NAPERVILLE, Ill., Feb. 20, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- KeHE Distributors®, a distributor of natural & organic, specialty, and fresh products in North America, successfully concluded its 2026 Summer Show in Denver and virtually on the KeHE CONNECT® platform, welcoming over 5,000 retailers, suppliers, and industry partners for one of its premier events. The Summer Show delivered a focused mix of education, trend insights, curated buying opportunities, and meaningful connections, reinforcing KeHE’s role as a trusted partner helping retailers and brands compete in an evolving grocery landscape.
Designed to support planning for the critical summer selling season, the event connected retailers with both emerging and established brands while offering in-store merchandising solutions and actionable consumer insights. Suppliers benefited from direct access to retail decision-makers and real-time feedback on product innovation, merchandising, and go-to-market strategies.
“KeHE shows are powerful as they bring the entire distribution ecosystem together in one place,” said Ari Goldsmith, Vice President of Marketing and Digital Media at KeHE. “With record-breaking attendance and unprecedented sales, the engagement in Denver showed how face-to-face collaboration between retailers and suppliers accelerates innovation and helps better serve today’s shoppers.”
2026 Summer Show Highlights:
- Leadership Insights and Industry Perspective: The show opened with the Executive Update: Shaping Tomorrow Together, featuring KeHE CEO and President, Deb Conklin, who addressed the economic landscape, the state of the grocery industry, and how retailer and supplier feedback continues to inform KeHE’s strategic direction. Watch the Executive Update here.
- Innovation, Execution, and Excitement Across the Show Floor: KeHE recognized standout brands and exhibitors through a series of awards celebrating innovation, merchandising excellence, creative booth experiences, and long-standing partnerships in its KeHE® On Trend® Awards and new to this show, Booth Awards! KeHE handed out four prestigious awards to the suppliers whose booth creativity and execution stood out from the crowd. Congratulations to our winners:
- Legacy Award: Stubb’s
- Endcap Excellence Award: Westgold
- Show Stopper Award: Gelatys
- Innovator in Action Award: Lipid Kitchen
- Education Sessions: Expert-led Education Sessions and in-store sampling demos focused on trends, merchandising strategies, and in-store activation best practices to drive trial and conversion.
- Fresh, Exclusive Brands and Expansion: Innovation took center stage in the KeHE Fresh Marketplace™. Wild Oats®, a new KeHE Exclusive Brand, also debuted at the show, featuring the first and only Regenerative Organic Certified® (ROC) cold-pressed juices and smoothies, pasture-raised ROC eggs, and free-range organic egg offerings.
KeHE also underscored its commitment to sustainability through on-site food donation efforts in partnership with We Don’t Waste, donating over 44,000 meals to support the Denver community.
KeHE invites retailers and suppliers to prepare for the Holiday Season at the 2026 KeHE Holiday Show, taking place in Chicago from June 10 - 11 and virtually on the KeHE CONNECT® platform from June 3 - 19, 2026. Learn more at: https://www.kehe.com/news-blog/events/2026-kehe-holiday-show/
About KeHE
KeHE Distributors, LLC (KeHE) is a leading distributor of natural & organic, specialty, and fresh products to more than 31,000 natural food stores, chain and independent grocery stores, e-commerce retailers, and other specialty products retailers throughout North America. KeHE, a 100% employee-owned company with over 8,000 employees, is a Certified B Corporation and drives its mission of serving to make lives better throughout all aspects of its operation. For more about KeHE, visit KeHE.com or check out its social media channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and X.
KeHE Media Contact:
Ari Goldsmith
Vice President of Marketing & Digital Media, KeHE
Ari.Goldsmith@KeHE.com
