Grocery retailers are investing heavily in digital tools designed to influence consumer purchases. Yet new research suggests one of the industry’s most powerful drivers of product discovery remains the same place it has been for decades: the grocery aisle.
A study by Cashew Research found that Generation X shoppers continue to discover new food products primarily through in-store browsing and personal recommendations, creating opportunities for retailers that excel at merchandising emerging categories such as international foods.
The findings come as Canada’s grocery landscape continues to evolve alongside changing consumer tastes and growing interest in global cuisines. While major retailers have expanded multicultural assortments in recent years, the research suggests product visibility and placement may be just as important as the breadth of selection itself.
International Foods Move Into the Mainstream
The study surveyed 973 Generation X consumers across Canada and the United States who are actively involved in household grocery shopping decisions.
Among respondents, 76 percent said they seek international or specialty food products, yet only 23 percent said their primary grocery store offers a complete selection.
Perhaps the most notable finding is that international foods are increasingly being purchased as mainstream grocery items rather than cultural staples. Nearly half of respondents said curiosity and a desire to try something new were among their primary motivations for purchasing international foods, while a much smaller percentage cited cultural background.
The findings suggest consumer demand for global flavours now extends well beyond shoppers seeking products connected to their heritage. Exposure to international cuisines through restaurants, travel, food media and social platforms has helped make products once considered niche increasingly familiar to mainstream consumers.
That trend aligns with broader changes in the Canadian marketplace. Statistics Canada projects immigrants could account for as much as one-third of Canada’s population by 2041, while ongoing immigration continues to introduce new cuisines, ingredients and food traditions into the Canadian market.
Industry observers have already seen evidence of this shift. Canadian grocery retailers have steadily expanded multicultural assortments over the past two decades, while specialty operators have moved further into the mainstream.
Perhaps the most visible example is T&T Supermarket, owned by Loblaw Companies. The chain continues to expand across Canada and is preparing to open a 66,000-square-foot location at Empress Walk in North York later this year, expected to be the largest T&T store in Ontario.
The success of retailers such as T&T suggests international foods are increasingly attracting consumers from a broad range of backgrounds, creating opportunities that extend well beyond traditional ethnic grocery segments.
The Shelf Is Still the Showroom
One of the study’s most significant findings involves how shoppers discover new products.
Thirty-nine percent of respondents said word-of-mouth recommendations are their primary source of discovery, while 37 percent cited in-store browsing. By comparison, only a small percentage pointed to artificial intelligence tools or app-based recommendations.
For grocery retailers, the findings reinforce the continued importance of merchandising fundamentals.
Shelf placement, end-cap displays, sampling programs, recipe inspiration and cross-merchandising remain powerful tools for encouraging product trial, particularly within categories that consumers may find unfamiliar.
The research challenges assumptions that digital tools alone will drive product discovery among middle-aged consumers. While online content and social media may inspire purchases, many buying decisions are still being made while shoppers are physically navigating store aisles.
For retailers operating in a highly competitive market, that distinction matters. Canada’s grocery sector remains concentrated among a handful of major operators, making merchandising and category presentation important areas of differentiation.
Is the International Foods Aisle Becoming Obsolete?
The study also raises questions about how international foods are presented within stores.
For decades, many grocers have grouped international products within dedicated ethnic-food aisles. The approach can help shoppers locate specific items, but it may also reinforce the perception that those products are specialty purchases rather than ingredients that belong in everyday meal planning.
The Cashew findings suggest the category may be reaching a point where that model deserves reconsideration.
Instead of isolating international products within a separate section, retailers may find greater success integrating sauces, seasonings, snacks and meal ingredients throughout stores alongside mainstream categories. Recipe-focused displays, cross-merchandising and meal-solution presentations could help increase visibility among shoppers who are open to trying new flavours but are not actively searching for them.
The opportunity appears less about convincing consumers to explore global cuisines and more about making those products easier to discover.
Implications for Retailers
The findings suggest retailers no longer need to persuade many consumers to experiment with international foods. A large share already expressed interest in doing so.
The larger challenge may be ensuring those products appear where shoppers are most likely to encounter them.
As global flavours continue moving into the grocery mainstream, retailers that combine strong assortments with effective merchandising may be better positioned to capture incremental sales and strengthen customer engagement.
In an era dominated by discussions about artificial intelligence, personalization and digital commerce, this research offers a reminder that one of retail’s most effective marketing tools remains remarkably simple: putting the right product in front of the right shopper at the right moment.
