Mumsnet Talk

In our Tesco we have an Asian section and a Polish section but surely instead of having a special aisle for these foods it could be incoprporated in the types of food section eg all the spices together rather than having some spices together and then the Asian spices in a different place Same with things like Polish biscuits and breads Why can't they just be in the biscuit and bread aisle?

It just makes it easier to find. We are veggie, and all of the veggie products are together. It would be annoying if the veggie sausages were with the meat ones etc.

Obviously I mean the prepared veggie foods, the fruit and veg/lentils/dairy etc are in different places

i've wondered this too. in our asda we have a separate Polish section. i dont get why they dont just have all the food types together.

Head how does it make it easier to find, surely if you need veggie sausages you would just go to the sausage section and look for the veggie ones the same as looking for cumberlands or venison ones, it's not as if they touch each other, they are all wrapped up.

Yes, it's just easier for shoppers. Sainsburys tested both ways, and most people preferred being able to go straight to a Polish section, or an Asian section, or a halal section.

It also means that this food won't be right next to something that that culture would find repulsive. So in general, halal meat should be away from normal chicken/beef/etc. It's usually next to fish, as it is in the chilled department, making it more acceptable.

YANBU Here in this frozen wasteland where I live they have a tea and coffee aisle but I have to hunt down the tiny foreign foods section to get PG Tips.

Eating Polish food isn't really the same as veggie though. It's not like they don't eat ordinary stuff too.

I can see both sides - i think there are pros and cons of both I guess. I like that I know where to look for the large packs of strange things, eg you get bigger bags of almonds in the "ethnic" aisle. OTOH, I can see that they would be just as well placed in the almond aisle. I suppose if you are buying lots of "ethnic" stuff it makes sense you can grab them all in one place.

It's just easier. If you are Polish or Vegetarian or just want to cook mexican - it's easier to be able to go to one section to get the bulk of what you need rather than guess where else it might be. Why is this an issue for you?

I love the ethnic section in our local tesco. Things which are much cheaper include spices, curry pastes, coconut milk, dried and canned pulses, long life fruit juices. I suspect it's in their interest to have them separately as it would be bad for them to have one coconut milk for example at £1.79 per can next to another at 59p. But the savings are there for everyone if they do look in that aisle.

I remember reading that Polish customers prefer a non-corporate local shop experience which is Polski Skleps thrive. This may be chains prefer to offer the Polish section to try and attract Polish customers with their preferred product. I may be wrong.

I think it's fair enough in that circumstance, and also to do specific cuisine shelves eg Mexican, Thai, Kosher which target customers within and outside those cultures. What I hate is seeing is 'Ethnic Food' or 'Asian Food' - just meaningless to everyone.

The food in the ethnic aisles tend to be imported brands that you don't normally get.
I don't mind, we have a huge world food aisle at our tesco, dd loves going down it to find something different. Think it would be sort of lost if it was in with the normal food

The name of this aisle should be changed to not Western, which is quite different from ethnic.

Much easier to find and also easier to even notice those select foods are even present.

It's different Saski, but just as meaningless as LilyVon said. Specific labelling would be best - Polish, Thai, Chinese (which is quite different to Thai which is why Asian foods is useless), Kosher, and so on. If a catch all term was needed, "imported food" would better classify (as other Western countries also have different foods) I think.

I find in big supermarkets they tend to be in all related places - like salsa is almost always with the crisps as well as in the mexican as well as in with the condiments. The reason why is because supermarkets have tested and found that this works best for their bottom lines.

It is just easier to find I think. and if maybe somebody who hasnt got great english then looking for what they want in a shelf fool maybe be a wee bit confusing . Tbh it is just Polish food that is a seperate bit in tescos the other ethnic food is in with the rest , so a packet of sharwood noodles would be beside a packet of Authentic chinese noodles (if that makes sense)

in my tesco*

"The name of this aisle should be changed to not Western, which is quite different from ethnic."

ethnic: pertaining to or characteristic of a people, especially a group (ethnic group) sharing a common and distinctive culture, religion, language, or the like.

How is "not Western" any better than "ethnic"?

I know it's not the same but i am so happy supermarkets made a free from section. A whole isle DD can choose from

It's just to make it easier to find the food isn't it? There are polish sections,free from sections etc.

I don't see why it it would bother anyone. It's just making sure everyone can find the products they want.

I think I saw in 1 supermarket not where i live but on holiday 'foods of the world' aisle I am sure it was a saisnbury ?

I think the free from section must be so handy for people with allergies, dds friend has celliac disease and it must be great for her parents to just go shopping,

It just is, I only need to go to one section for fridge or frozen veggie stuff.

I like the ethnic sections too, always get my mango chutney from the Indian one, it's cheaper and tastes nicer.

My had is Coeliac, and he uses the gluten free section, he prefers it to be in the same place too.

I guess when your food options are more limited, it's easier for them to be all together than spaced out around the store and having to hunt then out.

The free from section is really handy for us too when dad is visiting, or coming for Christmas, we can just go and pick stuff from there.

ecclesvet - all people are part of an ethnic group, all food could be classified as ethnic.

Because ecclesvet, all food has an ethnicity. When ethnic is used to mean a fixed region, i.e. Eastern, it's like deciding that "height" means "tall".
The grocery store means non-western.
Like we really need help from Tesco in dumbing down the English language any further.