Majority of Hispanic consumers show little interest in low carb

Drug Store News, June 21, 2004 by Michelle L. Kirsche

Recently, the word "diet" has been replaced by "lifestyle" when referring to consumption of low-carb foods, indicating that this trendy way of eating is assimilating into a way of living. But when one's way of living is deeply rooted in social, cultural and economic factors, diet trends like the low-carb phenomenon are less likely to impact consumption. While today's Hispanic consumers represent diverse backgrounds, common threads indicate that the group as a whole is less likely to embrace the low-carb lifestyle compared with non-Hispanics.

The low-carb diet, which severely restricts carbohydrate intake, doesnt seem to resonate with Hispanic-American consumers, whose carbohydrate-rich food pillars are steeped in heritage and tradition. Potatoes, corn and rice, for example--all loaded with carbohydrates--are staples in the South American countries of Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Columbia, while corn and beans, also high in carbohydrates, are Mexican staples.

"The question is: To what extent are ethnic groups heavily influenced by, or do they participate in, diet trends such as those that have emerged over the past several years? posited Ken Shore, executive vice president of Blue Chip Marketing and Communications.

Acculturation also may influence whether Hispanic consumers adopt the low-carb lifestyle. A survey of 1,650 Hispanic consumers, co-sponsored by Advo, the Food Marketing Institute and New American Dimensions, divided the study population into four segments based on demographics and attitudinal and shopping behaviors. Three of these segments were highly unlikely to buy in to the low-carb trend.

According to the research, roughly 20 percent of Hispanic shoppers--typically the least acculturated-tended to shop for familiar brands and were much less likely to try new ones, including low-carb products, regardless of whether they were on sale. Budget shoppers, making up 25 percent of the survey population, while also minimally acculturated, were much more responsive to sale prices. The largest segment, impulsive shoppers, comprised 30 percent of those surveyed and consisted of individuals who lived in the United States the longest, but used food as a way to pass their Hispanic identity on to their children.

The most acculturated group comprised the last 25 percent of shoppers. Those shoppers took a more educated approach to shopping, were less concerned about traditional Hispanic products and were more likely to shop across different channels--in short, the most likely segment to purchase a low-cab product.

Further suggesting that acculturation plays a major role in determining shopping habits, only 9 percent of foreign-born Hispanics prepare meals using convenience foods, according to Thomas Tseng, an ethnic marketing research expert. Meanwhile, their more acculturated counterparts cook homestyle Hispanic meals 45 percent of the time and buy packaged foods to fill in for the other 55 percent, according to FMI.

Other factors equally intrinsic to Hispanic culture and identity affect consumers' attitudes toward purchasing low-carb products. One lies in the fact that Hispanic households tend to have larger families to feed on tighter budgets and eat a greater portion of their meals at home. They also have a high interest in preparing foods from scratch with fresh, authentic ingredients relating to their native palate and view shopping for those foods as social in nature, as opposed to a chore that needs to be made more convenient.

Ultimately, while Hispanic consumers may not be loading up on low-carb items, they are filling up their shopping carts at a greater pace than non-Hispanics. According to MarketResearch.com in its "Market Trends: Hispanic Americans and Food" report, Hispanic consumers spend nearly 17 percent more than non-Hispanic groups on food consumed at home.

And, of note for the drug store channel, Hispanic shoppers tend to spend a higher percentage of total food dollars outside the supermarket channel compared with non-Hispanic consumers, according to the Advo/FMI/New American Dimensions survey.