A growing interest in exotic flavours among younger shoppers and university students is driving sales in the world food category, symbol groups, retailers and suppliers have said.

Keely Bolger, category assistant at Costcutter, said world foods is a huge growth area for the symbol group's university shops.

"The stores that have the strongest sales are those that adjust their ranges to different cultural tastes and offer home comforts to international students," she said. 

With an increasing number of overseas students, she added, it is important for retailers to understand and tailor ranges to suit campus demographics. 

Kristian Bennett, who runs University of Nottingham’s SU Spar campus store, said since the refit at its Jubilee campus in spring, he has dedicated 50% more space to Oriental and American foods.

“It’s important for retailers based near or on university campuses to cater to their demographics. For example, 25% of our university’s students are international, and because we have campuses in China, we have a lot of students studying in the UK for the term. As a result of the refit, our sales of world foods have increased,” he said.

Debbie King, director of commercial sales and marketing at Cofresh, added more students are looking for bolder, spicier foods, alongside snacks that are considered healthier compared to traditional savoury snacks. 

“We know young people are more health-conscious and are increasingly looking for ‘guilt free’ snacks which fit with their lifestyles and diets, but they’re also looking for something different in terms of taste and texture,” she said.

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