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Field Report: It's a big, diverse market. Don't try to paint it with a broad cliché.
By Juan Romero
It’s been well-documented that the Hispanic-American population is the most rapidly growing segment in the U.S. Less-well-documented is how retailers should address that market.
One thing is certain. It isn’t simply a question of how you design your stores. Hispanics’ needs are driven by issues far more complex than creating a culturally relevant decor. Burros and piñatas aren’t going to build and keep the loyalty of a market predicted to grow to $1.5 trillion in the next decade, when one in four Americans will consider themselves of Hispanic/Latino origin. You have to know and understand your customers, who they are, where they came from, what they want.
Hispanic-Americans come to the U.S. from countries throughout North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. And therein lie some important distinctions. Mexicans may not think, act or react like Puerto Ricans, Colombians, Cubans, Dominicans et al. But the differences don’t derive only from country of origin. There are cultural, generational and economic factors to consider, as well.
Generally, the first of any group that comes into the U.S. is driven by opportunity and the desire to bring families here for a better future. The key to success with the newly arrived is to provide solutions that meet their immediate needs and are provided in their native languages.
As they begin to integrate and the family expands – with children now educated in English – the cultural lines become blurred. Some are likely to shop anywhere that carries their preferred merchandise from the “old country.” Others seek out more-integrated environments that reflect their new multi-cultural experiences. Currently, in centers of large Hispanic populations, acculturation has taken on a new meaning. In these new population centers, “assimilation” has come to mean “fusion” – Mexicans wear Hollister apparel to Abuela’s traditional arroz con pollo Sunday lunch; Dominicans play a round of golf with Coronas and Cuban sandwiches. The experience is multi-cultural.
Economic Issues
Before retailers begin to analyze those cultural differences and similarities, they have to understand the economic drivers. There are primarily two types of Hispanics integrating into the U.S.: those who are coming here by choice and those by necessity. The first group, immigrating because they prefer the advantages of living in this country (or have chosen to leave for political reasons), tends to be mostly middle class and above. They have jobs, education and connections and have typical upper-middle class expectations for quality in products and services. They’re well-informed and eager to assimilate.
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