Spending by Hispanic consumers for food at grocery and other food stores has grown more than 80% over the past decade, more than twice the growth rate registered by consumers on average. Hispanic consumers have long been a key element in the growth strategies of food marketers. With the continuing dispersal of Latinos into areas not traditionally known for substantial Hispanic populations, Hispanic food shoppers represent a rapidly growing segment of the customer base of grocers throughout the country.
Hispanic food shoppers offer a rich but potentially bewildering opportunity for food marketers and retailers. In Los Angeles, for example, stocking the shelves for the “Hispanic” food shopper means understanding the preferences and traditions of shoppers who are mainly Mexicans but also include a substantial population of Salvadorans and Guatemalans. In Miami food stores need to satisfy the expectations of Cubans, Colombians, Venezuelans, Hondurans and Nicaraguans. In New York they need to cater to Puerto Ricans and Dominicans along with shoppers from a wide variety of other countries in Central and South America.
Hispanic Food Shoppers in the U.S. offers critical insights into what food marketers and grocers can do to attract and retain the loyalty of Hispanic food shoppers. One key issue addressed by the report is whether new generations of U.S.-born Latinos have already changed the ground rules for connecting with Hispanic consumers through Spanish-language media and advertisements that appeal to their Latino heritage. Another thread running throughout the report demonstrates how the national heritage of Hispanic shoppers affects what they buy—and don’t buy—in food stores. The report also takes an in-depth look at how the diet, culinary preferences, shopping patterns and buying habits of Hispanic food shoppers create significant opportunities for marketers and retailers.