ASIAN SUPERMARKET

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.

Contents

Operation

Asian branded products

International Brands

Supermarkets by region

North American

Australasian

European

See also

External links

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. Filipino stores and Chinatowns. Some Filipino, Chinese shopping centers and supermarkets have been constructed using traditional Filipino architecture, 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. 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.

Asian branded products

Category	Examples
Vegetable	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

International Brands

{|class="wikitable"
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! width=40% | Brand
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| China || Haw flakes
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| Hong Kong || Lee Kum Kee, Vitasoy
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| Japan || Calbee, Calpis, Kikkoman, Meiji, Lotte
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| Korea || Crown, Orion
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| Malaysia || Julies, Ayam Brand, Brahims
|-
|-
| Philippines || TOBI Nuts - Distributed by Zent International LLC
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Supermarkets by region

North American

{|class="wikitable"
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! width=40% | Description
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| 99 Ranch Market ||California: Richmond, Milpitas
Arizona
Nevada
Washington
Georgia: Doraville || Pan-Asian, mostly Chinese
|-
| Ai Hoa Supermarket || California: LA Chinatown || Chinese, Vietnamese
|-
| Asia Supermarket || Illinois: Chicago
Pennsylvania: Philadelphia
New Jersey: Atlantic City || Korean
|-
| Assi Market || Pennsylvania: Willow Grove || Korean, chain
|-
| California Market || California: LA Koreatown || Korean
|-
| Daido || Texas: Houston
Georgia: Chamblee
New Jersey: Fort Lee
New York: Flushing, White Plains || Japanese
|-
| 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
|-
| Galleria Supermarket || Ontario: Markham || Korean
|-
| Grand Mart || Washington, D.C || Korean
|-
| Great Wall || New York: Queens
Massachusetts: Boston
New Jersey: Franklin Park
Virginia: Fairfax || Chinese
|-
| Han Ah Reum/H-Mart || British Columbia: Vancouver
Pennsylvania: Philadelphia
New York: New York City
Georgia, Atlanta
Washington D.C || 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
|-
| Kam Man Food || New York
Massachusetts
New Jersey: Edison ||
|-
| Koreatown Galleria || California: Koreatown || Korean
|-
| Koreatown Plaza || California: Koreatown || Korean
|-
| Lotte || || Pan-Asian, Korean
|-
| Lion City || California: Santa Clara, Milpitas || Chinese
|-
| Marina Grocery || California: Cupertino || Chinese
|-
| Marukai || Southern California || Japanese, retails of ''Waraku'' furniture and Daiso merchandise
|-
| Mitsuwa Marketplace, Mitsuwa Chicago || Southern California: Costa Mesa San Jose
Illinois: Chicago
New Jersey: Edgewater ||
|-
| 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
|-
| 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 ||
|-
| T & T Supermarket || British Columbia: Vancouver || Chinese
|-
| Uwajimaya || Washington: Seattle, Bellevue
Oregon: Beaverton || Japanese
|-
| Viet Hoa || Texas: Houston ||
|-
| Yaohan || British Columbia: Vancouver || Japanese, later bought out by Mitsuwa
|-
|}

Australasian

{|class="wikitable"
! width=20% | Name
! width=40% | Locations
! width=40% | Description
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| Tai Ping Trading || New Zealand ||
|-
|}

European

{|class="wikitable"
! width=20% | Name
! width=40% | Locations
! width=40% | Description
|-
| Paristore || France: Paris ||
|-
| Tang Frères || France ||
|-
| Wing Yip || United Kingdom ||
|-
| Oriental Food Store || Ireland: Limerick ||
|-
| Tain Kim Heng || Deutschland: Oberhausen, Dortmund ||
|-
|}

See also

★ Wet market

★ Gods Material Shop

★ Chinatown

★ Koreatown

External links

★ 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