WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- The last four months of the year, packed with holidays like Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukah and New Year’s Eve, are a prime opportunity for retailers to offer their customers incentives to increase basket rings. Past efforts have certainly paid off, as evidenced in beer sales rising between 15% and 20% in recent years[1] over the holiday time period, and the fact that sales of holiday party essentials, including beer, are projected to rise to more than $110 per person from $98 per person in 2008[2]. But what can retailers do to further extend the holiday shopping season?
Many of them are doing so by launching programs specifically targeting Hispanics, the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population currently holding more than $1 trillion in purchasing power. It’s a sound strategy; after all, estimates find that more than 90% of Hispanic shoppers make party-related purchases during the holiday period[3].
While the majority of acculturated and bicultural Hispanics do celebrate the afore-mentioned holidays, retailers can also create programs that authentically reflect the traditions behind upcoming Hispanic holidays. As you approach each of these occasions, it’s important to ensure you’re not falling back on stereotypes (in other words, skip the sombreros on your POS) and rather focus on the true significance of the holidays. For example:
Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15) is an annual celebration centered on the independence anniversaries of several Latin American countries, including Mexico’s on Sept. 16. That’s four weeks during which you encourage your shoppers to try products hailing from the various Latin American countries through price specials and consumption suggestions.
Día de los Muertos (Nov. 1-2),whichtranslates to Day of the Dead, is an occasion for consumers to gather with family and friends to remember their loved ones who have passed away. Celebrations typically include meals with traditional food, as well as altars featuring the items that the remembered enjoyed in life, including their favorite beers. In past years, we’ve seen many retailers and brands extend the high-beer-selling Halloween sales period by two days by incorporating Día de los Muertos messaging in their POS.
The Maratón Lupe-Reyes (Dec. 12-Jan. 6) is a Mexican tradition that encompasses a string of 14 holiday celebrations that kicks off with the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Dec. 12) and extends into Three Kings Day on Jan. 6. Think about it, that’s 14 separate consumption occasions within a three-week period! Since last year, Tecate and Tecate Light have been the only beer brands leveraging the tradition behind the Maratón Lupe-Reyes to help retailers connect with bicultural consumers 21 and older. Focused on helping them “taste their traditions”, the 2014 program is kick-starting in mid-November to give consumers plenty of time to participate in the brand’s Facebook-driven sweepstakes and take advantage of cross-merchandise offers and thematic limited-edition Tecate Light 3-pack packaging.
As you work toward defining your plans to connect with your customers through the end of the year, consider incorporating programs that extend the holiday shopping period by leveraging Hispanic traditions and celebrations.
[1] Symphony IRI 2013
[2] The Street: 10 Best Holiday Beer Buys 11/19/13
[3] Mintel Holiday Study 2013
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.