Leading Oriental grocer invests in growth

The UK’s leading Oriental grocer Wing Yip is investing in expanding its four-strong supermarket estate in the UK. Later this year, one of its London stores will undergo a £6 million overhaul, to increase the shop floor and warehouse space. The work will benefit both everyday shoppers, and its vast trade customer base.

Wing Yip director Brian Yip said: “The demand for Oriental food in the UK is growing, and as a consequence, so is our business.

“The Croydon store will more than double in size this year, enabling us to extend our range of products for both consumers and businesses. We’re also installing a new roof-top car park.”

Croydon’s selling and warehouse area is set to increase from 41,000 sq ft to 75,000 sq ft.

This latest expansion comes as Wing Yip reports marked growth in both the numbers of people shopping for Oriental groceries, and the range of products on offer. Through Wing Yip’s four superstores in Birmingham, Cricklewood, Croydon and Manchester, together with an online store

www.wingyipstore.co.uk, more than 4,500 Oriental products are now available to the trade and a growing consumer customer base. Having started out by selling an exclusively Chinese product range, today the company’s offer encompasses all Far Eastern cuisine, reflecting the growing popularity of Oriental food across the UK.

“Whilst we know Chinese food has led this growth, we have also seen the market evolve as consumer tastes become ever more adventurous, no doubt fuelled by the upsurge in long haul travel to exotic Far Eastern destinations,” added Yip.

“Established Chinese sauces such as sweet and sour and black bean remain as popular as ever, but these days shopping trolleys are far more likely to include authentic products from destinations across the Far East such as sushi rice from Japan, kimchi ingredients from Korea, rendang curry paste from Malaysia, and rice noodles from Thailand.”