For four decades, 99 Ranch Market has been a beloved fixture in Asian-American communities, known for its curated selection of imported pantry staples. But its reach rarely extended beyond metropolitan hubs in California, Seattle, Texas and New York City.
As demand for Asian groceries grew across the United States, 99 Ranch saw an opportunity to serve a broader customer base through digital innovation. The company began exploring ecommerce during the pandemic, launching its own direct-to-consumer channel and testing new fulfillment models. But reaching customers beyond its store footprint remained a challenge, prompting 99 Ranch to look for scalable solutions that could match its national ambitions.
That changed in December 2024, when 99 Ranch became the first Asian grocery chain to join Temu as a local seller. The partnership enabled 99 Ranch to distribute nationally through Temu’s fast-growing ecommerce platform — connecting with new customers from coast to coast.
“Temu’s rapid growth in ecommerce caught our attention, and we wanted to be early to tap on the potential,” said James Ho, Senior Director of Ecommerce at 99 Ranch. “It’s opened up markets we could never reach with stores alone.”
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This leap into digital scale reflects a broader transformation in grocery retail. Online grocery shopping has evolved from a premium convenience to a pandemic-era necessity and now into a default choice for everyday consumers. This shift has created a critical growth channel for retailers seeking to expand their reach and stay competitive in a rapidly changing market.
While national chains have quickly built out their digital infrastructure, regional and specialty grocers have faced steeper hurdles. Expanding beyond local delivery zones requires significant investment and logistical coordination — barriers that are especially high for businesses offering niche or culturally specific products. For many, scaling online has remained out of reach without strategic partnerships or platform support.
For 99 Ranch, that turning point led to a reassessment of how it could grow beyond its store footprint.
Expanding Access Through Ecommerce
Founded in 1984, 99 Ranch has grown into one of the largest Asian supermarket chains in the United States, with 63 stores across 11 states. Its core offering — authentic Asian flavors for everyday cooking — earned it a loyal following, but store expansion proved capital-intensive.
While its DTC site and partnerships with Instacart, Uber Eats and DoorDash offered convenience, they remained bound by store proximity. Through Temu, an ecommerce platform known for its wide selection of affordable products, the company unlocked national distribution almost overnight by shipping directly from its centralized warehouse in California.
From Retailer to Digital Leader
99 Ranch recognized that marketplace platforms could accelerate digital reach. Rather than building and maintaining all backend infrastructure in-house, the company leveraged Temu’s seller tools to go to market faster and at lower cost.
“We’re not a tech company,” Ho said. “It was costly to keep our DTC app updated frequently to meet customer expectations. Marketplaces like Temu let us focus on what we do best — sourcing great products and delivering excellent service.”
Temu’s infrastructure gave 99 Ranch a turnkey solution for listing, fulfillment and customer service, reducing operational friction and increasing speed to scale.
Gaining Momentum on Temu
Since scaling operations in February 2025, 99 Ranch has seen average biweekly sales growth of 20% on Temu.
“We didn’t expect it to ramp this quickly,” Ho said. “By month three, we were seeing double-digit growth every two weeks. That kind of velocity is rare in grocery.”
With strong and growing demand, 99 Ranch is now better positioned to restock faster and negotiate better terms with its vendors, according to Ho.
Scaling for the Future
Despite stocking over 6,000 SKUs in its warehouse, only about 2% are currently listed on Temu. The company sees significant headroom for growth. Its goal over the next six months: triple daily sales by expanding its online catalog, launching exclusive promotions and completing deeper integration with the platform.
To support that vision, 99 Ranch is investing in additional ecommerce staff, scaling its logistics team and adopting automation tools to accelerate product uploads and fulfillment.
“It’s not just about revenue,” said Ho. “Temu is helping us build the kind of infrastructure we need for sustainable digital growth. Once full integration is in place, I believe we can 10X what we’re doing now.”
