Gigi's Oriental Market, Inc. — Local services in Lakeland

Edit: 6 years later and I still stand that Gigi's is the best asian grocery store Lakeland has to offer. I will also say - in 6 years, she has really expanded her product selection. I never have to go to Tampa or Orlando to find my every day cooking items anymore. I can do it all at her store now. She's got a little bit of everything, Food, cooking and household items, even some Korean beauty products and sheet masks. I can spend forever just looking around her store because there's always something I've never noticed before.

It's fun to talk to her and she always gives me tips on how to make my recipes (she can usually tell what I'm making by what I buy). She's always so helpful and her homemade kimchi is excellent (although I do add a bit of sugar because I prefer my kimchi a little sweeter than how she makes it).

I love this place and I always talk about it when I'm talking about cooking asian food to my coworkers and friends. This is such a gem in Lakeland.

I recently did a survey of all of the Asian groceries in Lakeland after a disappointing experience with instant miso soup packets at Publix. After going to all three Lakeland has to offer (Asian Food Mart, SV Oriental Market, and Gigi's Oriental Market), Gigi's is my pick for best in Lakeland. It's pretty small, but Lakeland is a city with a next to nothing Asian population so it's to be expected.

Gigi's is the cleanest and doesn't look nearly as sketchy as SV Oriental Market and Asian Food Mart. Gigi's also has the best variety vegetables and meats/frozen food. You can also buy multiple varieties of home made kimchi (I saw napa cabbage, cucumber, and radish) and even some Korean ice cream. Selection of canned/dried food and sauces is better at SV Oriental Market, but I didn't examine the quality too closely, so if you're wary of Chinese stuff, that bit of information may not be all that useful. Labeling on the shelves of what items are what is pretty good, so don't let packaging deter you if you only speak English.

Biggest point to Gigi's comes in customer service. Out of all three, Gigi's was the only place I was truly treated like a customer and like it was okay for me to shop in the store. The service at the other two weren't bad, per se. They weren't rude to me or anything like that, but as a non-asian person, I was not comfortable being in the other stores and my existence was mostly ignored. Gigi greeted me right upon entering and it genuinely seemed like she wanted to help me with things or answer questions if I had any. I was mostly there to browse and didn't ask for assistance, but I would have felt comfortable asking if I needed to.

Bottom line: not as good as the bigger groceries in Tampa or Orlando, but definitely acceptable if you don't want/can't drive out to a bigger city. At the very least, I'll be out there whenever I need my...

Gigi is absolutely amazing. She and her family make you feel welcome and warm. I can confidently say that it’s a hidden gem in our community! From the moment my children and I walked in, we felt welcomed and appreciated, not just as a customer, but as part of the family. The staff at Gigi’s go above and beyond to make you feel comfortable and valued.

Whether you're a regular or a first-time visitor, they always take the time to chat, answer questions, and offer helpful recommendations. I was particularly impressed by how patient and kind they were when I was looking for some specific ingredients I hadn’t been able to find elsewhere. The owner even took the time to point out a few new products I might enjoy, and I left with some fantastic finds that I wouldn’t have discovered otherwise.

The store itself is always clean, organized, and stocked with a wide range of fresh produce, spices, snacks, and traditional items you won't find in your typical supermarket. What really sets them apart, however, is their genuine dedication to making sure their customers have the best shopping experience possible.

It’s rare to find such a blend of great selection, quality products, and excellent customer service. My family and I love to visit here as often as we can. If you haven’t checked them out yet, do yourself a favor and support this wonderful local business. Please try the kimchi! It’s the best we have had since...

After a few good visits at Gigi's we happened to overhear a "Karen" attempting to harrass the store owner over a product she felt "wasn't worth the price being asked". Well we spite bought the "overpriced" item after hearing Karen tell the owner "no one was ever going to buy this product and good luck." After inspecting the item when we got home with it I realized Karen wanted Gigi to give her Wagyu korean style spare ribs for $10.00!! Let me clarify for you karen, one pound of ny strip wagyu beef goes for $120.00, you can get your basic ny strip for $20.00. The price for these ribs where beyond reasonable in fact it was a steal and let me tell you they where melt in your mouth delicious! my husband is a steak maniac and he prefers these ribs over any expensive cut we've had including a $150 dry aged tomahawk. I've also made it a point to check their mark-ups based on other complaints and you're not gonna beat their prices. We love Gigi's and will continue supporting this...