Performance Food Group (PFGC) Risk Analysis

Changes in consumer eating habits (such as a decline in consuming food away from home, a decline in portion sizes, or a shift in preferences toward restaurants that are not our customers) could reduce demand for our products, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, or results of operations. Consumer eating habits can be affected by a number of factors, including changes in attitudes regarding diet and health, new information regarding the health effects of consuming certain foods or ingredients, or the impact of weight loss drugs. If consumer eating habits change significantly, we may be required to modify or discontinue sales of certain items in our product portfolio, and we may experience higher costs associated with the implementation of those changes. Changing consumer eating habits may also reduce the frequency with which consumers purchase meals outside of the home. Additionally, changes in consumer eating habits may result in the enactment of laws and regulations that affect the ingredients and nutritional content of our food products, or laws and regulations requiring us to make additional disclosures regarding the ingredients and nutritional content of our food products. Moreover, compliance with these laws and regulations, as well as others, may be costly and time-consuming. Our inability to effectively respond to changes in food away from home consumer trends, consumer health perceptions or resulting new laws or regulations, or to adapt our menu offerings to trends in eating habits could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.

Distributors have traditionally generated a significant percentage of their gross margins from promotional allowances paid by their suppliers. Promotional allowances are payments from suppliers based upon the efficiencies that the distributor provides to its suppliers through purchasing scale and through marketing and merchandising expertise. Promotional allowances are a standard practice among suppliers to distributors and represent a significant source of profitability for us and our competitors. Any change in such practices that results in the reduction or elimination of promotional allowances could be disruptive to us and the industry as a whole and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.

Food Safety: Our operations are subject to regulation by state and local health departments, the USDA, and the FDA, which generally impose standards for product quality and sanitation and are responsible for the administration of bioterrorism legislation affecting the foodservice industry. These government authorities regulate, among other things, the processing, packaging, storage, distribution, advertising, and labeling of our products. The FSMA imposes comprehensive, prevention-based controls across the food supply industry, further regulates food products imported into the United States, and provides the FDA with mandatory recall authority. Our seafood operations are also specifically regulated by federal and state laws, including those administered by the National Marine Fisheries Service and the National Shellfish Sanitation Program, established for the preservation of certain species of marine life, including fish and shellfish. Our distribution and certain manufacturing facilities must be registered with the FDA and are subject to periodic government agency inspections by federal and/or state authorities. The Federal Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act, which specifies standards for the sale, shipment, inspection, and rejection of agricultural products, governs our relationships with our fresh produce suppliers with respect to the grading and commercial acceptance of product shipments. We are also subject to regulation by state authorities for the accuracy of our weighing and measuring devices. Additionally, the Surface Transportation Board and the Federal Highway Administration regulate our trucking operations, and interstate motor carrier operations are subject to safety requirements prescribed by the U.S. Department of Transportation and other relevant federal and state agencies. Our suppliers are also subject to similar regulatory requirements and oversight. We have expanded the product lines of our Specialty segment to include hemp-based CBD products authorized under the 2018 Farm Bill. Sales of certain hemp-based CBD products are prohibited in some jurisdictions and the FDA and certain states and local governments may enact regulations that limit the marketing and use of such products. The failure to comply with applicable regulatory requirements could result in, among other things, administrative, civil, or criminal penalties or fines; mandatory or voluntary product recalls; warning or untitled letters; cease and desist orders against operations that are not in compliance; closure of facilities or operations; the loss, revocation, or modification of any existing licenses, permits, registrations, or approvals; or the failure to obtain additional licenses, permits, registrations, or approvals in new jurisdictions where we intend to do business, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations. Labor and Workplace Safety: In addition, our operations are subject to various federal, state, provincial, regional and local laws and regulations in many areas of our business, such as, minimum wage, overtime, wage payment, wage and hour and employment discrimination, harassment, immigration, human health and safety and relating to the protection of the environment, including those governing the discharge of pollutants into the air, soil, and water; the management and disposal of solid and hazardous materials and wastes; employee exposure to hazards in the workplace; and the investigation and remediation of contamination resulting from releases of petroleum products and other regulated materials. In the course of our operations, we operate, maintain, and fuel fleet vehicles; store fuel in on-site above and underground storage tanks; operate refrigeration systems; and use and dispose of hazardous substances and food wastes. We could incur substantial costs, including fines or penalties and third-party claims for property damage or personal injury, as a result of any violations of environmental or workplace safety laws and regulations or releases of regulated materials into the environment. In addition, we could incur investigation, remediation, or other costs related to environmental conditions at our currently or formerly owned or operated properties. Cigarette, Tobacco and Alternative Nicotine Products: Finally, we are subject to and/or impacted by legislation, regulation and other matters regarding the marketing, distribution, sale, taxation and use of cigarette, tobacco and alternative nicotine products. For example, various jurisdictions have adopted or are considering legislation and regulations restricting displays and marketing of tobacco and alternative nicotine products, requiring the disclosure of ingredients used in the manufacture of tobacco and alternative nicotine products, and imposing restrictions on public smoking and vaping. In addition, the FDA has been empowered to regulate changes to nicotine yields and the chemicals and flavors used in tobacco and alternative nicotine products (including cigars, pipe and vapor products), require ingredient listings be displayed on tobacco and alternative nicotine products, prohibit the use of certain terms that may attract youth or mislead users as to the risks involved with using tobacco and alternative nicotine products, as well as limit or otherwise impact the marketing of tobacco and alternative nicotine products by requiring additional labels or warnings that must be pre-approved by the FDA. Such legislation and related regulation are likely to continue to adversely impact the market for tobacco and alternative nicotine products and, accordingly, our sales of such products. Likewise, cigarettes and tobacco products are subject to substantial excise taxes. Significant increases in cigarette-related taxes or fees have been proposed or enacted and are likely to continue to be proposed or enacted by various taxing jurisdictions within the U.S. These tax increases negatively impact consumption and may cause a shift in sales from premium brands to discount brands, illicit channels, or tobacco alternatives, such as e-vapor products, as smokers seek lower priced options. Furthermore, taxing jurisdictions have the ability to change or rescind credit terms currently extended for the remittance of taxes that we collect on their behalf. If these excise taxes are substantially increased, or credit terms are substantially reduced, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Data Privacy: There are new and emerging data privacy laws, as well as frequent updates and changes to existing data privacy laws, in the jurisdictions in which we operate. Given the complexity of these laws and the requirements they place on businesses regarding the collection, storage, handling, use, disclosure, transfer and security of personal data, it is important for us to understand their impact and respond accordingly. Failure to comply with data privacy laws can result in substantial fines or penalties, legal liability and reputational damage. Several U.S. states have enacted (and additional U.S. states are considering enacting) stringent consumer privacy laws, which may impose varying standards and requirements on our data collection, use and processing activities. Continued state by state introduction of privacy laws can be expected to lead to significantly greater complexity in our compliance requirements, which could result in complaints from data subjects or action from regulators. If we do not provide sufficient resources to be able to respond, adapt and implement the necessary requirements to respond to the various forthcoming changes, which could include federal data privacy requirements, our reputation could be adversely impacted and we could face exposure to fines levied by regulators, which could have an adverse effect on our business.

In the normal course of our business, we are involved in various legal proceedings. The outcome of these proceedings cannot be predicted. If any of these proceedings were to be determined adversely to us or a settlement involving a payment of a material sum of money were to occur, it could materially adversely affect our profits or ability to operate our business. Additionally, we could become the subject of future claims by third parties, including our employees; suppliers, customers, and other counterparties; our investors; or regulators. Any significant adverse judgments or settlements could reduce our profits and could limit our ability to operate our business or adversely affect our reputation. Further, we may incur costs related to claims for which we have appropriate third-party indemnity, but such third parties may fail to fulfill their contractual obligations.

We make a significant portion of our sales at prices that are based on the cost of products we sell plus a percentage markup. As a result, volatile food costs may have a direct impact upon our profitability. Our sales and profit levels may be negatively affected during periods of product cost deflation, even though our gross profit percentage may remain relatively constant or even increase. Prolonged periods of product cost inflation also may have a negative impact on our profit margins and earnings to the extent such product cost increases are not passed on to customers because of their resistance to higher prices. For example, we experienced inflation of 4.7% for fiscal 2025, which increased our product costs. Furthermore, our business model requires us to maintain an inventory of products, and changes in price levels between the time that we acquire inventory from our suppliers and the time we sell the inventory to our customers could lead to unexpected shifts in demand for our products or could require us to sell inventory at lesser profit or a loss. In addition, product cost inflation may negatively affect consumer discretionary spending decisions within our customers' establishments, which could negatively impact our sales. Our inability to quickly respond to inflationary and deflationary cost pressures could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.

We have and are continuing to incorporate AI, including machine learning, into certain of our operations, such as sales, support and supply chain operations, and may in the future incorporate AI into more of our operations, with the intent to enhance their operation and effectiveness. Flaws, breaches or malfunctions in these systems could lead to operational disruptions, data loss, or erroneous decision-making, impacting our operations, financial condition and reputation. Legal challenges may arise, including or as a result of cybersecurity incidents, non-compliance with data protection regulations, and lack of transparency relating to the use of AI. The legal and regulatory landscape and industry standards surrounding AI technologies is rapidly evolving and remains uncertain, and compliance may impose significant operational costs and may limit our ability to develop, deploy or use AI technologies. Furthermore, the rapid evolution and increasing deployment of AI systems could both intensify our cybersecurity risks, such as data breaches and unauthorized access, and introduce new risks, leading to financial losses, legal liabilities, and reputational damage.