The Asian population is growing, but the mainstream supermarkets don’t seem to have noticed, reports Nikki Mandow

Wednesday, May 26 2004 || BY Nikki Mandow

Can you name New Zealand’s third largest supermarket chain? New World? Woolworths? 3 Guys? All wrong. It’s Tai Ping Trading, an Auckland-based group specialising in importing food for the Asian market. OK, the question is sneaky because all New Zealand’s main supermarket brands are owned by two huge groups — Progressive Enterprises and Foodstuffs. Although Tai Ping Trading is number three it only has six supermarkets — so far. But Tai Ping has grown enormously from one small supermarket when it was founded 20 years ago. And the increasing Asian-ification of the New Zealand retail scene is just one manifestation of a growing trend.

http://unlimited.co.nz/unlimited.nsf/growth/asian-food-dollars-go-east

Tags: Tai Ping

Four pig carcasses hang from the stark white ceiling. Heads down, trotters up, they form an unusual supermarket display to your everyday shopper. Two Chinese butchers, one thin, one heavy, stand in front of the pigs, behind an impressive meat display, which includes Western staples such as gravy beef alongside more exotic offerings of pig stomachs, chicken feet and pork mince (proudly labelled ‘fatty’).

To the side is a large fishmonger’s, with tray upon tray of ice-packed fish — heads on, no delicate fillets here. Store-length aisles are packed with bottles of oils and sauces, jars of pastes and pickles, and vacuum-sealed packets of dried squid and bean curd propped up with huge, 25kg sacks of Thai jasmine rice stacked on pallets. Shoppers are serenaded by the constant chatter of a local Chinese radio station. 

Sunday, March 02 2008 || BY Lesley Springall

http://unlimited.co.nz/unlimited.nsf/growth/ka-ching-tai-ping

Tags: Tai Ping

ai Ping Trading has expanded to five stores in Auckland, but unlike smaller rivals, who typically classify themselves as fruiterers and greengrocers, Tai Ping is primarily a food importer, says managing director Wayne Chan.

Since Chan’s father Peter first gained an import licence 30 years ago, the family-owned and run company has grown to become one of the biggest importers and wholesalers of Asian food. Today the company ships in about 400 containers of groceries a year, employs more than 100 people and has a multimillion-dollar turnover (Chan refused to be more specific).

The company sources products from China, Thailand, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Korea and even Holland, selecting the most popular brands for everyday cooking. These are held at the company’s warehouse in Guangdong, China, before being shipped to its headquarters and its 3,700 square metre warehouse in Penrose, Auckland, from which four trucks daily deliver Asian staples to its own stores, its smaller rivals, and takeaways and restaurants nationwide.

Chan — who now runs the company founded by his father, mother Lois and uncle Bill Fong — says it’s a complex business to run given the vast choice of Asian products available. That problem is compounded by the fact Asian tastes differ not just from country to country but within countries. For example, people from North China prefer buns to rice and when they do use rice, they want short grain not long grain. Further north tastes differ again due to Russian influences. 

Tags: Tai Ping

Shopping at the Chinese Supermart, Tai Ping, New Lynn Posted on August 11, 2012 by kimy Each weekend I would do the shopping with mum in law who does all the cooking. Yes, indeed home cooked meals every day without me lifting a finger. Baby Lissa likes to come along to help carry the goodies. Tai Ping is certainly a very well stocked supermarket with goods coming from all parts of the world. However the products mainly catering towards the asian/chinese flavours. The majority owners are Michael Chan, Peter Chan and Lois Chan. They do involve other minority shareholders in the other stores that they have throughout Auckland. I recall in the early days they operated out of a single store off customs street in Auckland City, the number of Tai Ping stores number at least 10 now throughout the different suburbs in Auckland

http://whatthatman.com/shopping-at-the-chinese-supermart-tai-ping-new-lynn/

Tags: Tai Ping

Shopping at the Chinese Supermart, Tai Ping, New Lynn Posted on August 11, 2012 by kimy Each weekend I would do the shopping with mum in law who does all the cooking. Yes, indeed home cooked meals every day without me lifting a finger. Baby Lissa likes to come along to help carry the goodies. Tai Ping is certainly a very well stocked supermarket with goods coming from all parts of the world. However the products mainly catering towards the asian/chinese flavours. The majority owners are Michael Chan, Peter Chan and Lois Chan. They do involve other minority shareholders in the other stores that they have throughout Auckland. I recall in the early days they operated out of a single store off customs street in Auckland City, the number of Tai Ping stores number at least 10 now throughout the different suburbs in Auckland

http://whatthatman.com/shopping-at-the-chinese-supermart-tai-ping-new-lynn/

Tags: Tai Ping