Mainstream grocers are adding more Asian food products across store aisles as sales rise and brands look beyond the traditional ethnic section.
Mainstream grocery chains are giving Asian food products more shelf space and more prominent placement, moving snacks, sauces, frozen meals and oils beyond the traditional “ethnic aisle” as demand for global flavors grows.
The shift is visible at retailers including Whole Foods and Target, where some Asian products are being stocked alongside familiar American grocery items rather than grouped only in an international section. The change reflects both rising consumer interest and retailers’ push to become one-stop shops for a broader range of shoppers.
One example is Geem, a Korean seaweed snack brand launched by Candice Choi in 2023. Choi initially expected to build the company as a direct-to-consumer business marketed largely on TikTok, but within three months the snacks had reached grocery shelves, including some Whole Foods locations. The company told CNBC it will expand in July to Whole Foods stores across Southern California, Nevada, Arizona and Hawaii.
“People are being exposed to newer flavors earlier on, and it’s no longer that weird snack that maybe you try once,” Choi told CNBC, describing a wider change in how consumers approach Asian snacks.
Market data cited by CNBC points to a larger retail trend. BDA Partners estimated that the “ethnic aisle” generated $8.8 billion in sales in 2024 and said Asian products are growing nearly four times faster than overall grocery sales. The firm projects the U.S. Asian food market will reach $51.3 billion by 2031, with a 4.7% compound annual growth rate.
Circana data cited in the report showed sales of Asian grocery items rising from $1.57 billion in 2021 to more than $2.31 billion this year. Circana analyst Sally Wyatt told CNBC that growth is being driven by several factors, including the expanding Asian population in the United States, younger consumers’ interest in new flavors and the appeal of recreating restaurant-style meals at home. Wyatt said eating out costs 4.3 times as much as cooking at home.
The fastest-moving categories include condiments, sauces, frozen foods and oils. Deep Brands, whose portfolio includes Deep Indian Kitchen and Thai brand Tem Toa, is among the companies targeting shoppers across ethnic backgrounds. General Manager Kiernan Laughlin told CNBC the company’s goal is to make global flavors more accessible to all consumers, not only shoppers from a particular community.
Specialty grocers are also expanding, with chains such as H Mart, Patel Brothers and 99 Ranch Market opening more stores around the country. But the most notable shift for mass retail is placement: Asian flavors are increasingly appearing in regular grocery aisles, where mainstream shoppers are more likely to encounter them in everyday shopping trips.
Whole Foods category merchant Julie Bandin told CNBC the chain has seen demand for Asian flavors grow “pretty tremendously,” with interest spreading across beverages, sauces, frozen foods and other categories. A Target spokesperson also said demand in Asian food and beverage continues to rise, with the retailer adding products and shelf space, including ramen bowls and Asian Oreo flavors.
For brands such as Geem, the move into mainstream grocery is both a business milestone and a cultural one. Choi said seeing her products in a store like Whole Foods feels especially meaningful after growing up in a household that shopped at both Asian specialty stores and mainstream supermarkets. The next test for grocers and food brands will be whether rising curiosity turns into durable shelf space across more categories.
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