IRI: Hispanic Shopper Spending Up 200 Percent Since 2000

Hispanic shoppers account for one-sixth of the U.S. population (53 million people), and they’ve increased their spending by more than 200 percent since 2000, according to Information Resources Inc.’s (IRI) new HispanicLink

With purchasing power projected to surpass $1.7 trillion by 2017, this is a critically important segment for retailers of all types to attract and serve better, according to IRI’s HispanicLink 2014 segmentation, which links shopper attitudes directly to their purchase behaviors.

Like other shopper groups, Hispanics vary tremendously in terms of such demographics as income, age, country of origin, lifestyle, and the use of digital, social and mobile communication platforms and how that impacts their path-to-purchase. However, unique to the Hispanic population is variation based on level of acculturation. Some Hispanics continue to prefer Spanish-language media, speak mostly Spanish and live in tight-knit Hispanic communities. At the other end of the continuum are the many Hispanics who are completely integrated into American culture and lifestyles.

“Aligning a service and market offering with the needs of Hispanic shoppers is rapidly becoming a critical success factor for sustained CPG and retail growth,” said Staci Covkin, principal at IRI. “Recent IRI research has demonstrated that improved insights and activation of these shoppers can result in significant sales and market share uplift.”

IRI’s HispanicLink identifies three distinct shopper segments within the Hispanic population and draws comparisons among members of these segments and non-Hispanic consumers.

• Acculturated Hispanics. With a median income of $62,000, these shoppers are familiar with American culture and language, and tend to be more optimistic about the future. When shopping, acculturated Hispanics frequently want the best price or deal, and are willing to compromise on product quality to some extent. They also tend to be more digitally savvy and concerned with their physical appearance than non-Hispanics.
• Bicultural Hispanics. While shoppers in this segment are bilingual, they choose to follow Hispanic traditions and are more inclined to buy products that are specifically marketed to Hispanics. As shoppers, bicultural Hispanics are also the most digitally savvy of all groups, are most likely to try new things, and are heavy consumers of both English- and Spanish-language media.
• Unacculturated Hispanics. With more limited knowledge of English, shoppers in this segment rely on Spanish translations on packaging and buy products specifically marketed to them. Though money is often tight for many unacculturated Hispanics, they are passionate about eating healthy foods, and cooking fresh and traditional meals. Shoppers in this segment are also most likely to listen to and be influenced by advertising before buying a product.

Using the information gleaned about these three shopper segments, the new HispanicLink report provides an in-depth view of Hispanic shoppers across a wide variety of behaviors, such as their shopping habits, the emphasis they place on health and nutrition, and their cooking and eating trends.