UNFI Shows Help Emerging Brands Grow and Scale
UNFI’s UpNext team kicked off the show by hosting six up-and-coming brands in a Pitch Slam competition to spotlight their products to retailers. Jaju Pierogi, based near Boston, Mass., earned this year’s top honor. Founded by two sisters using their grandfather’s recipes, Jaju Pierogi launched their first products in 2016 and have since expanded to using both traditional and creative flavors in polish-stye pierogies. UNFI’s UpNext program discovers and mentors emerging entrepreneurs and brands, guiding them through all aspects of grocery distribution, and preparing them to best scale their business to support customer growth. As this year’s winner, Jaju Pierogi will enjoy greater retailer visibility along with a free table at a future UNFI buying show.
“Our background was not grocery, and we had no idea about all the shipping, promotions, logistics, how shelf resets are planned out to the millimeter, and just how much more complex this business is than most people realize,” said Vanessa White, co-founder of Jaju Pierogi. “Having UNFI as a partner to provide support, education, and guidance is so helpful, and the reporting we get and look at every single day helps us understand who’s pulling our product and what items they’re stocking, and that information is so helpful to our production and decision-making.”