Discovering a new destination is always exciting. There are famous landmarks to visit, local dishes to try, and nooks and crannies waiting to be explored. Every trip offers something new, whether it’s experiencing a different culture, meeting people from another part of the world, or just seeing how people live elsewhere.
For some travellers, one stop has become a must-visit: the local supermarket.
Some prefer to browse without a shopping list and see what they can discover on the shelves. Others do their homework beforehand, using social media or stories online to find “viral” snacks and unique items.
Supermarket tourism, where tourists walk into supermarkets and grocery stores to hopefully learn more about a place and its people, has become part of many travellers’ holiday experience.
The trend can mostly be seen across Asia (though it is now gaining traction in Europe and North America), where supermarkets have become popular stops for travellers looking to discover local flavours and everyday products.
In Thailand, for example, local hypermarket chain Big C has become a popular stop for tourists who visit its stores to stock up on mostly Thai snacks and instant noodles. Bigger outlets will even have a “tourist” section and list out the “top 10 Thai items to buy” for the convenience of tourists.
Some of these items include herbal inhalers, spa and beauty products, silk pouches and rice snacks.
In Malaysia, supermarket chains like Jaya Grocer have also picked up on the increase of international visitors shopping at their stores, particularly those in tourist areas in Peninsular Malaysia.
According to a statement from Jaya Grocer, “Today, travel is no longer just about visiting attractions but it’s also about discovering local products, flavours and brands.
“Retail has become an important part of the overall tourism experience, giving visitors an opportunity to connect with a destination beyond sightseeing.”
To help travellers discover Malaysian flavours, the supermarket is also collaborating with e-hailing company Grab to introduce a selection of locally-made products that are suitable for tourists to take home as souvenirs.
Joy of discovering
For Emily Lee, 29, a visit to the supermarket is non-negotiable whenever she travels.
“I don’t usually have a shopping list,” she says. “I just enjoy wandering around and seeing what catches my eye.”
Having travelled to several countries all over the world including Austria, Australia, Iceland, Vietnam, Poland and Thailand, Lee enjoys the excitement of making unexpected finds rather than searching for specific products.
Sometimes those discoveries even influence her lifestyle.
A few years ago, she came across rice milk soap bars in Thailand. Out of curiosity, she bought some to try.
“Since then, I’ve switched from liquid body wash to rice milk soap,” she says. “Now whenever I visit, I always look for it. The ingredients are simple, and there are fewer chemicals. I started using it because of concerns about my skin and health.”
Lee adds that she sometimes discovers interesting things about a place from the products they sell at the local stores.
“Supermarkets are probably the last place some of us think of when we want to learn about a destination, but I think you can learn so much from them. You get to see what people buy, what they cook and even what’s grown locally,” she shares.
Lee enjoys comparing the quality, variety and prices of products between countries while observing how shopping habits differ from one place to another.
One section she always heads to first is the fresh produce.
“One of my favourite finds in Vietnam was the avocados,” she says. “They are much bigger there, and they taste different from the ones we usually get in Malaysia. Most avocados sold here are imported from Australia or Africa, but Vietnam grows its own, so they taste much fresher.”
In Austria, she found herself going a few times to SPAR, a local food retailer, outlets for its bread, cold cuts and milk.
“I didn’t expect supermarket bread to be so good,” she recalls. “I bought different types of bread together with salami and other cured meats. It was just a simple meal, but delicious.”
She was equally impressed by the berries.
“Of course, the strawberries and other berries were fresher, sweeter and cheaper than what we usually get in Malaysia. I bought them almost every day to snack on during the trip.”
Some discoveries, however, left her completely puzzled.
While staying at an Airbnb in Poland, Lee wanted to cook a simple meal and went looking for rice at the supermarket.
Instead, she found something she had never seen before: boil-in-the-bag rice.
“The rice came in a plastic bag with tiny holes. The instructions said to boil the entire bag in water,” she says.
“I had never seen anything like that in Malaysia. It really showed me how different cooking habits can be from country to country.”
She later found that boil-in-the-bag rice is common in many countries and has since come to appreciate its convenience.
Of course, every supermarket visit also ends with something that she takes back with her to Malaysia.
“My must-buy items are always local snacks and sweets,” she says. “They are easy to share with family and friends, and it gives them a little taste of the destination.”
While she enjoys searching for products on her own, Lee admits social media has become a useful guide for travellers who prefer shopping with a plan.
“If you want recommendations before you go, (Chinese social media platform) Xiaohongshu is great because travellers share lots of supermarket finds,” she says.
“But personally, I still want to be surprised.”
Shop with a plan
Unlike Lee, 32-year-old Ummi Najihah usually arrives prepared. Before every trip, she scrolls through TikTok to see what fellow travellers recommend getting from the stores at her destination.
“I’ll save the videos so I know what to look for,” she says.
And once she arrives, the supermarket is often one of her first stops.
“Among the first things I usually look for are snacks and drinks because they are easy to bring back to the hotel, and so I’ll have something to snack on later,” she adds.
Thailand remains one of her favourite destinations for supermarket shopping. For many Malaysian travellers, 7-Eleven is almost a tourist attraction in itself.
“The 7-Eleven stores in Thailand are like paradise. You can find almost everything there: snacks, drinks, ready-to-eat meals, skincare products, makeup and even souvenirs,” she says.
“Some of the things that are currently trending on social media are coconut crispy rolls and instant Thai tea. You will always see plenty of tourists at these convenience stores,” she continues.
Ummi adds that every time she goes to Thailand, the convenience stores are always packed with tourists. “You’ll see lots of people filling their baskets and lining up at the cashier,” she says.
China is another destination Ummi enjoys exploring, and the supermarkets there are some of her favourites to browse through.
“There are so many different instant noodles and drinks that you can’t find in Malaysia.”
Whenever she is in China, she makes a beeline for the noodle and tea section and ogle at the endless varieties.
In fact, as someone who enjoys fizzy drinks, Ummi never skips the beverage section of a supermarket wherever she travels.
“I’m always excited to see what unique drinks each country has.”
For her, supermarket tourism isn’t just about buying things. It’s also a way to understand a place and its people.
“You get to see what locals actually eat and drink every day,” she says. “Sometimes that’s even more interesting than shopping at souvenir stores.”
It may seem unusual for some to purposely visit a supermarket while on holiday, but for many travellers, it’s become one of the must-do activities on their list.
Supermarkets are where everyday life unfolds. They give us a glimpse of the local communities’ lives, from what they eat and drink, to where their produce come from and which items are more popular. This, in turn, helps us understand the bigger things like cost of living and quality of life.
Some travellers return home with bags full of chips, chocolates and instant noodles. Others pack skincare products, spices or household items they’ve never seen before. And every find carries a memory of the place.
