any inconvenience.