The population of North America is steadily increasing, and in Canada in particular, immigration is the major driver of that growth. As more newcomers bring the tastes of home to Canada, and as Canadians, in general, become more open to new food and flavours, the demand for ethnic foods continues to rise at a rate of 5 percent per year in North America.

Overall, however, grocery store offerings are not increasing to reflect this growth, and nearly half of Canadians say they can’t find the ethnic foods and ingredients they’re looking for in their regular stores. All the while, Canadian grocery stores are fighting to beat the competition and to keep up with the changing demands of consumers.

One solution for grocery stores that would help them meet consumer demands and make customers happier is to offer more ethnic food options, including healthy international snack food items, staples, and beverages.

Dairy products specifically are an excellent option for category managers to consider. Consumers today are looking for healthy and natural foods and snacks that taste great and make them feel good about their food choices. Items like Indian yogurt, whipped butter, Greek yogurt, and other ethnic dairy products meet all the criteria that consumers are seeking, namely healthy, exciting, new, flavourful, and both exotic and familiar.

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