Scotts Professional Horticulture

There’s little doubt that the Hispanic community is a growing, powerful group within the United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in July 2006, Hispanics comprised 15 percent of the total U.S. population to become our nation’s largest minority group. To put it in an entirely different perspective, that percentage represents almost 39 million people—eight million more than the entire population of Canada! By 2020, the number of Hispanics in America is expected to reach almost 60 million.

Why is this of interest to greenhouse and nursery growers? Hispanics not only have large numbers, they also have significant purchasing power—an anticipated $1 trillion in 2012. Specifically, Scarborough Research found that Hispanics spent $8,998,000,000 on home improvement purchases in 2005, and that number is only expected to go up in the years ahead. That same research group also found that gardening is a top leisure activity for Hispanics with approximately 35.8% of Hispanics stating that they like to garden in their spare time. Another report from Market Segment Research & Consulting shows that the garden is a source of recreation and entertainment in the Hispanic family. Because many family events like outdoor weddings and Quinceañera celebrations taking place at home, it’s no wonder that Hispanics take a great deal of pride in both their homes and their landscapes.

Those savvy marketers interested in creating strategy that appeals to Hispanics should keep the following research findings* about the Hispanic audience in mind:

• Hispanics prefer to purchase from companies who contribute to their communities.
• Hispanics tend to shop in a family unit and plan for purchases in advance.
• Almost 40 percent of Hispanic homeowners are under age 35, as compared to only 20 percent of non-Hispanics.
• Hispanics rely on packaging and in-store communications to assist them in their purchase decisions.
• They value brand over price more often than non-Hispanics.
• Twenty-two percent of Hispanics in the U.S. speak Spanish only, and 15 percent speak Spanish more often than English. This makes for a total of 37 percent who prefer to communicate in their native language.
• Eighty-five percent of Hispanics in the U.S. are clustered in five states: California, Florida, New York, Texas and Arizona.

The Hispanic market represents an enormous opportunity for the horticulture industry now and in the years ahead. Keeping these key facts about the Hispanic market in mind when deciding what types of plants to produce, developing point-of-purchase displays and creating plant care tags may be a smart move, both now and in the future.

*Sources: Market Segment Research & Consulting and Scarborough Research