January 07, 2010
Miami Hispanic Navarro Discount Pharmacies
Hispanic Market - Navarro Discount Pharmacies said yesterday that longtime supermarket industry executive Steve Kaczynski has been named chief executive officer of the 28-unit, Hispanic-focused chain.
Kaczynski succeeds Marcio C. Cabrera, managing director of Navarro's parent company, MBF Healthcare Partners, who was serving as the company’s interim CEO.
Kaczynski most recently was president and CEO of Bigg's, the Cincinnati-based supermarket chain owned by Supervalu, and has previously held executive positions with Wild Oats Markets, Giant Food Stores and Cub Foods.
“We are very excited to have an individual with Steve’s leadership ability and retail expertise as the chief executive officer of Navarro,” said Cabrera in a prepared statement. “In addition to his leadership skills, I believe that Steve’s expertise in merchandising and marketing will be essential in execution of the company’s future growth plans.”
Posted by Ahorre at 11:57 AM
November 17, 2009
Hispanic Pop-Up Retail Stores Latinos
Small Business Web Sites Tips - It's the time of year when a vacant storefront may morph overnight into a Christmas store, followed by a tax preparation office, then a garden shop. These so-called pop-up retailers date back a decade or more, but the opportunities abound this year in particular. It's a perfect time for small companies to take advantage of low rents and excessive commercial vacancies.
What is the "pop-up" concept, and what's driving it this year?
It's really an extension of the temporary holiday kiosks you see in regional malls. Small businesses get short-term leases to take advantage of peak season for their product or service, without making a long-term cost commitment. This year, there are historically high vacancy rates, creating an unprecedented buyer's market. Landlords are facing low demand for their vacated spaces, so they're motivated to be flexible in terms of price and time commitments from retailers.
What makes this opportunity viable for small retailers or startup entrepreneurs?
The key is that the retailer must experience a significant known seasonal spike in demand, at least in certain merchandise, and be able to secure a lease during that exact period. Otherwise, the pop-up concept won't make sense. How are you advising entrepreneurs to determine if this concept is right for them? They need to do a detailed cost-benefit analysis. What are your sales projections for the peak period? What's your cost structure? Can you afford to do a marketing blitz that brings customers in quickly? Also, how much will it cost you to set up and tear down the space? Retailers who open long-term locations amortize their setup costs over a five-year period. If you're there for three months, you have to assure that you can absorb that upfront cost and still be profitable.
How difficult is it for customers to find a store that's open during such a brief window?
In retail, except for restaurants, there's a concept called "maturity." It's the time frame required before a retail concept hits its stride. It takes time -- months maybe -- for consumers to realize you're there, try your concept, and then adjust their shopping patterns to incorporate your alternative. In a pop-up, that all has to happen very quickly. You have to do really heavy marketing to draw attention and draw people in immediately. That's why when you drive by the pop-up Halloween shops they look very garish.
What's the top marketing message right now?
In this economy, it's all about emphasizing value. If you're providing something that meets a need, at a certain point in the calendar, and you can get the word out that yours is going to be cheaper, that'll hit the spot. In different economic climate, you might emphasize something different -- like quality.
Years ago, you said, pop-ups were considered a place to test a new retail concept. Is that still a valid use today?
Yes, absolutely. For small businesses, a pop-up location can act as a barometer of potential future success. If sales at the pop-up location exceed expectations, the business has information to support a more permanent deployment. Again, the trick is that the consumer is so value-conscious right now that you may have a concept that's viable in a better economic climate. But today, even with low real estate costs, you won't get the response you're looking for. On the other hand, if you can make it in this climate, the chances are pretty good you can make it anytime.
Posted by Ahorre at 10:28 AM
November 01, 2006
Kohl Muebles Home Furnishing
Kohl's Corporation announced plans to launch a new home furnishings line by Cristina Saralegui in over two hundred stores and on Kohls.com in December.
Cristina, a 30-year veteran journalist and best known as the host and executive producer of "The Cristina Show," the leading U.S.-produced program on Spanish language television, developed Casa Cristina - a collection of beautifully designed, high quality home furnishings. Casa Cristina provides consumers with a broad selection of home furnishings that appeal to a wide range of design preferences. The line includes items that invoke a strong Hispanic design, as well as classically designed products with a Mediterranean influence.
Posted by Ahorre at 11:28 AM
October 01, 2005
Emerging Hispanic Market Study
Scarborough Research released an analysis of Hispanics in the U.S. and key emerging local markets for Hispanic consumers. The study unveiled five key Hispanic consumer segments, and then applied their characteristics to a local market analysis to identify the "next tier" of Hispanic cities.
The five key Hispanic consumer groups identified in the Scarborough study are as follows:
- "New Lifers" are foreign-born Hispanics who have been in the U.S. for an average of eight years. They have young children, and 61 percent prefer to speak Spanish mostly or exclusively. The average annual household income of New Lifers is about $40k. These consumers are more likely than other Hispanics to have had a child or been married over the past year, and 75 percent listen to Spanish radio.
- "Old Ways" are also foreign-born Hispanics. They have spent about half their lives in the U.S., have a mean age of 54, and 61 percent prefer to speak Spanish mostly or exclusively. Old Ways Hispanics have an annual household income around $47k. Sixty percent of this group resides in New York, Los Angeles, or Miami.
- "Settled In" are mostly U.S.-born Hispanics who have spent the majority of their lives in the U.S. They have a mean age of 43 and an annual HH income of $68k. Nineteen percent of these consumers prefer to speak Spanish mostly or exclusively. They are 69 percent more likely than other Hispanics to have an annual household income of $100k or higher, 31 percent more likely to have gone online during the past month, and are high mileage drivers.
- "The Pioneers," who are exclusively born in the U.S., have a mean age of 65 and an annual HH income of $50k. Twenty-one percent of this group prefers to speak Spanish mostly or only. These consumers are above average for cable use, and 47 percent of them reside in New York, Los Angeles, San Antonio or Albuquerque.
- "Young Americans," three-quarters of whom are U.S. born, have an average age of 26 and an annual HH income of $60k. Seventeen percent of this group prefers to speak Spanish mostly or only. These are the heaviest Internet users among Hispanic consumers, as they account for 43 percent of all Hispanics who spent 10 or more hours online during the past week. They watch music videos and listen to general market music formatted radio.
"The Hispanic marketplace is continuing to grow in the U.S., but Hispanics are not a homogeneous group and marketing efforts need to take into account their distinct demographic, media, shopping and lifestyle patterns," said James Collins, Senior Vice President, Information Systems, Scarborough Research. "With the creation of these Hispanic consumer groups, we are providing marketers with a road map to help them better understand how important factors such as language, age, media usage, and overall shopping patterns vary among Hispanics."
Scarborough analyzed these consumer groups against local U.S. markets. The analysis found that no two markets are alike, but there are clear indicators as to which cities will lead the next generation of Hispanic influence.
Atlanta, Washington D.C., and Wichita, KS, are cited in the analysis as critical, emerging Hispanic markets. The Hispanics in these cities are younger, have spent most of their lives in the U.S. and are in a higher income bracket. They tend to be putting down roots in their chosen areas and making a variety of big ticket household purchases, such as furniture and appliances.
To view full report CLICK below (Adobe Acrobat Reader required):
>http://www.scarborough.com/press_releases/Scarborough%20Research%20Hispanic%20Presentation%209.27.05.pdf
Posted by Ahorre at 10:42 PM
September 05, 2005
Hispanic Retail Stores
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- In what appears to be a major expansion of their marketing programs as well as their attitudes, many big U.S. retailers are spending more to target Hispanics as they do research to identify and develop Hispanic-designated stores.
Retailers ranging from home-improvement chain Home Depot and electronics giant Circuit City to department stores like JCPenney and discounters such as Target Stores are adding bilingual signage, collateral materials and staff and tweaking merchandise to appeal to a growing Latino community that accounts for 14% of the U.S. population but shops disproportionately in certain areas. See full story at adage.com - Mercedes M. Cardona.
Marketers can also compare the performance of Hispanic and non-Hispanic stores, or set different targets. JCPenney’s Hispanic-designated stores, working with Hispanic agency Dieste Harmel & Partners, Dallas, were supposed to grow 2% faster than others. In fact, the HDS stores grew sales by 11.2% from February through September 2004, compared to 6.6% for all JCPenney stores.
Posted by Ahorre at 02:52 PM
HEB Grocery Survives Walmart
By Mya Frazier (AdAge.com) Heb Grocery had eight grocery stores serving 57,500 people -- 40% of them Hispanic -- when Wal-Mart came to town in 1994. Within a year, Albertson’s, SuperKmart and two local operators closed, but H.E. Butt Grocery Co., a century-old family-owned supermarket chain with stores in both Texas and Mexico, took on Wal-Mart. H.E.B. battled with price, doubled the size of one store, added fuel services at another and stepped up advertising. Key to Success Story
* Not just Goya, perishables and other Spanish brands. * Hispanic Heritage and Local Patriotism. * Local Store, to Local Shopper by Local Employees. * H.E.B.’s tagline is “Low prices and a passion for quality.” * Test Monterrey, Mexico Promotions in Texas. * 3 Formats: traditional, Hispanic-oriented Fresh & Central Market.
Wal-Mart is still No. 1 - Even so, Wal-Mart has overtaken H.E.B. as the No. 1 grocer in Texas, with 321 stores. H.E.B., an $11 billion retailer, is second with 300 Texas stores and 21 in Mexico, where Wal-Mart is the No. 1 retailer. A new study by NOP World found that Wal-Mart was the most popular choice among U.S. Hispanics asked to name their favorite store. In a February telephone poll of 500 Hispanic adults, 36% called Wal-Mart their favorite store, way ahead of Target, JCPenney and Sears & Roebuck Co., all tied for second place at 4%.
Posted by Ahorre at 02:50 PM
September 03, 2005
Where Hispanics Shop
Hispanic OmniTel Retail Study revealing where Hispanic Americans are shopping and why. Asked to name their favorite store, Wal-Mart was far and away the top selection at 36% with JCPenney, Sears and Target tying for second place at 4%. While no one specific Hispanic store was selected by a significant percent of consumers, 5% of respondents named as their favorite a local store that caters to Hispanic Americans.
The new study was conducted in February 2005 among 500 Hispanic Americans aged 18 and older nationwide via telephone. Respondents were given the choice of completing the survey in English or Spanish.
Asked which factors are most important when deciding where to shop, Hispanic Americans cited the same priorities that other Americans have when choosing retailers-convenience, low prices, and a wide range of merchandise.
However, a critical second-tier of priorities that is unique to the Hispanic market is cited by about half of Hispanics as being "very important",
including store employees speaking Spanish, products relevant to Hispanic consumers and Spanish language signage. Following is a breakdown of factors considered very important in choosing a shopping destination:
Low prices - 77%
Convenient location - 72%
Wide range of merchandise - 71%
Employees who speak Spanish - 54%
Products relevant to Hispanic consumers - 52%
Wide range of payment options - 47%
Spanish signage - 47%
Product packaging and labels in Spanish - 43%
Owner is a member of the local community - 34%
Based on priorities of Hispanic shoppers it is no surprise that national discount chains such as Wal-Mart and Target are frequented even more often than local stores that specialize in serving Latino and Hispanic customers.
Asked about their retail shopping habits, following is a breakdown of the types of stores respondents say they shop in often:
National discount chain stores such as Wal-Mart or Target - 61%
Local stores that specialize in serving Hispanic and Latino customers - 37%
National home improvement stores such as Lowe's or Home Depot - 37%
National mid-priced department stores such as Kohl's, Sears or JCPenney - 31%
Specialty clothing stores such as the Gap or Old Navy - 19%
Electronics, entertainment or appliance stores such as Circuit City or Best Buy - 17%
National upscale department stores such as Macy's, Nordstrom or Lord & Taylor - 10%
Sporting good stores such as the Sports Authority - 8%
"The survey shows that mainstream national retailers such as Wal-Mart and Target are highly attractive to Hispanics, but that the key to differentiation stems from meeting and delivering the unique needs of Hispanic consumers," explains Brad Fay, Managing Director, NOP World's Roper Public Affairs. "To stand out with Hispanics, retailers need to consider offering such things as Spanish-speaking sales clerks, Hispanic-oriented merchandise, and Spanish language signage."
Birthplace Impacts Shopping Priorities
Digging deeper into the Hispanic market, the study uncovers significant differences between U.S.-born and foreign-born Hispanic consumers. Foreign-born respondents were significantly more attracted to the tailored offerings of local stores specializing in serving Hispanic customers with 42% saying they often shop in these stores vs. 26% of U.S.-born Hispanics.
While both groups select Wal-Mart as their favorite store, following is a breakdown of how their shopping priorities differ based on the factors they select as very important in deciding where to shop:
U.S.-born / Foreign-born
Low prices - 70% / 83%
Convenient location - 67% / 75%
Wide range of merchandise - 68% / 73%
Employees who speak Spanish - 33% / 69%
Products relevant to Hispanic consumers - 35% / 64%
Wide range of payment options - 35% / 55%
Spanish signage - 22% / 65%
Product packaging and labels in Spanish - 20% / 58%
Owner is a member of the local community - 28% / 40%
"One has to be careful to recognize that the Hispanic American market is not a single market, but rather consists of a diverse set of consumers based on differences in language and country of origin, among other factors," explains Fay. "Unless marketers carefully study this segment, they take a significant risk of missing the mark."
Posted by Ahorre at 11:38 AM
May 16, 2005
Supervalu Carlita Hispanic Private Label Brand
Supervalu introduced Carlita, its ambitious attempt to create a brand that will appeal to second- and third-generation Hispanic Americans but maintain some credibility with newly arrived immigrants.
With Carlita, the company hopes to create an authentic brand from scratch that will be more legitimate in the eyes of Hispanic shoppers than, say, Publix taco shells. East Coast retailer Stop & Shop is doing the same thing, having launched its Mi Casa line in 2003.
Posted by Ahorre at 02:57 AM
May 13, 2005
Mujer Latina en Macy's
La Opinion - Macy's se une a la batalla por la conquista de las mujeres hispanas. Este otoño Macy’s lanzará una campaña de publicidad con las curvas de la mujer latina en mente como su estrategia principal para llegar al mercado hispano.
Ahora la cadena de tiendas presentará una campaña dirigida a una mujer latina “inteligente y sofisticada”. Latinvox, con sede en Nueva York, se concentrará principalmente en la creación de campañas publicitarias en medios de difusión para Macy’s.
Posted by Ahorre at 11:23 PM
April 18, 2005
Heb Grocery Survives Walmart
By Mya Frazier (AdAge.com) How HEB Grocery Survives Walmart
Heb Grocery had eight grocery stores serving 57,500 people -- 40% of them Hispanic -- when Wal-Mart came to town in 1994. Within a year, Albertson’s, SuperKmart and two local operators closed, but H.E. Butt Grocery Co., a century-old family-owned supermarket chain with stores in both Texas and Mexico, took on Wal-Mart. H.E.B. battled with price, doubled the size of one store, added fuel services at another and stepped up advertising. Key to Success Story
* Not just Goya, perishables and other Spanish brands. * Hispanic Heritage and Local Patriotism. * Local Store, to Local Shopper by Local Employees. * H.E.B.’s tagline is “Low prices and a passion for quality.” * Test Monterrey, Mexico Promotions in Texas. * 3 Formats: traditional, Hispanic-oriented Fresh & Central Market.
Wal-Mart is still No. 1 - Even so, Wal-Mart has overtaken H.E.B. as the No. 1 grocer in Texas, with 321 stores. H.E.B., an $11 billion retailer, is second with 300 Texas stores and 21 in Mexico, where Wal-Mart is the No. 1 retailer. A new study by NOP World found that Wal-Mart was the most popular choice among U.S. Hispanics asked to name their favorite store. In a February telephone poll of 500 Hispanic adults, 36% called Wal-Mart their favorite store, way ahead of Target, JCPenney and Sears & Roebuck Co., all tied for second place at 4%.
Posted by Ahorre at 01:26 PM