Retail Industry Zeroing In On Latino Consumers

At a retail conference in San Antonio, Texas this week more than 400 retailers from around the country are gathering to discuss, among other things, ways they can break into the growing Latino market. The Internal Council of Shopping Centers held its conference this week and The San Antonio Express-News noted:

According to recent Census data, Latinos accounted for more than half of the nation’s growth since 2000, and it is projected that by 2050 the Hispanic population will more than double. Lewis W. Stirling III, executive vice president of Louisiana-based Stirling Properties, said the average Hispanic consumer is about 28 years old, shops with family, and spends about 50 percent more time shopping than regular consumers.

The paper also reported that specialty stores, such as Latino markets La Michoacana and Fiesta, are concentrating on burgeoning populations in places like Texas and Oklahoma because they attract first and second generation Latinos. Then bigger chain stores reinvent themselves with a “Latino flavor” as H-E-B Mi Tienda, Supermercado de Walmart and Publix Sabor.

Interesting way to recruit customers. I know for my part my family definitely goes to commercial stores like Walmart for certain things, and then hope over to the mercado for other things — paletas, spices, produce, etc. I guess opening up an ethnic version of your store could help you recruit some more customers, but at the same time, those weekly family trips to the mercado are pretty hard to top.

Do you shop at mercados or big box stores? Would you go to the Latino version of a big box store?

Follow Sara Inés Calderón on Twitter @SaraChicaD