Over 6 million dog owners are latinos, are they shopping in your store?

Video: Robbery fail: Clerk takes armed man’s gun in funny convenience store holdups compilation

Written by Ana Lydia Ochoa, padma media & marketing, and proud mother of Chatito, a grey pug

There’s a sense of pride when a Latino says “tenemos todo en casa,” which loosely translates to “we have everything in our home.”  Whereas, the American culture has an endless need to simplify or outsource its life, Hispanic consumers take pride in having everything they need at home.  It isn’t a matter of saving money or ‘saving time.’  

Taping into the ‘pride’ of Hispanic consumers when they shop for pet care items, food or other ‘must have’ pet products, you can maximize your sales, and most importantly, establish a relationship with a loyal consumer.

Video: P Diddy Bad Boys of Comedy "Rasheed" Now on Hulu

Already the nation’s largest minority group, the U.S. Hispanic population will triple in size to 128 million by 2050, making up 29 percent of the U.S population, according to projections by the Pew ResearchCenter.  And, a survey conducted by the Humane America Animal Foundation in Los Angeles, California shows that over 14 percent of Latinos have a dog. 

Do the math – you are loosing a valuable income base if you are not creating marketing programs and outreach initiatives to reach to the Hispanic consumer.  Most importantly, do you carry products that would interest a Latino pet owner?

Video: No Parents! (OFFENSIVE)

Latinos may not consider a pet as an additional family member – yet.  But, Latinos take pride in having a healthy pet with ‘everything’ it needs at home.  Think ‘large/oversized’ food bags, shampoo, outdoor doghouses & fencing, nail clippers and vitamins.  

This hodge-podge of products, a variety of established and well-known brands and a genuine interest in helping the consumer navigate the shelves without being overbearing, will instill a level of trust that will create sales for you.

Think of this ‘real’ scenario of two pet stores that opened less than 200 ft from each other in a small suburb of Los Angeles eight years ago.  The first store carried well-known, nationally recognized pet food brands in large sizes, a variety of pet shampoos and pet toys for large breeds.  The second store carried a variety of pet outfits, cutesy collars and a variety of squeaky toys. 

The first store had amazing service, the second ‘assumed’ that the Hispanic consumer didn’t have the disposable income to purchase their products.Fast forward to today.  The second store closed.  But wait!  The first store relocated to a 1,000 sf location directly across the street from their original location – more than eight times larger than their original store.  The second never reopened.This larger location has now increased their product mix to now include ‘some’ pet outfits and a sampling of newer organic pet care lines.  They have also added premium pet care products, bird feed and cages, among other items.

Their success began with their service and understanding that the client was the guide to which products to have, or not.  Consumers trusted their advice and when it was time to ‘sell-up’ the consumer listened.  How could they not?  The store had served them well and had the products that the other (local) competing pet store didn’t.Although Asian immigrants that did not speak or understand Spanish own the store, they eventually hired bilingual salespeople.  To further strengthen trust with the local community, the store also advertised in the local Hispanic newspapers and created a loyalty card. They did not see marketing as an additional expense – it was a tool to grow their business.  And grow it did!

Although I am no longer a regular shopper to this great success story, my mother shares with pride that Chico (her American Bulldog) “tiene todo en casa” to be a happy, healthy and well-maintained dog, by shopping regularly at the local pet store.  Her recent purchase, including a “Kong” was, of course, recommended by a salesperson.

Video: Sneaker Shop Pranks!

Padma media & marketing meets the communications, marketing and advertising needs of consumer-products, entertainment, fashion and beauty companies, by creating strategic communications initiatives that target the youth & urban markets, trendsetters, professionals and female consumers, with a specialized emphasis in the U.S. Hispanic consumer market. Our agency name uses the Sanskrit name for lotus flower, padma,to symbolize our commitment in bringing clarity to our clients messages, and to help them emerge as leaders in their category.

Reviews & Comments