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Aisles of Discovery: What Loon Fung Taught Us About the Future of Grocery
We only meant to pop in. Honestly. A casual visit to see the newly opened Loon Fung in New Malden – stretch the legs, grab a snack, pretend we weren’t going to buy eight different types of noodles.
But like all good retail surprises, it escalated quickly.
The moment we stepped inside, we were hit with that unmistakable sensory cocktail: fresh herbs, sizzling spices (even though they were still in their jars), vibrant packets vying for attention, families weaving expertly through trolleys. It felt less like shopping and more like stepping into a bustling, joyful food market.
And somewhere between the chilli pastes and the frozen dumplings, we realised we weren’t just in a supermarket. We were in the middle of a shift – the kind of shift retail strategists talk about but rarely get to feel in real time.
Asian supermarkets aren’t having a ‘moment’ – they’re reshaping the high street.
You can feel it across London. Specialist Asian supermarkets – once tucked away in cultural enclaves – are expanding, thriving, and attracting a noticeably broader crowd.
And yes, the data backs up what our eyes saw:
Grocery isn’t slowing down.
Even with inflation lingering near 4.7% in late 2025, UK grocery sales kept climbing, and shoppers continued making around 17 store trips a month – the highest footfall in years.
Grocery isn’t slowing down.
Even with inflation lingering near 4.7% in late 2025, UK grocery sales kept climbing, and shoppers continued making around 17 store trips a month – the highest footfall in years.
Independents and symbol groups are quietly winning.
Many specialist and convenience-format retailers posted sales growth of around 4.1%, proving that customers still want local, interesting, well-curated shops.
And Asian supermarkets?
They’ve gone from “niche” to “next big thing” – with more than 230 across London alone, and new openings from chains like Oseyo expanding into lifestyle-focused formats.
This isn’t a trend. It’s a cultural shift – one that Loon Fung embodies with absolute confidence.
Our Loon Fung moment: Where retail meets real life
Let’s be honest: retail leaders don’t always get to be shoppers. We spend our lives looking at dashboards, roadmaps, and post-implementation reports.
But at Loon Fung, it was impossible not to be swept up in the actual human experience.
We watched a couple enthusiastically debating which hotpot base to buy (‘spicy’ or ‘very spicy’ – it got philosophical). A teenager was FaceTiming a friend for live kimchi-shopping guidance. An older gentleman held up a bunch of fresh lemongrass with the reverence usually reserved for antiques.
It was warm, it was lively, and it was very real.
Five things every retail leader should take from a trip like this
The beauty of a store visit is that insight arrives in small moments – often more valuable than a month of reports. Here’s what stayed with us:
1. Physical stores still matter – when they give people a reason to turn ups
Loon Fung is proof that stores can still captivate. It’s not about flashy tech or clever gimmicks; it’s about being somewhere worth being.
2. Authenticity is a superpower
Asian supermarkets win because they are unapologetically themselves. No watered-down assortment. No half-hearted ‘world foods’ aisle. Just the real thing, thoughtfully presented.
3. The new definition of ‘mainstream’ is multicultural
The products that once felt specialist – gochujang, pandan, fish-cake skewers – are now everyday staples in many homes. Retailers who embrace this shift early will keep their assortments relevant and exciting.
4. Omnichannel should elevate the store, not eclipse it
Online grocery continues to grow – but footfall keeps proving the store is alive and well. For those of us in retail tech, this is a reminder: it’s not digital versus physical. It’s digital with physical – each making the other better.
5. Real insight happens on the shop floor, not the slide deck
You can’t smell coriander through a dashboard. You can’t hear a customer saying, “I’ve always wanted to try that!” from a spreadsheet. You can’t feel a store’s energy through a KPI.
Retail is a human business – and sometimes the best strategy session is a wander down the noodle aisle.
A reminder of why we do this
We left Loon Fung with bags heavier than planned (a familiar occupational hazard). But more importantly, we walked away with a renewed sense of what retail can be: vibrant, surprising, emotional and wonderfully human.
In a world increasingly shaped by automation, cost pressures and digital efficiency, stores like Loon Fung remind us that retail is still – and will always be – about people.
For CIOs, Heads of Retail, and anyone shaping the future of this industry, that’s not just a warm sentiment. It’s a strategic truth.
Because grocery isn’t just about filling baskets. It’s about filling lives – with flavour, culture and connection.
And in New Malden, on an ordinary afternoon in an extraordinary supermarket, that truth couldn’t have been clearer.
