V-Mart International Market

176 Narragansett Ave, Providence, RI 02907
History of the Store
With one other location in Lowell, V-Mart International Market has two branches in the New England area. According to a worker that I interviewed briefly, the supermarket was established by a Vietnamese entrepreneur about 10 years ago, which implies that it opened relatively about the same time as Good Fortune Supermarket in Providence. However, It has a large Southeast Asian focus compared to Good Fortune, with most goods imported from Vietnam and Thailand.

Based on some observation, the supermarket also serves a very diverse demographic ranging from Vietnamese people to African Americans. Most customers are families coming to get ingredients in bulk once or twice a month, since V-Mart tends to sell large bulks of goods at relatively cheaper prices. The stores does not have much decoration or any homely atmosphere, reflected by the capacious space and pure white walls. The store features a designated area for customers to obtain free cardboard boxes, encouraging the reuse of the numerous empty containers left after stocking. This initiative potentially promotes sustainability and reduces waste.
Product Categories
With a majority of imported goods from Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam and Thailand, it is easy to purchase all the ingredients for Southeast Asian dishes like Pho and spring rolls. Interestingly, the store also has a very large selection of American goods, and you can easily see dried pasta and Vietnamese rice paper placed on the same shelf. Although the market does not have a specific bakery section, there are two boxes for the Vietnamese bread where you can get the loafs for 85 cents each.

Because the store has a very frigid atmosphere without much decoration, it might not be an ideal destination for a fun cultural shopping trip with your families or friends. However, if you are the shopper for a large family and wish to get both some American goods and some ethnic goods in one stop, V-Mart is very appropriate since the price for large bulks are usually cheaper and the setting avoids much distractions for you to get the errands done quickly and efficiently.
Photographs taken
in Dec 2023

Produce

Dried Goods

Snacks and Drinks

Refrigerated

Frozen

Store View/ Others

Household Supply