GfK Retail and Technology USA
Hispanic Small Food Store Sales Index
The Hispanic Small Food Store Sales Index was developed by GfK Retail and Technology USA in 1999 to meet the needs of marketers who wished to better understand their own and competitors’ performance in this critical, but previously unmeasured, trade channel.
For numerous reasons, the role of the small food store is of much greater importance in Latino communities than among many other U.S. population groups. Bodegas have a long tradition among Hispanics as not just retail stores but as neighborhood meeting places. These stores serve as a window into the Hispanic community – particularly among new immigrants and the less assimilated population segments.
Trade Channel Definition
Our program measures grocery stores doing less than $2M in annual ACV where 70% or more of the shoppers are of Hispanic origin. These stores tend to have the following characteristics:
- Concentrated in central city sections of major metro areas
- Strong neighborhood orientation
- Shopped primarily by unassimilated Hispanics
- While typical of other small food stores’ high traffic/low-volume-per-transaction, limited brand/size assortment and emphasis on immediate consumption categories, these stores may be atypical in categories offered, category volume as % of total store sales and brand/size selection
Geographic Coverage / Sample Sizes
Overall, the program includes 360 stores among five key Hispanic Metro Market Areas, each reported individually:
- Los Angeles (90 stores)
- New York (115)
- Miami (50)
- Chicago (65)
- Houston (40)
Data Collection Methodology
Because POS data are not available for most of these outlets, manual audits are conducted by trained bilingual local-market field personnel. Store participation on an ongoing basis is secured through the payment of cooperation fees to each individual outlet. Inventory measurements are taken on a bimonthly basis, 6 times per year (January-February, March-April, etc.); invoice and other purchase memoranda may be recorded more frequently – as jointly determined with the store owners/managers.
Information Provided
- Retail Sales - units, dollars, equivalent units
- Brand Shares - units, dollars, equivalent units
- Inventory - units, equivalent units
- Average Sales per Store Stocking
- Distribution and Out-of-Stock
- Retail Pricing Analysis
- In-Store Promotional Activity – store count and category volume basis
Service Benefits
- Measure the success of grass-roots Latino marketing campaigns
- Track penetration and sales performance by key market and among major sub-groupings of U.S. Hispanics
- Keep your finger on the pulse of this opportunity market by monitoring the channel where many new trends and "hot” items begin
- Get a more complete understanding of the purchase behavior of the less-assimilated segment of Hispanics
Reporting Example
