Key Trends in U.S. Hispanic Consumer Purchasing Behaviors Reflected in New Study from Acosta and TelevisaUnivision
Jacksonville, Fla. (Feb. 7, 2023) – As part of its ongoing work to understand how U.S. Hispanic grocery shopper behaviors differ from those of non-Hispanic shoppers, Acosta today released a new study in partnership with TelevisaUnivision, the world’s leading Spanish-language media and content company. This is the eighth study conducted in partnership with TelevisaUnivision by Acosta, a trusted sales and marketing services organization recognized for its shopper research expertise.
“There are several key takeaways from this study,” said Kathy Risch, SVP, Consumer Insights and Trends at Acosta. “Hispanic shoppers are very digitally savvy and are shopping online even more than they were in 2020,” she said. “In addition, we learned that while equally concerned about inflation, the Hispanic shopper is not as cost sensitive and is more focused on other brand attributes.” Also important, says Risch, “the in-store experience is highly valuable to Hispanic shoppers, interacting with products in the aisles, seeking recipe or meal suggestions and obtaining product information.”
How the Hispanic customer is shopping: in-store and online
A majority of Hispanic shoppers continue to choose to shop in-store, with two thirds (67%) of respondents saying they enjoy shopping for the experience, back to pre-pandemic levels. They enjoy browsing in the aisles, and 40% say they will try new items if recommended by friends or family.
Online shopping continues to grow, with 29% of Hispanic shoppers regularly shopping online for groceries. Nearly all (87%) Hispanic and non-Hispanic online grocery shoppers plan to spend the same or more online in 2023 as they did in 2022, with 34% of Hispanic shoppers saying they intend to spend more.
Whether online or in-store, this is a digitally savvy audience. Four in five of Hispanic shoppers (80%) are using digital apps, and these shoppers are also more likely to use a variety of digital tools to check for recipes, create lists or research events in their local communities, whether shopping online or in-store. Similarly, 79% of these customers have at least one shopper loyalty card, an opportunity for engagement wherever shopping is done.
Buying patterns, choices and economic influences
The study found that Hispanic shoppers are spending significantly more than non-Hispanic shoppers on food at home as well as food prepared outside the home, including restaurant meals, takeout and delivery.
“Interestingly, while having nearly identical levels of concern about inflation and an awareness of increased prices, Hispanic shoppers are less likely to notice higher prices across all categories, reflecting their greater focus on product ingredients, new offerings, brand story, and natural and organic products,” says Risch.
U.S. Hispanics are an economic powerhouse, contributing $2.8T (GDP) to the American economy and representing the 5th largest world GDP, tied with the UK and larger than India, Italy, Brazil and Canada, according to the Latino Donor Collaborative’s September 2021 “LDC U.S. Latino GDP Report”.
This audience of 62M+ is projected to represent 56% of U.S. population growth between 2021 and 2030, with those numbers even higher for Hispanics aged 18 to 49, per U.S. Census Bureau data. “Understanding the Hispanic shopper’s evolving purchasing behaviors and the drivers behind them are critical insights for brands and retailers,” concludes Risch.
