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Ethnic Supermarkets in the US - Market Research Report (2014-2029)

Thi Le Thi Le New York, United States Last Updated: September 2024 NAICS OD4333

Revenue

$55.8bn

2024

$55.8bn

Past 5-Year Growth

Profit

$X.Xbn

Employees

193k

Businesses

16,157

Wages

$X.Xbn

Ethnic Supermarkets in the US industry analysis

Driven by the rising Hispanic and Asian populations in the US and an increase in at-home cooking during the pandemic, ethnic supermarkets have seen a significant surge in their consumer base. Besides, the sizeable spike in the immigrant population in the US also reinforces the growth of small ethnic grocers despite fierce competition from traditional supermarket chains. As a result, ethnic supermarkets are expected to continue their growth trajectory. The industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 3.0% over the five years to 2024, amounting to $55.8 billion. This growth was also fueled in 2024 when ethnic supermarkets' sales grew by 1.0%.

Trends and Insights

  • The growing immigrant population boosts demand for foreign products. Consumers are inclined to purchase products and ingredients they are familiar with, resulting in more ethnic stores to meet the growing demand.
  • Ingredients and other foods generate the most revenue. Consumers are constantly replenishing their pantries with ingredients for everyday meals, making other foods a strong segment for food stores.
  • Ethnic supermarkets in major cities have access to more buyers. This is particularly true for ethnic markets, as large cities tend to have the largest immigrant populations.
  • Competition within the industry is limited, as product offerings vary greatly based on the store's demographic. Hispanic-focused markets will not face significant competition from Asian markets and vice-versa.

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  • Market estimates from 2014-2029
  • Critical performance data and rankings
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Industry Statistics and Trends

Market size and recent performance (2014-2029)

Industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 2.3 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated $55.8bn in 2024.

Trends and Insights

A growing ethnic population supports sales

  • Various ethnic groups are increasingly establishing a presence in the US, particularly in major metropolitan cities. Stores catering Ethiopian and West African cultures are being increasingly represented.
  • Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Ethnic Supermarkets in the US
Revenue (2014-2029)
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry outlook (2024-2029)

Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.

Trends and Insights

Rising costs threaten profit growth

  • A significant factor driving up food prices for ethnic supermarkets is high inflation, which has been on the rise since 2021. These price increases are particularly impactful for ethnic grocers as they often source their goods from overseas markets, making them susceptible to inflation and international market fluctuations.

Biggest companies in the Ethnic Supermarkets in the US

Company
Market Share (%)
2024
Revenue ($short_0)
2024
Profit ($short_0)
2024
Profit Margin (%)
2024

There are no companies that hold a large enough market share in the Ethnic Supermarkets in the US industry for IBISWorld to include in this product.

Products & Services Segmentation

Ethnic Supermarkets in the US
Products & Services
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Meats, Produce and Frozen foods. Meats is the largest segment of the Ethnic Supermarkets in the US.

Trends and Insights

Other food items are household staples

  • Most shoppers will ultimately prepare their meals at home; raw ingredients such as flour, spices, cooking oils and fats are commonly used for many meals and tend to be pantry staples, ensuring steady demand for ethnic stores.
  • More insights available in the full report

Table of Contents

About this industry

Industry definition

Supermarkets in this industry retail food to specific ethnic groups. This includes Asian, Hispanic and other ethnic grocery stores that carry mainly specialty products not found in mainstream supermarkets.

What's included in this industry?

Retailing Asian groceriesRetailing Hispanic groceriesRetailing groceries for other ethnicities

Companies

Purchase this report to view all major companies in this industry.

Related Terms

ELECTRONIC DATA INTERCHANGE (EDI)SELF-CHECKOUT SYSTEMOSECHI SETPOINT OF SALE (POS)

Industry Code

NAICS 2017

NAICS 44511 - Ethnic Supermarkets in the US

Performance

Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.

Analyst insights

The growing immigrant population boosts demand for foreign products. Consumers are inclined to purchase products and ingredients they are familiar with, resulting in more eth...

In this chapter (4)

  • Current Performance
  • Outlook
  • Volatility
  • Life Cycle

Key metrics

  • Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
  • Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
  • Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
  • Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business

Charts

  • Revenue, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Employees, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Businesses, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Profit, including historical (2014-2024)
  • Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
  • Industry Life Cycle

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
  • Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
  • Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
  • How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.

Products and Markets

Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.

Analyst insight

Ingredients and other foods generate the most revenue. Consumers are constantly replenishing their pantries with ingredients for everyday meals, making other foods a strong s...

In this chapter

  • Products & Services
  • Major Markets

Key metrics

  • Largest market segment and value in 2024
  • Product innovation level

Charts

  • Products & services segmentation in 2024
  • Major market segmentation in 2024

Detailed analysis

  • Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
  • Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
  • Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
  • Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services

Geographic Breakdown

Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.

Analyst insights

Ethnic supermarkets in major cities have access to more buyers. This is particularly true for ethnic markets, as large cities tend to have the largest immigrant populations.

In this chapter (1)

  • Business Locations

Charts

  • Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each state
  • Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2024

Tables

  • Number and share of establishments in each state in 2024
  • Number and share of revenue each state accounts for in 2024
  • Number and share of wages each state accounts for in 2024
  • Number and share of employees in each state in 2024

Detailed analysis

  • Geographic spread of the industry across North America, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
  • Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage

Competitive Forces

Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.

Analyst insights

Competition within the industry is limited, as product offerings vary greatly based on the store's demographic. Hispanic-focused markets will not face significant competition...

In this chapter (4)

  • Concentration
  • Barriers to Entry
  • Substitutes
  • Buyer & Supplier Analysis

Key metrics

  • Industry concentration level
  • Industry competition level and trend
  • Barriers to entry level and trend
  • Substitutes level and trend
  • Buyer power level and trend
  • Supplier power level and trend

Charts

  • Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2019-2024
  • Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart

Detailed analysis

  • Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
  • Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
  • Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
  • Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
  • Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
  • Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
  • Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
  • Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
  • Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.

Companies

Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.

Analyst insights

Many small grocery stores comprise the industry. This trend keeps the industry fragmented and prevents companies from capturing a large share of the market.

In this chapter

  • Market Share Concentration
  • Companies
  • Company Spotlights

Charts

  • Industry market share by company in 2020 through 2024
  • Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2024

Detailed analysis

    External Environment

    Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.   

    Analyst insights

    Falling consumer confidence prevents ethnic stores from reaching new markets. Consumers are wary of trying new products during uncertain times, causing them to lower spending...

    In this chapter

    • External Drivers
    • Regulation & Policy
    • Assistance

    Key metrics

    • Regulation & policy level and trend
    • Assistance level and trend

    Charts

    • Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2014-2029) 
    • Assistance historical data and forecast (2014-2029) 

    Detailed analysis

    • Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
    • Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
    • Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.

    Financial Benchmarks

    View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time. 

    Analyst insights

    Wages are dropping as automation rises. Ethnic supermarkets are rapidly adopting self-checkout systems, reducing the demand for human employees.

    In this chapter

    • Cost Structure
    • Financial Ratios
    • Key Ratios

    Key metrics

    • Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
    • Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
    • Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
    • Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio

    Charts

    • Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
    • Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
    • Investment vs. share of economy

    Data tables

    • Industry Multiples (2017-2022)
    • Industry Tax Structure (2017-2022)
    • Income Statement (2017-2022)
    • Balance Sheet (2017-2022)
    • Liquidity Ratios (2017-2022)
    • Coverage Ratios (2017-2022)
    • Leverage Ratios  (2017-2022)
    • Operating Ratios (2017-2022)
    • Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2014-2029)
    • Revenue per Employee (2014-2029)
    • Revenue per Enterprise (2014-2029)
    • Employees per Establishment (2014-2029)
    • Employees per Enterprise (2014-2029)
    • Average Wage (2014-2029)
    • Wages/Revenue (2014-2029)
    • Establishments per Enterprise (2014-2029)
    • IVA/Revenue (2014-2029)
    • Imports/Demand (2014-2029)
    • Exports/Revenue (2014-2029)

    Detailed analysis

    • Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability 

    Key Statistics

    Industry Data

    Data Tables

    Including values and annual change:

    • Revenue (2014-2029)
    • IVA (2014-2029)
    • Establishments (2014-2029)
    • Enterprises (2014-2029)
    • Employment (2014-2029)
    • Exports (2014-2029)
    • Imports (2014-2029)
    • Wages (2014-2029)

    Top Questions Answered

    Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.

    What is the market size of the Ethnic Supermarkets in the US industry in United States in 2024?

    The market size of the Ethnic Supermarkets in the US industry in United States is $55.8bn in 2024.

    How many businesses are there in the Ethnic Supermarkets in the US industry in 2024?

    There are 16,157 businesses in the Ethnic Supermarkets in the US industry in United States, which has declined at a CAGR of 0.8 % between 2019 and 2024.

    Has the Ethnic Supermarkets in the US industry in United States grown or declined over the past 5 years?

    The market size of the Ethnic Supermarkets in the US industry in United States has been growing at a CAGR of 2.3 % between 2019 and 2024.

    What is the forecast growth of the Ethnic Supermarkets in the US industry in United States over the next 5 years?

    Over the next five years, the Ethnic Supermarkets in the US industry in United States is expected to grow.

    What does the Ethnic Supermarkets in the US in United States include?

    Retailing Asian groceries and Retailing Hispanic groceries are part of the Ethnic Supermarkets in the US industry.

    How competitive is the Ethnic Supermarkets in the US industry in United States?

    The level of competition is moderate and increasing in the Ethnic Supermarkets in the US industry in United States.

    Related Industries

    Widen you competitive advantage with related industries

    Competitors

    • Supermarkets & Grocery Stores in the US
    • Meat Markets in the US
    • Fish & Seafood Markets in the US
    • Specialty Food Stores in the US

    Complementors

    • There are no industries to display.

    International industries

    • Supermarkets & Grocery Stores in Canada
    • Supermarkets and Grocery Stores in Australia
    • Supermarkets, Grocery Stores and Convenience Stores in New Zealand
    • Supermarkets in the UK
    • Supermarkets in Ireland

    View all industries in United States

    Methodology

    How are IBISWorld reports created?

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    Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.

    IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.

    What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?

    Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.

    Key data sources in the US include: 

    • US Census Bureau
    • US Bureau of Labor Statistics
    • US International Trade Commission

    Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.

    These sources include:

    • Industry and trade associations
    • Industry federations or regulators
    • Major industry players annual or quarterly filings

    Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.

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    IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.

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