AN array of Asian products are available in Whakatāne at the new Oriental Grocer.

The new Boon Street store has been open for almost three weeks, with open hours every day of the week from 9am until 7pm.

Filipino, Malaysian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai and Vietnamese products are available at the store, and the owners are looking for customer input to bulk up the stock.

Marketing manager Jovial Intervencion said the grand opening on Saturday, June 22, was well received, and the owners were grateful for the supportive response from locals.

“The opening was amazing; we had a queue outside, and about 60 percent of customers came back on the Sunday, too,” he said.

Four couples have teamed up as shareholders of Oriental Grocer to make these products available to Whakatāne.

Shareholder Katrina Intervencion said all the shareholders had noticed a need for this store in the community.

“There was a desire for convenience and accessibility to Asian products. A lot of people, including us, were travelling to Rotorua, Tauranga and even Auckland to get these products,” she said.

“Ten years ago, a store like this would not have been sustainable. There’s been a change in the landscape; people in Whakatāne have a real interest in cooking this food.”

“So far, we have ordered what we think people will like, but we don’t have a magic crystal ball.

“We ask our customers to make requests. We’ve had plenty of requests, and so far, we have been able to get the products,” she said.