ABSTRACT
In New Zealand supermarkets, the volume of “ethnic” food products has increased substantially during the past two decades. This study explores the availability, location and shelf position of ethnic foods with a view towards determining how authenticity gets shaped in four New Zealand supermarket chains. The results indicate that ethnic food is primarily integrated into mainstream product lines, with some food aimed more specifically at ethnic populations, separated into specialist ethnic sections. Supermarkets identified as serving populations of higher socio-economic status tend to have a greater range of both mainstream and specialized ethnic products. Retailers and marketers must therefore negotiate the concepts of familiarity, risk, authenticity and convenience to appeal to increasingly multicultural mainstream audiences.
