SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

6 Months Ended

Jan. 29, 2022

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

NOTE 1—SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Nature of Business

United Natural Foods, Inc. and its subsidiaries (the “Company”, “we”, “us”, “UNFI”, or “our”) is a leading distributor of natural, organic, specialty, produce and conventional grocery and non-food products, and provider of support services to retailers. The Company sells its products primarily throughout the United States and Canada.

Fiscal Year

The Company’s fiscal years end on the Saturday closest to July 31 and contain either 52 or 53 weeks. References to the second quarter of fiscal 2022 and 2021 relate to the 13-week fiscal quarters ended January 29, 2022 and January 30, 2021, respectively. References to fiscal 2022 and 2021 year-to-date relate to the 26-week fiscal periods ended January 29, 2022 and January 30, 2021, respectively.

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries. All significant intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation. Unless otherwise indicated in these Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements, references to the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations, the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets and the Notes to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements exclude all amounts related to discontinued operations.

The accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) for interim financial information, including the instructions to Form 10-Q and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, certain information and note disclosures normally required in complete financial statements prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) have been condensed or omitted. In the Company’s opinion, these Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the interim periods presented. However, the results of operations for interim periods may not be indicative of the results that may be expected for a full year. These Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2021 (the “Annual Report”). There were no material changes in significant accounting policies from those described in the Annual Report.

Discontinued Operations

In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021, the Company determined it no longer met the held for sale criterion for a probable sale to be completed within 12 months for two of the four stores that were previously included within discontinued operations. As a result, the Company revised its Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements to reclassify two Shoppers stores from discontinued operations to continuing operations. The prior period presented in the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements have been conformed to the current period presentation. The remaining two stores included in discontinued operations were sold in the second quarter of fiscal 2022.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash equivalents consist of highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less. The Company’s banking arrangements allow it to fund outstanding checks when presented to the financial institution for payment. The Company funds all intraday bank balance overdrafts during the same business day. Checks outstanding in excess of bank balances create book overdrafts, which are recorded in Accounts payable in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets and are reflected as an operating activity in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. As of January 29, 2022 and July 31, 2021, the Company had net book overdrafts of $292 million and $268 million, respectively.

Reclassifications

Within the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements certain immaterial amounts have been reclassified to conform with current year presentation. These reclassifications had no impact on reported net income, cash flows, or total assets and liabilities.

Inventories, Net

Substantially all of the Company’s inventories consist of finished goods. To value discrete inventory items at lower of cost or net realizable value before application of any last-in, first-out (“LIFO”) reserve, the Company utilizes the weighted average cost method, perpetual cost method, the retail inventory method and the replacement cost method. Allowances for vendor funds received from suppliers are recorded as a reduction to Inventories, net and subsequently within Cost of sales upon the sale of the related products. Inventory quantities are evaluated throughout each fiscal year based on actual physical counts in our distribution facilities and stores. Allowances for inventory shortages are recorded based on the results of these counts to provide for estimated shortages as of the end of each fiscal year. If the first-in, first-out method had been used, Inventories, net would have been higher by approximately $97 million and $67 million at January 29, 2022 and July 31, 2021, respectively.