By Valentina Vignolo Love | TranslationsInLondon

Earlier this year, my family took a trip to New York. Naturally, I asked my 11-year-old daughter what she was most excited to see. Central Park? The Statue of Liberty?

Her answer? “Target.”

I laughed. We live in London. We have Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose. How different could it really be?

But as we wandered the wide, fluorescent-lit aisles of a Brooklyn Target, I saw what she meant. There was something undeniably fascinating about it — the bold packaging, the towering shelves, the snack aisle full of things I’d never seen in any British shop. It felt familiar, yet completely foreign. And that, in a way, is exactly what translation feels like too.

🛒 What Is Grocery Tourism?

This growing trend — often called “grocery tourism” — is about exploring everyday culture through supermarkets.

As highlighted in articles from The Guardian and The New York Times, there’s no better place to get a sense of a country’s values, habits, and emotional tone than in its snack aisle.

• The Guardian article (title: “Grocery store tourism: why a country’s secrets can be found in the snack aisle”, published July 24, 2024) explores how travel and grocery shopping intersect culturally.
• The New York Times (April 2, 2025) published a piece on “Travel Supermarket Tourism”, highlighting how travelers are increasingly using supermarkets to experience everyday life abroad.

Forget the museums. Want to understand a culture? Look at its cereal aisle.

📦 Language on the Shelf

As a professional translator, I couldn’t help but notice the linguistic choices on product packaging.

• 🇮🇹 Italy: Freschezza delicata – Delicate freshness, suggesting softness and elegance
• 🇬🇧 UK: “Eco-friendly clean” or “Gentle formula” – understated and practical
• 🇺🇸 USA: “MAXIMUM STRENGTH – KILLS 99.9%” – loud, confident, bold

Same product. Totally different tone. This is localization — where translation meets marketing, emotion, and culture.

🌍 Translation Is Cultural Curiosity

Supermarkets aren’t just about food — they tell us how people live. What’s considered convenient? What’s marketed as indulgent? What’s framed as healthy or safe?

These are the same questions we ask when translating for different markets. At TranslationsInLondon, we believe that great translation requires cultural empathy. Grocery tourism is the perfect metaphor — walking the aisles, noticing the subtle differences, and understanding the story behind them.

So yes, we visited the Met. We strolled through Central Park.
But what we still talk about?
The cereal aisle at Target.

📣 Need Translation That Speaks to Culture, Not Just Language?

At TranslationsInLondon, we help brands, legal teams, and creatives go beyond word-for-word translation. Our work is tailored, localized, and always culturally aware.

👉 Head to our contact page to get in touch or request a quote.

Valentina Vignolo Love is the Director of TranslationsInLondon, a UK-based agency specialising in culturally intelligent, high-quality translation.