Asian supermarket
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An Asian supermarket, sometimes called an "Oriental supermarket", is a grocery store in non-Asian countries that stock items imported from the many countries in East and Southeast Asia. They carry items and ingredients generally well-suited for Asian cuisines and not found in most western supermarkets.
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[edit] Operation
Most of these supermarkets are often started and operated by Asian immigrant entrepreneurs and their families. Others are started by investors of existing corporate conglomerates already headquartered in Asia, namely Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and most specially the Philippines.
Asian supermarkets can range from small mom-and-pop grocery stores to large big-box stores and may cater specifically to one ethnic Asian immigrant group or to a wide pan-Asian crowd. They serve the generally unserved or underserved immigrant and descendant population. They are usually the main attraction for food shopping within overseas Asian shopping malls and Chinatowns. Asian supermarkets may re-occupy older buildings formerly anchored by mainstream regional or national supermarket chains. Chinese shopping centers and supermarkets have been constructed using traditional Chinese architecture, and provide services catered toward immigrant customers. Examples include Asian restaurants, beauty salons, bakeries, foreign film rental stores, travel agencies, book stores, and other businesses.
In recent years, some mainstream markets have attempted to compete with Asian supermarkets for the minority customer base by stocking certain "Asian" goods as well as directing marketing towards various Asian ethnic immigrant populations. Conversely, some Asian supermarkets attempt to appeal to the general population. Asian markets are reputed to have lower prices than the mainstream chains.
Asian supermarkets represent a new trend in which Asian immigrants no longer settle in old enclaves such as Chinatown, San Francisco, (undoubtedly still the largest in the U.S.), but in suburbs where shopping centers provide services as well as culteral amenties such as hosting ethnic festivals, shows and dance. One of the major redevelopments highlighted in the press has been Buford Highway in the Atlanta suburb of Doraville, Georgia, where Asian supermarkets have done brisk business in a once-blighted neighborhood. Such supermarkets have also revitalized the once-rundown sections of Bellaire Boulevard in Houston, Texas, and turned it into a thriving new Asian shopping district. There are also many competing Chinese supermarkets in the Southern California Chinatowns and Vietnamese markets anchoring communities such as Little Saigon
[edit] Asian branded products
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Vegetable | laver (gim/nori), bamboo shoots, bok choy, bean sprouts, welsh onions, ginger, kang kong, mustard greens |
| Grain | jasmine rice |
| Beverage related | soy milk, chrysanthemum tea, sake |
| Seasoning | chili, soy sauce |
| Ingredients | black bean, century eggs, ginseng |
| Packaged snacks | prawn crackers, Pocky, rice cakes, tobi nuts |
| Merchandise | rice cookers, woks, fashion magazines, newspapers, cigarettes |
| Bakery | pastry |
| Seafood | fish, clams, crabs, lobsters, oysters |
| Delicacies | sea cucumber, shark fin, abalones |
[edit] International brands
| Produced in | Brand |
|---|---|
| China | Haw flakes |
| Hong Kong | Lee Kum Kee, Vitasoy ,Bamboo Garden |
| Japan | Calbee, Calpis, Glico, Kikkoman, Meiji, Lotte, Shirakiku |
| Korea | Crown, Orion, Haitai, Lotte |
| Malaysia | Julies, Ayam Brand, Brahims |
| Philippines | Barrio Fiesta, Goldilocks, TOBI Nuts |
| Taiwan | Uni-President Enterprises Corporation, Wei Chuan, I-Mei, Chin Chin, Ve Wong |
[edit] Supermarkets by region
[edit] North America
| Name | Locations | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 99 Ranch Market | California: Richmond, Milpitas, Fremont, Los Angeles and Orange County, San Jose, San Diego Arizona Nevada Washington Georgia: Doraville |
Pan-Asian, mostly Taiwanese and Chinese |
| Ai Hoa Supermarket | California: LA Chinatown | Chinese, Vietnamese |
| American Pinoy | New Jersey | Filipino |
| Asia Supermarket | Illinois: Chicago Pennsylvania: Philadelphia New Jersey: Atlantic City |
Pan-Asian, Chinese |
| Asian Food Markets | New Jersey: Cherry Hill, Edison, Middletown, North Plainfield, Plainsboro New York: Staten Island |
Chinese |
| Assi Market | Pennsylvania: Willow Grove Georgia: Suwanee Illinois: Niles California: LA Koreatown |
Korean, chain |
| California Market | California: LA Koreatown | Korean |
| Daido | Texas: Houston Georgia: Chamblee New Jersey: Fort Lee New York: Flushing, White Plains |
Japanese |
| Fish & Oriental Spices | Florida: Kissimmee | Filipino |
| De Guzman Oriental | Florida: Orlando | Filipino |
| Diho Supermarket | Texas: Houston | Chinese, chain at Bellaire Blvd |
| Freshia market | California: Torrance | With restaurants, bank, and other retail stores |
| Fubonn | Oregon: Portland | Vietnamese and Chinese |
| Galleria Supermarket | Ontario: Markham | Korean |
| Grand Mart | Washington, D.C | Korean |
| Great Wall | New York: Queens, Brooklyn Massachusetts: Boston New Jersey: Franklin Park Virginia: Fairfax |
Chinese |
| Hai Thanh | California: San Jose | Vietnamese and Chinese |
| Han Ah Reum/H-Mart | British Columbia: Vancouver Pennsylvania: Philadelphia New York: New York City, Woodside Georgia: Duluth, Johns Creek, Riverdale, Suwanee, Doraville Washington D.C California: Diamond Bar Washington: Seattle Illinois: Niles, Naperville Oregon: Tigard |
Korean, chain |
| H.K. Super Market | California: Koreatown, Glendale, Garden Grove, Cerritos, Sunnyvale | Korean, chain |
| Hannam Chain | Southern California | Korean, chain |
| Hong Kong Supermarket | East Coast Southern California |
Chinese |
| Island Pacific Supermarket | California | Filipino, chain |
| Kam Man Food | New York Massachusetts New Jersey: Edison |
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| Koreatown Galleria | California: Koreatown | Korean |
| Koreatown Plaza | California: Koreatown | Korean |
| Lotte | Pan-Asian, Korean | |
| Lion Supermarket | California: San Jose, Santa Clara, Milpitas, Fremont, Newark | Pan-Asian, mainly Chinese |
| Marina Grocery | California: Cupertino, San Jose, Union City | Chinese |
| Marukai | Southern California, Hawaii, San Jose | Japanese, retails of Waraku furniture and Daiso merchandise |
| Mitsuwa Marketplace, Mitsuwa Chicago | California: Costa Mesa San Jose Illinois: Chicago New Jersey: Edgewater |
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| Nijiya Market | California | Japanese, chain |
| Osaka Supermarket | British Columbia: Vancouver | Japanese |
| Pacific Supermarket | California: Daly City, San Francisco, South San Francisco Hawaii: Waipahu |
Pan-Asian and Western supermarket chain |
| Palama Supermarket | Honolulu, Hawaii: Waikiki, Kalihi | Korean |
| PinoyGrocery.com | Katy, Texas | Filipino |
| Phil Am Food Mart | New York (Queens/Staten Island) and New Jersey (Jersey City) | Filipino, chain |
| Seafood City | California: Chula Vista, National City, Mira Mesa, Carson, Van Nuys, Los Angeles, Vallejo Nevada: Las Vegas |
Filipino, chain |
| Shun Fat Supermarket | California:San Gabriel, Alhambra | Chinese |
| Super 88 | Massachusetts: Boston | Chinese, chain |
| Super Cao Nguyen | Oklahoma: Oklahoma City | |
| OK Ko-Mart Oriental Market | Oklahoma: Oklahoma City | |
| T & T Supermarket | British Columbia: Vancouver; Alberta: Calgary and Edmonton; Ontario: Toronto, Markham, Thornhill, Mississauga | Taiwanese and Chinese |
| Uwajimaya | Washington: Seattle, Bellevue Oregon: Beaverton |
Japanese |
| Vien Dong III | Southern California | Vietnamese Chinese |
| Viet Hoa | Texas: Houston | |
| Yaohan | British Columbia: Vancouver | Japanese, later bought out by Mitsuwa |
[edit] Oceanian
| Name | Locations | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tai Ping Trading | Auckland, New Zealand Hamilton, New Zealand |
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| Happy Super Market | Auckland, New Zealand | ||
| NewSave | Auckland, New Zealand Rotorua, New Zealand |
NewSave Website | |
| Lim Garden Supermarket Centre | Auckland, New Zealand | ||
| Happy Super Market | Auckland, New Zealand | ||
| New Mart | Auckland, New Zealand | ||
| Silver Bell | Auckland, New Zealand | ||
| Soung Yueen & Co Ltd | Auckland, New Zealand | ||
| Orient Trading | Wellington, New Zealand | ||
| Burlingtons | Sydney and Brisbane, Australia |
[edit] European
| Name | Locations | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paristore | France: Paris | ||
| Tang Frères | France | ||
| Wai Yee Hong Chinese Supermarket | United Kingdom | Wai Yee Hong is a Chinese cash & carry and supermarket based in Bristol, UK. | |
| Wing Yip | United Kingdom | Chinese Supermarket | |
| Oriental Food Store | Ireland: Limerick | ||
| Global Foods | Ireland: Limerick | ||
| Tain Kim Heng | Deutschland: Oberhausen, Dortmund | ||
| Wah Nam Hong | The Netherlands: Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague |
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Chinese Supermarkets
- Great Asian Malls & Supermarkets
- http://www.thaitable.com/Thai/learning/saving_money.htm - Why Asian Food Saves You Money - a comparison between Asian supermarkets and mainstream supermarket chains
- "The New Chinatown? Try the Asian Mall" New York Times article on the growing trend of Asian supermarkets in the United States
- http://www.unlimited.co.nz/unlimited.nsf/UNID/21D2D02720AF6138CC256E9E007C5B14?OpenDocument&Highlight=2,asian,food,dollars - Asian food dollars go east, article on impact of Asian supermarkets in New Zealand
- "Grass Jelly, Anyone? 99 Ranch Brings Asian Flavor to East Bay" - newspaper article from Berkeley, CA
- A listing of Asian supermarkets in Boston
