International supermarkets and small grocery stores took in $55.8 billion in 2024, according to IBISWorld data reported by the Associated Press in August 2025, and the sector has grown roughly 3% annually since 2019. The read-through for American shoppers is more conditional: savings at these stores tend to be category-specific, and the premium-product mix at some chains can push certain prices higher than a conventional supermarket.
The sector's expansion tracks two converging forces. Demographic shifts, including growth in Asian and Hispanic populations, have enlarged the natural customer base. Alongside that, younger consumers have shown increasing appetite for unfamiliar flavors, broadening demand well beyond any single community. IBISWorld projects revenue will top $64 billion by 2029.
Barbara E. Kahn, a marketing professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, said the cost dynamics hinge on specialization. When a store caters to a particular segment and moves enough volume on those items, it can bring costs down, she told Fox News Digital. That is the case for shopping there on staples.
The counterargument comes from the same professor. Kahn noted that some international markets stock premium products unavailable elsewhere, and the exclusivity of those items can push prices above what a conventional chain charges. The practical guidance she offered: compare before committing.
For shoppers less focused on price, the draw is culinary range. Palina Louangketh, director of the Idaho Museum of International Diaspora, told the AP that a visit delivers cultural exposure alongside fresh, unfamiliar ingredients. Her formula: pair a protein with vegetables and a starch, then add savoriness with soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce, or hoisin sauce.
Beryl Shereshewsky, a New York-based video producer whose YouTube channel covers food and global culture, told the AP that shoppers intimidated by the unfamiliar can start from dishes they already know and look at how those dishes vary across culinary traditions. She added that international markets are more geographically widespread than shoppers often assume, present in small towns as well as major cities, wherever immigrant communities have settled.
On balance, the $55.8 billion revenue figure reflects a sector with real scale and legitimate demand. Whether it saves a specific shopper money depends on the category: for high-turnover specialized staples, the volume economics favor the buyer; for exclusive premium imports, they do not.