EDISON, N.J.-- To a casual observer, the descent of mostly Indian and some Pakistani operators onto the trade show floor underscores an empowerment of what some call the rise of the New Americans.
With thick accents and mixed attire, from Western to native, the hundreds of retailers, with common Indian surnames like Patel and Shah, wend through the aisles like any other convenience retailer, eyeing the latest trend as well as the reliable staples.
"Foodservice is the biggest thing right now," said Gary Patel, an operator of 10 sites from Massachusetts to Pennsylvania. "We've seen a lot of change in foodservice in the industry in the last two years. Also energy shots. That's very big too."
Patel is past president of the Asian American Retailers Association (AARA), founded in 2005, and which has swelled to close to 1,500 members in New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania. Last Thursday's trade show at the New Jersey Convention & Expo Center was the organization's largest, attracting 120 exhibitors, from local spirits and coffee companies to regional distributors and major national brands like Hershey and Coke.
"This is a good show for us, but it's a lot harder," said one exhibitor, who asked that his name not be used. "These are mostly 'onesies' and 'twosies.' They're mom and pops, so it's a lot more work than signing up a single account with 150 stores."
"At the same time," the vendor added, "if you sign up a few of them at this show and they're happy with your product, there's a good chance things will spread word of mouth, and we'll be in many of their stores."
And that's the beauty and fascination about a show like AARA. Many of the operators have lived in the United States for more than 10 years. And while most run one or two convenience stores, along with other businesses like delis and liquor stores, there is the occasional large player like H.R. Shah, CEO and chairman of Krauszer's, a 300-unit franchise operation based in New Jersey.
Shah migrated from India in the 1970s and accepted a job at a friend's grocery. About 20 years ago when the Krauszer's chain fell into bankruptcy, Shah, a well-established entrepreneur and philanthropist, acquired the 300-store outfit and its 1,300 employees. Over time, he would sell off most of the sites to store managers and other franchisees while he retained control of the Krauszer's name.
Proud of his accomplishments and of his brethren, Shah shared some insights into why many immigrants from South Asia embrace the convenience channel. "It is harder when you have a thick accent, when you have brown skin, when you come from another language.
He added, "In this business, you work hard, very hard; you can own your own business. You can be successful."
In a sense, it's the American Dream overcoming the prejudice many ethnic and racial groups confront upon arrival.
As for the trade show, Shah, along with AARA president Prashant Desai and meeting and convention planner Jignesh Vadgama, see further growth. "We started off with 30 or 50 people, and now we're at 1,500," said Desai.
Shah hopes to turn the show into a national event for South Asian immigrants. "I could see 5,000 [retailers] attending from the whole country. Just look out and see. It's going to grow."
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