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United Natural Foods Inc. – ‘10-Q’ for 1/30/21 – ‘EX-101.DEF’

On:  Wednesday, 3/10/21, at 4:47pm ET   ·   For:  1/30/21   ·   Accession #:  1020859-21-26   ·   File #:  1-15723

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  As Of               Filer                 Filing    For·On·As Docs:Size

 3/10/21  United Natural Foods Inc.         10-Q        1/30/21   94:12M

Quarterly Report   —   Form 10-Q
Filing Table of Contents

Document/Exhibit                   Description                      Pages   Size 

 1: 10-Q        Quarterly Report                                    HTML   1.33M 
 9: EX-10.10    Material Contract                                   HTML     32K 
10: EX-10.11    Material Contract                                   HTML    118K 
 2: EX-10.2     Material Contract                                   HTML     47K 
 3: EX-10.3     Material Contract                                   HTML    159K 
 4: EX-10.5     Material Contract                                   HTML    105K 
 5: EX-10.6     Material Contract                                   HTML     52K 
 6: EX-10.7     Material Contract                                   HTML     35K 
 7: EX-10.8     Material Contract                                   HTML     39K 
 8: EX-10.9     Material Contract                                   HTML     38K 
11: EX-31.1     Certification -- §302 - SOA'02                      HTML     30K 
12: EX-31.2     Certification -- §302 - SOA'02                      HTML     30K 
13: EX-32.1     Certification -- §906 - SOA'02                      HTML     26K 
14: EX-32.2     Certification -- §906 - SOA'02                      HTML     26K 
21: R1          Cover                                               HTML     78K 
22: R2          Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited)   HTML    151K 
23: R3          Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited)   HTML     42K 
                (Parenthetical)                                                  
24: R4          Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations     HTML    137K 
                (Unaudited)                                                      
25: R5          Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive  HTML     60K 
                Income (Loss) (Unaudited)                                        
26: R6          Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive  HTML     33K 
                Income (Loss) (Unaudited) (Parenthetical)                        
27: R7          Condensed Consolidated Statements of Stockholders'  HTML    105K 
                Equity (Unaudited)                                               
28: R8          Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows     HTML    154K 
                (Unaudited)                                                      
29: R9          Significant Accounting Policies                     HTML     37K 
30: R10         Recently Adopted and Issued Accounting              HTML     35K 
                Pronouncements                                                   
31: R11         Revenue Recognition                                 HTML    134K 
32: R12         Restructuring, Acquisition, and Integration         HTML     40K 
                Related Expenses                                                 
33: R13         Goodwill and Intangible Assets, Net                 HTML     77K 
34: R14         Fair Value Measurements of Financial Instruments    HTML     94K 
35: R15         Derivatives                                         HTML     91K 
36: R16         Long-Term Debt                                      HTML     78K 
37: R17         Comprehensive (Loss) Income and Accumulated Other   HTML    102K 
                Comprehensive Loss                                               
38: R18         Share-Based Awards                                  HTML     27K 
39: R19         Benefit Plans                                       HTML     82K 
40: R20         Income Taxes                                        HTML     31K 
41: R21         Earnings (Loss) Per Share                           HTML     57K 
42: R22         Business Segments                                   HTML    109K 
43: R23         Commitments, Contingencies and Off-Balance Sheet    HTML     45K 
                Arrangements                                                     
44: R24         Discontinued Operations                             HTML     78K 
45: R25         Significant Accounting Policies Significant         HTML     64K 
                Accounting Policies (Policies)                                   
46: R26         Revenue Recognition (Tables)                        HTML    128K 
47: R27         Restructuring, Acquisition, and Integration         HTML     41K 
                Related Expenses (Tables)                                        
48: R28         Goodwill and Intangible Assets, Net (Tables)        HTML     78K 
49: R29         Fair Value Measurements of Financial Instruments    HTML     90K 
                (Tables)                                                         
50: R30         Derivatives (Tables)                                HTML     91K 
51: R31         Long-Term Debt (Tables)                             HTML     54K 
52: R32         Comprehensive (Loss) Income and Accumulated Other   HTML    103K 
                Comprehensive Loss (Tables)                                      
53: R33         Benefit Plans (Tables)                              HTML     74K 
54: R34         Earnings (Loss) Per Share (Tables)                  HTML     56K 
55: R35         Business Segments (Tables)                          HTML    102K 
56: R36         Discontinued Operations (Tables)                    HTML     79K 
57: R37         Significant Accounting Policies Significant         HTML     29K 
                Accounting Policies (Details)                                    
58: R38         REVENUE RECOGNITION - Narrative (Details)           HTML     41K 
59: R39         REVENUE RECOGNITION - Disaggregation of Revenues    HTML     73K 
                (Details)                                                        
60: R40         REVENUE RECOGNITION - Accounts Receivable           HTML     40K 
                (Details)                                                        
61: R41         Restructuring, Acquisition, and Integration         HTML     36K 
                Related Expenses (Details)                                       
62: R42         GOODWILL AND INTANGIBLE ASSETS, NET - Narrative     HTML     46K 
                (Details)                                                        
63: R43         GOODWILL AND INTANGIBLE ASSETS, NET - Carrying      HTML     39K 
                Value of Goodwill (Details)                                      
64: R44         GOODWILL AND INTANGIBLE ASSETS, NET - Identifiable  HTML     60K 
                Intangible Assets (Details)                                      
65: R45         GOODWILL AND INTANGIBLE ASSETS, NET - Estimated     HTML     41K 
                Future Amortization Expense (Details)                            
66: R46         FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS -  HTML     81K 
                Recurring Fair Value Measurements (Details)                      
67: R47         FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS -  HTML     28K 
                Narrative (Details)                                              
68: R48         FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS -  HTML     33K 
                Fair Value Estimates (Details)                                   
69: R49         DERIVATIVES - Outstanding Swap Contracts (Details)  HTML     85K 
70: R50         DERIVATIVES - Narrative (Details)                   HTML     39K 
71: R51         DERIVATIVES - Interest Rate Swap Contracts          HTML     33K 
                (Details)                                                        
72: R52         LONG-TERM DEBT - Schedule of Debt (Details)         HTML     54K 
73: R53         LONG-TERM DEBT - Refinancing Activities, Narrative  HTML     70K 
                (Details)                                                        
74: R54         LONG-TERM DEBT - Senior Notes, Narrative (Details)  HTML     40K 
75: R55         LONG-TERM DEBT - ABL Credit Facility, Narrative     HTML    112K 
                (Details)                                                        
76: R56         LONG-TERM DEBT - Schedule of Line of Credit         HTML     45K 
                Facilities (Details)                                             
77: R57         LONG-TERM DEBT - Term Loan Facility, Narrative      HTML     94K 
                (Details)                                                        
78: R58         Comprehensive (LOSS) INCOME AND ACCUMULATED OTHER   HTML     72K 
                COMPREHENSIVE LOSS - Changes by Component                        
                (Details)                                                        
79: R59         Comprehensive (LOSS) INCOME AND ACCUMULATED OTHER   HTML     64K 
                COMPREHENSIVE LOSS - Reclassification out of Other               
                Comprehensive Loss (Details)                                     
80: R60         Share-Based Awards (Details)                        HTML     38K 
81: R61         BENEFIT PLANS - Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Income)  HTML     58K 
                Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)                  
                (Details)                                                        
82: R62         BENEFIT PLANS - Narrative (Details)                 HTML     51K 
83: R63         Income Taxes (Details)                              HTML     35K 
84: R64         Earnings (Loss) Per Share (Details)                 HTML     67K 
85: R65         BUSINESS SEGMENTS - Narrative (Details)             HTML     29K 
86: R66         BUSINESS SEGMENTS - Segment Information (Details)   HTML     95K 
87: R67         Commitments, Contingencies and Off-Balance Sheet    HTML     71K 
                Arrangements (Details)                                           
88: R68         DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS - Narrative (Details)       HTML     54K 
89: R69         DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS - Operating Results         HTML     57K 
                (Details)                                                        
90: R70         DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS - Balance Sheet (Details)   HTML     81K 
92: XML         IDEA XML File -- Filing Summary                      XML    158K 
20: XML         XBRL Instance -- unfi-20210130_htm                   XML   3.53M 
91: EXCEL       IDEA Workbook of Financial Reports                  XLSX    121K 
16: EX-101.CAL  XBRL Calculations -- unfi-20210130_cal               XML    284K 
17: EX-101.DEF  XBRL Definitions -- unfi-20210130_def                XML    811K 
18: EX-101.LAB  XBRL Labels -- unfi-20210130_lab                     XML   1.98M 
19: EX-101.PRE  XBRL Presentations -- unfi-20210130_pre              XML   1.19M 
15: EX-101.SCH  XBRL Schema -- unfi-20210130                         XSD    195K 
93: JSON        XBRL Instance as JSON Data -- MetaLinks              473±   680K 
94: ZIP         XBRL Zipped Folder -- 0001020859-21-000026-xbrl      Zip    496K 


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4 Subsequent Filings that Reference this Filing

  As Of               Filer                 Filing    For·On·As Docs:Size             Issuer                      Filing Agent

 9/26/23  United Natural Foods Inc.         10-K        7/29/23  152:18M
 9/27/22  United Natural Foods Inc.         10-K        7/30/22  144:20M
 9/28/21  United Natural Foods Inc.         10-K        7/31/21  145:20M
 6/09/21  United Natural Foods Inc.         10-Q        5/01/21   88:12M


6 Previous Filings that this Filing References

  As Of               Filer                 Filing    For·On·As Docs:Size             Issuer                      Filing Agent

 3/04/21  United Natural Foods Inc.         8-K:1,7,9   3/03/21   14:191K
12/09/20  United Natural Foods Inc.         10-Q       10/31/20   86:10M
10/19/18  United Natural Foods Inc.         8-K:5,8,9  10/17/18    2:282K                                   Toppan Merrill/FA
10/10/18  United Natural Foods Inc.         8-K:1,9    10/10/18    2:78K                                    Toppan Merrill/FA
 7/26/18  United Natural Foods Inc.         8-K:1,8,9   7/25/18    3:856K                                   Toppan Merrill/FA
 3/12/15  United Natural Foods Inc.         10-Q        1/31/15   44:9.8M
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