Nielsen: Latina moms driving Hispanic household buying decisions

MIAMI — Leading the way within the vital Latino demographic are women, suggested Nielsen in an analysis of the consumer segment released Thursday. Nielsen’s report, "Latina Power Shift," highlights the role of Hispanic women, their growing numbers, economic condition, purchasing behavior and consumption.

“The modern Latina is ‘ambicultural’ with the ability to seamlessly transcend between English and Spanish-language — two cultures — giving her a unique position in our consumer landscape,” stated Mónica Gil, SVP public affairs and government relations, Nielsen. “Latinas are a key driver of economic influence, giving marketers an opportunity to establish new and loyal consumer relationships by acknowledging the needs and following the unique behavior trends of Hispanic women.”

According to Nielsen, Latinas are becoming the growth engine of females in the United States, and are expected to comprise 30% of the total female population by 2060. Contributing to the change of the nuclear family model, almost a quarter (23%) of all U.S. births in 2011 were to a Latina mom, with nearly two thirds (63%) of Hispanic families having children under the age of 18, compared to 40% for non-Hispanic White females.

Taking an in-depth look at the Latina consumer, providing key insights on purchasing behavior, lifestyle aspirations, cultural drivers and media consumption, Nielsen’s Latina Power Shift report revealed the following:

• 86% of Latinas say a woman is the primary shopper in their households, controlling the majority of the current $1.2 trillion Hispanic buying power;


• 73% of Hispanic high school female graduates are enrolling in college, more than Hispanic males (61%) and slightly more than non-Hispanic females (72%);


• A majority of Latinas embrace their duality and want to shift to the ambicultural;


• 71% culturally feel more American, and 50% feel more Latina;


• Latinas (77%) are more likely than their non-Hispanic White counterparts (55%) to own smartphones;


• 15% of Latinas mostly use Spanish to surf the web and 31% use both Spanish and English equally; and


• When Latinas search for Latino subject matters online, recipes top the list, followed by news, music, family health, beauty and celebrations.

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