It is common to see mom-and-pop ethnic grocery stores on street corners in big cities selling meat cuts and exotic fruits.

These days, you can also find them in and around Los Angeles and San Francisco areas. Among the most common and popular ones include local groceries with special flavors such as Asian, Eastern European, Halal, Indian, Kosher, and Middle Eastern.

The best thing about these ethnic grocery stores is that these are not only colorful businesses in the neighborhood but are also amazing places to shop. In the midst of shelves filled with foods of foreign labels, you can find several pantry staples such as beans and rice, a wide selection of fish and meat, and produce that is not just cheaper but is also fresher most of the time.

The following are some reasons to start shifting to ethnic grocery stores for your shopping needs:

Save More Money on Your Pantry Staples

During the early days of the pandemic, local grocery shops were emptied of shelf-stable items such as dried and canned beans. However, savvy shoppers discovered that most of their local ethnic stores still had plenty of rice and beans, and even toilet paper.

For most consumers, pantry staples such as beans and rice are the first step to shopping at local ethnic grocery stores. Buying in bulk is possible, letting you save on your budget for groceries.

Get Fresh Foods for Less

You can save more money when you buy your pantry staples at local ethnic grocery stores. However, if you really want to make the most out of these stores, don’t miss the chance to browse their meat and produce sections as well.

The fresh offerings are not like the ones you can find in your usual chain grocery stores and there is a simple explanation for this. Ethnic markets provide the exact things that are well-loved by their local communities. If you are an adventurous eater who wants to get your food as fresh as possible, ethnic grocery stores have a selection of high quality and fresh fish and meat for prices cheaper than those in grocery stores.

If you are mainly plant-based, there is also no need for you to worry since there are also more varieties available. Local ethnic grocery stores have various types of fresh greens, some of which might not be familiar with you. The best thing is that ethnic grocery stores offer great prices without compromising on the flavor or quality of their produce.

No Need to Worry about Quality

The cheap prices of ethnic grocery stores and their no-frills interior might make you question the quality of their offerings but, there is really no need for you to be. Ethnic grocery stores work with food warehouses that are smaller than those of chain grocery stores. This makes it likely for them to get delivers all day long.

Since they tend to stock less and have their products replenished more frequently, you can get your hands on fresh produce in bulk than at big box stores. The ethnic store owners get by with smaller footprint and lesser onsite storage of food, letting them save money that they can also pass on to you.

If you want to start shopping from ethnic grocery stores, Bakkal can make your shopping experience easier, faster, and more convenient than ever.