NEWS FEATURE
27 JUNE 2025 ASIAN TRADER 11
range, we often get DMs as well asking
whether we have a particular range.
“All this help me gauge whether to stock
the product or not.
“If there is a constant buzz and lots of
queries, I usually buy 10 cases to start off
with,” Patel said.
Not a smooth ride
Keeping the social media trending products
in convenience stores seems like a sure shot
and shorter route to success, though the
reality is that this road is much bumpier than
it appears.
Supply chain challenges, pricing, and trend
volatility make it a tricky balancing act.
Patel explained, “It’s a constant conversa
tion with suppliers on what products are
becoming trendy. One needs to constantly
engage with suppliers to get the right range at
the right time at the right price.
“The irony here is that when we try to get
in there before to be the early ones to stock, at
that point the products are more expensive.”
Zeroing on what to stock is one thing and
finding a supplier which can offer the exact
range consistently is a different ballgame
altogether.
“Apart from price, consistency
of stock supply is also important. I
always try to get the stock from
my regular suppliers.
“Else, I have to find a new
supplier, start a new account, and
have to have a minimum order. In
such cases, one tends to buy more
stock than required.
“It can be a real Catch-22
situation.”
Also, another key thing to be
cautious about here is the fickle
nature of the online world where trends
collapse just as fast as they rise.
Sometimes, a viral product tends to
remain popular for a long time while many
other times, the popularity dies down in a
week, leaving retailers with not-so-popular
unsold stock.
Patel revealed, “To be on the safe side, I
usually try not to be impulsive and wait to see
how the trend is moving and how the buzz is
behaving.
“Only after I am convinced that there are
enough legs in the idea and there are lots of
customers asking for the product
on our Instagram and TikTok
handles, only then I decide to
stock the same.
“So far, we’ve been very lucky.
There have not been many
products that we have struggled
with or taken any wrong
decisions.”
Having become a pro at this
genre of retail game, Mamode
knows the pitfalls too well.
He echoes Patel’s sentiments, saying
success with viral products takes control, not
chaos.
“It’s not easy to get hold of the right
suppliers easily. And then there are always
chances of getting an oversupply,” he agreed.
With products like these there is a lot of
ambiguity, so any retailer venturing into this
area should keep in mind the expiry dates and
UK regulations as well, warned Mamode.
“In the past, there was a product range
which was in great demand. It came from
Australia with just three months of expiry
date. I ordered a large stock unknowingly.
“When it came, I had to drastically slash
the prices to almost one-tenth to clear the
stock well in time,” recalled Mamode.
“It’s a tightrope, to be honest. If I order too
much, I might end up with unsold stock. If I
don’t order enough, there’s a clear sales
opportunity lost,” he said.
Not a passing craze
Despite a few bumps, both retailers agree that
when done right, this model of trend-led
retail delivers returns that justify the risk.
Mamode is determined to further cement
the store’s image in Hampshire and Leicester
area to continue to maintain his
store as a go-to destination store.
The key is to have control on the
pricing.
“I am very particular about not
losing my customer base and
make sure to provide them the
best possible prices,” he said.
Both Patel and Mamode
handle their store’s social media
accounts themselves. Both in fact
are also active content creators,
often featuring in many of the
store’s marketing videos.
Sensing the momentum, supermarkets
are now investing in AI tools to monitor social
chatter, recipe trends, and restaurant buzz.
What once took months in product
development can now hit their shelves in just
a few weeks.
But even as the mults speed up, its
convenience retailers who hold the real edge.
With leaner operations and fewer layers of
bureaucracy, independents can make
stocking decisions overnight, often being first
to meet the demand triggered by viral hits.
Take the Dubai chocolate bar again, for
instance. The TikTok phenomenon has
recently inspired a wave of pistachio-laced
spin-offs across the multiples.
Yet long before supermarket SKUs were
ready, many savvy convenience stores had
already jumped in, sourcing trending variants
through specialist wholesalers and cashing in
on the craze in real time.
Being independent retailers and thus
independent decision makers too, Patel and
Mamode feel that they have a “clear cut edge
over supermarkets” when it comes to
stocking viral product ranges.
“We don’t have to think and contemplate
like supermarkets corporate setup. They get
embroiled in approvals, change of plano
grams, supplier agreements, etc,” Mamode
said.
Patel agrees, noting, “Supermarkets near
me only started stocking Dubai Chocolate a
couple of months ago while I have been
selling it since September last year.
“We managed to get on this viral trend
very early through our suppliers. Earlier, it
wasn’t cheap because it was something new.
Eventually, I managed to get in touch with
someone who was making them in London,”
he said.
By the time Dubai Chocolates started
becoming full blown viral, Patel had already
established his store as the go-to destination
for the same – and that too at reasonable
prices.
Despite the challenges and unpredictable
nature of such ranges, retailers who have
tasted success, remain determined to stand
their ground.
Patel said, “Gen Z and Gen Alpha aren’t
much swayed by TV anymore. They have their
own language and resonate with things that
they see on social media. FOMO [fear of
missing out] is high.
“I envision my store as a
destination store, a place where
young shoppers know they will
find exactly what they’re looking
for.”
It seems like viral products
aren’t just a passing craze.
They are influencing conveni
ence retail to some extent, giving
birth to a dynamic new model
that rewards those who move fast
and think local.
Nishi Patel