Tiffins have been part of South Asian food culture for generations. TikTok has now put them in front of a much wider audience.
The viral #Tiffintok grew around short videos showing stacked lunch containers being opened layer by layer. The appeal is simple: each compartment keeps parts of a meal separate, and the stack turns a packed lunch into something people want to look at as well as use.
By tapping into the existing hype rather than trying to create it from scratch, stores can make tiffins feel current, relevant and instantly recognisable while keeping the focus on the product itself.
What is a tiffin?
A tiffin is a stacked lunch container, with separate tiers to hold different parts of a meal, such as rice, curry, vegetables, fruit, snacks or flatbread. The tiers stack together into one portable unit.
Tiffins are used for packed lunches, school and work meals, picnics, road trips, camping and food storage. They are especially useful for meals with separate components that should not be mixed before eating.
Why TiffinTok is catching attention
TiffinTok is catching attention because it turns an everyday lunch into something people want to watch. The stacked containers, the reveal of each dish and the mix of colour, variety and surprise make the humble tiffin naturally suited to short-form video.
But the appeal goes beyond the unboxing. For Indian and South Asian households, tiffins have long been a practical part of everyday food culture. TiffinTok is introducing that tradition to a much wider audience and giving retailers an opportunity to connect a familiar, useful product with a new generation of shoppers.
The trend creates curiosity amongst shoppers. For retailers already selling lunch boxes, food storage, cookware or South Asian grocery lines, that makes tiffinware a timely product to test and promote.
Features that make tiffins easy to sell
Separate tiers for different foods
A tiered tiffin gives customers a simple way to pack meals in parts. Rice can stay separate from curry, fruit from snacks, and bread from sauces until lunchtime.
Portable stacked design
Instead of carrying several loose containers, customers can stack their meal into one unit. This suits work bags, school lunches, picnics and travel.
Insulated options
Ramco's Insulated Tiffins have an insulated stainless steel designed to keep food hot or cold for extended periods. Its collapsible frame is also designed to make the container easy to handle and spill resistant. View the 1 Tier Insulated Tiffin.
A clear choice by meal size
Retailers can offer a simple choice rather than an overbuilt range: a single tier for a smaller meal, a two-tier option for a meal with separate components, and a three-tier option for customers who pack more variety.
Uses customers will understand straight away
- Packed lunches for work, school or university
- Home-prepared rice, curry, vegetable and bread meals
- Picnics, day trips and camping meals
- Snacks, fruit and separate meal components
- A reusable alternative to carrying several disposable containers
- A gift or practical kitchenware purchase for people who already know the tiffin format
How to merchandise tiffins in store
Use the momentum of #TiffinTok to make the range instantly recognisable to shoppers. Simple signage such as “As seen on TikTok – #TiffinTok” can help connect the product they have seen online with something they can pick up in store.
Make the display visual. Show the tiffins both stacked and open, with each tier visible, and position them alongside lunch boxes, food storage, reusable cutlery and insulated drinkware.
Retailers can also bring the trend into their own social content. Short videos showing each tier being opened, simple lunch-packing ideas or a comparison of the 1-, 2- and 3-tier options can turn an in-store product into shareable social media content.
The opportunity is to use the trend as the hook, then let the practicality of Tiffins make the sale.
Ramco Global wholesale tiffins
Ramco Global has a focused range of tiffins for Australian retailers:
Contact Ramco Global to discuss wholesale ordering.
Minimum order: $500 + GST + freight.