Grocery Store Tourism: Why Supermarkets Are Becoming The New Tourist Attractions
- Tanmaya Bagwe
- 2 days ago
- 6 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
Ten or twenty years ago, the idea of travelling halfway across the world only to spend an afternoon in a supermarket would have sounded bizarre. Grocery shopping was an errand, not a priority on the itinerary. Today, however, travellers are prioritising visits to local supermarkets, convenience stores and neighbourhood grocery stores with the same enthusiasm they reserve for museums and famous landmarks, fuelling the rise of grocery store tourism as a global travel trend.
Whether it is scouting for limited-edition KitKats in Japan, filling suitcases with Trader Joe's snacks from the United States, or searching for the viral butter at La Grande Épicerie in Paris, grocery store tourism has become one of travel's most fascinating trends over the years.
Why are people doing it?
Modern travellers are increasingly seeking experiences that feel authentic. Instead of only visiting overcrowded tourist attractions, they want a glimpse into the culture and everyday life of locals. Part of the appeal also lies in curiosity — why is milk stored differently in parts of Europe? Why is there such a varied range of yoghurts in Greece? Why can you walk into a convenience store in Japan and buy a freshly prepared hot meal at midnight? The answers to these seemingly small questions often reveal more about a place than a guidebook ever could.
At its core, grocery store tourism allows travellers to experience destinations through the lens of everyday life, offering a more authentic alternative to traditional sightseeing. Rajshree Seal, co-founder of Khelmunch, agrees with this sentiment. "There's no better way to feel like you actually live somewhere, even if just for an hour," she says, adding that standing in a neighbourhood grocery store queue often feels more immersive than a guided tour.
Chef Sambhavi Joshi of Casa Pasta Bar shares a similar perspective. "While restaurants tell you how a place presents itself, grocery stores tell you how people actually live," she says. For her, wandering through grocery aisles, reading labels and discovering unfamiliar ingredients is one of the most authentic ways to experience a culture.
For many travellers, supermarkets reveal details that tourist attractions cannot. The produce section, snack aisle and ready-to-eat meals tell stories about local habits, tastes and traditions. As Vidhi Gupta, Co-Founder of Zariin, notes, "Tourist attractions show you what a destination wants visitors to see, whereas grocery stores show you how people actually live."
Celebrity fitness expert and founder of SUMAYA, Sumaya Dalmia, also agrees to this. She believes that local grocery stores "speak volumes about the culture of a country" and offer insight into native ingredients and food habits that cannot be found elsewhere.
What makes grocery stores so compelling is that they offer a glimpse into ordinary life. Unlike famous landmarks, they are not designed as attractions but as spaces where daily routines unfold. Travellers get a first-hand local experience of regions, making the travel experience more culturally rooted.
The social media effect
Grocery store tourism may have existed long before it had a name, but social media has undoubtedly transformed it into a global travel phenomenon. Scroll through TikTok or Instagram, and you'll find creators wandering through Japanese convenience stores at midnight, comparing unusual chip flavours, reviewing viral snacks, or filling baskets with cult-favourite products from South Korea, Europe, and beyond. What was once a routine errand has been reframed as a must-have travel experience. Grocery hauls and "things to buy in..." videos have become a category of travel content in their own right, inspiring travellers to swap souvenir shops for supermarket aisles.
Creative consultant and strategist Simran Grewal points out that stores like Japan's 7-Eleven and convenience stores across South Korea have taken the internet by storm. Their neatly organised shelves, exclusive products, and ever-changing seasonal offerings have become attractions as compelling as many tourist landmarks.
It is safe to say that social media has also reshaped the way people think about food and travel. "People are now exposed to ingredients and cuisines from all over the world and naturally become curious about where those products come from," says Chef Sambhavi Joshi. She notes that ingredients such as gochujang, yuzu and nduja have become part of mainstream food conversations, with travellers often bringing back authentic versions from their countries of origin. "After seeing someone explore a Japanese convenience store as if it were a museum, you find yourself wanting the same experience," candidly shares Rajshree Seal. For Sumaya Dalmia, food itself has become central to travel planning. "Destinations are often chosen based on how good the food is," she says. "We travel for restaurants, we travel to pick up spices, and we travel for the experience of food."
The grocery stores worth travelling for
As grocery store tourism gains momentum, certain supermarkets, gourmet food halls and convenience stores have become attractions in their own right. Around the world, certain grocery stores have become destinations in their own right. In the United States, stores like Walmart and Costco continue to attract visitors looking for oversized snacks and unique products, while Erewhon in Los Angeles has become famous for its luxury wellness products and celebrity-approved smoothies.
The United Kingdom has long had its own grocery attractions, from Tesco's extensive aisles to the historic Fortnum & Mason in London, often referred to as the Queen's grocer. Germany's Aldi and Kaufland have earned loyal fans for their affordable finds and regional products, while Japan's 7-Eleven, Lawson and FamilyMart have completely changed how travellers think about convenience stores. South Korea's CU stores, and Lotte Mart have similarly become must-visit stops for visitors curious about Korean snacks and ready-to-eat meals.
Family Mart, Japan CU, South Korea
Elsewhere, H Mart has introduced people across North America to Asian ingredients and pantry staples, while La Grande Épicerie in Paris, Peck in Milan and Eataly in New York have transformed grocery shopping into an experience in itself.
Some of these stores have achieved cult status among travellers. Japan's convenience stores are known for their surprisingly sophisticated ready-to-eat meals, while La Grande Épicerie has become famous for gourmet products and viral food finds. For many travellers, these grocery stores have become attractions in their own right, no different from visiting a famous market or a landmark.
A window into local life
The appeal of grocery stores extends far beyond buying snacks. One of the biggest reasons behind the rise of grocery store tourism is accessibility, allowing travellers to connect with a destination without spending heavily on curated experiences. Not everyone can splurge on a tasting menu or book a curated food tour, but almost anyone can spend an hour browsing a local supermarket and leave with a deeper understanding of the place. Vidhi Gupta believes this accessibility is one of the key reasons behind the trend's rise. Grocery stores, she says, are "a relatively inexpensive way to engage with a destination without booking a tour or buying a ticket."
For Tanya Bhardwaj, founder of 31-12 Studio and Chief Brand Officer for The Grammar Room, local grocery stores offer an understanding of food culture that restaurants alone cannot provide. "To truly immerse yourself in a culture and cuisine, it's not just restaurants or fine dining experiences, it's every aspect of cuisine, from novel produce to interesting spices," she says.
As Chef Sambhavi Joshi puts it, a grocery store is almost like "a snapshot of a country's food culture." Looking at ingredients, pantry staples, and everyday products can quickly reveal how a community eats, cooks and lives. The experience often changes how people understand the food they have been eating throughout their trip.
"It goes from 'this dish was amazing' to actually understanding why," says Rajshree Seal, who believes grocery stores provide the context behind a destination's cuisine. And sometimes, the most memorable souvenirs are not magnets or postcards. Travellers return home with jars of jam, unique sauces, local chocolates, speciality butter, olive oil and ingredients they cannot find elsewhere. For many, these edible keepsakes become lasting reminders of a journey. Chef Sambhavi Joshi's pantry, for instance, is filled with ingredients collected from her travels, from French lemon-infused olive oil and Portuguese hot sauce to artisanal jams and regional spices sourced across India. "Every ingredient has a story attached to it," she says.
Travel finds from Chef Sambhavi Joshi's collection of global ingredients
Similarly, Sumaya Dalmia often returns with olive oils, balsamic vinegars and local spice pastes that allow her to recreate flavours from her travels long after the trip has ended. Tanya Bhardwaj still brings back a particular palm sugar and tamarind paste from Thailand, while Simran Grewal swears by French butter and gourmet finds from London.
An everyday experience turned attraction
At its heart, grocery tourism reflects a broader shift in the way people travel today. Travellers are increasingly interested in experiences that feel real, local and unfiltered. A supermarket may seem like an ordinary place, but it often offers one of the most authentic glimpses into a destination. Between the produce aisles, bakery counters and snack shelves lies a story about how people live, eat and find comfort in their everyday routines.
And perhaps that is why a growing number of travellers are choosing to add a grocery store to their itinerary, right alongside the museums and monuments.
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