Background Research

Ethnic foods are increasing in popularity within the United States, as tastes diversify. Retail sales of ethnic foods from 2013 to 2018 increased by 1.5 billion dollars in the United States.[1] As well as an increase in sales of ethnic foods, Americans are snacking more than ever, with snacks comprising up to a quarter of their caloric intake.[2]

As tastes change, markets have also adapted. Grocery stores now carry snacks from other countries, such as Takis and Pocky.[3] Seventy percent of Americans consider the quality of their grocer’s ethnic foods section as an important factor in choosing their primary grocery store.[1] Snack foods are looking to expand in new markets by offering more varieties in flavor as well, but there are still a lot of roadblocks to reaching consumers in the ethnic foods market.

Many consumers report having dietary restrictions, with my survey reporting 61% of responders having dietary restrictions and 20% of Americans reporting a dietary restriction. [4][5]

61% of people will try unfamiliar foods if it’s recommended to them by a trusted source

1 in 5 1 in 5

Adults in the United States have a dietary restriction or food allergy

Retail sales of Ethnic Foods have grown by $1.2 billion between 2013 and 2018

Because products may not always be in English, it can be a struggle to quickly determine whether or not a food item is safe to consume, or even if the product is something they want.[6] Even if growing trends suggest that ethnic foods are becoming more and more popular, an application focused on them will have to account for these factors in order for it to find customers that would be willing to use it. As it stands, there are many snacks that people would be willing to try so long as a friend recommended it to them according to my surveys, even if they were uneasy about trying ethnic foods for a variety of reasons.[4]

As for the competition this application is up against, it is very important to note that there aren’t a lot of direct competitors. However, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a lot to learn from its analogues and indirect competitors, which will be explained more in detail below.