KeHE, a leading distributor of natural & organic, specialty & gourmet, international & multicultural and fresh products, hosted a supplier carousel event focused on both “authentic” and “mainstream” Asian foods, which together constitute the second largest segment within the ethnic food market.

The Asian foods category had a strong performance across the past few years with a 10.2% dollar sales increase from 2010-2012, and a one percentage point market share increase. In part this is driven by the growing Asian population in the U.S., which represents 4.8% of the total U.S. population and grew 43.3% in the last census.  The Asian population in the USA is projected to double by 2060.  Equally importantly, purchase data and consumer insight research shows there is a desire for multicultural tastes among the general population.

The invitation-only, two-day event took place this week in Los Angeles, bringing best-in-class brands and retailers together for assortment, merchandising and promotional planning related to Asian Foods. 

Leading the event will be KeHE’s Jim Stange, Category Director, who oversees the ethnic food category. “We and our retail partners see continuing significant growth potential within the Asian food category; our goal for this event is to equip our partners with the market intelligence they need to make on trend easy,” said Stange.

The event will feature a consumer insights briefing for all attendees, an immersion tour where retailers will visit Asian markets around Los Angeles, and one-on-one meetings between retailers and suppliers. The upcoming Chinese New Year will also be a focus; the KeHE team will share ways for retailers to attract and connect with Asian consumers during this important cultural holiday. 

Given the growing appeal of global cuisine here in the U.S., look for KeHE to continue its focus on identifying top trends and must-have products for retailers interested in addressing the evolving needs of consumers.

About KeHE