BY GUEST EDITOR TESSIE DEVORE, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, CHARISMA HOUSE

Look around and take note: The Latino community is changing the face of the United States.

The composition of the Latino population is undergoing fundamental changes—but not because of immigration. Rather, births to Latino couples and Latino/Anglo couples are outpacing immigration as the key source of growth, according to the Pew Hispanic Center.

America is still a melting pot, with different races and cultures still being assimilated into the nation’s landscape. Just a few years ago, Hispanics were being labeled and counted as a race, but the “powers that be” finally got clued into the reality that Latinos are not a race. Rather, they compose an ethnic group, and within that group are all races as well as various cultures.

The changes in this country are driven by much more than growth or immigration or the Latino birth rate. A subtle and complicated diversification is taking place. I like to call it the “café con leche” (coffee with milk) culture—and it is here to stay. Just look at my two boys if you don’t believe me.

If you have not yet felt the impact of this cultural change in what you do in the Christian retail industry, you will. This group will radically impact the church in this century.

Says Joel Ceballos with the American Bible Society: “Latinos are not just changing the face of our American society, but also the Christian faith in America. Through their preference for ethnic-centric worship experiences, high rate of Bible engagement and the keen insight demonstrated by Latino Christian leaders on how best to immerse a genuine faith in Christ within the context of culturally relevant lifestyle themes, Latinos are poised to lead America in restoring the centrality of God’s Word in culture.”

A PERSISTENT QUESTION

I’ve been in the Christian publishing industry for 23 years and from the start have been involved one way or another in the Spanish Christian retail market. Though much has changed in that time, one thing remains—and I still get the question: Just how do you reach the Spanish market?

And in more than two decades, my answer hasn’t changed either: Get to know the people! Basically that translates into getting to know the market, your customers and what they like and want. Isn’t that how every successful relationship, business or not, is cultivated? You have to invest in the other person or group.

Like trying to play a new game without reading the instructions, many have attempted to reach the Spanish market, but have failed. Why? For the most part, they see the overwhelming statistics (you will find your share throughout this issue of Christian Retailing), and conclude that they are dealing with a homogeneous group, but that would be like dealing with all English-speaking customers the same way. There are unique sub-groups with their own specific needs, and the same applies in the Spanish market.

With that in mind, here are some basic “instructions” on how to navigate changing Latino culture. To assist, I asked my longtime colleague Luis Fernandez to contribute some practical information. Now sales and marketing manager for Latin America and Brazil for SW Press, Luis has been in the industry for more than 35 years, in books and music. He was the first Hispanic vice president to serve on the Gospel Music Association board and is considered by many of the greatest marketing minds of the Spanish Christian retail industry. Here is what he had to say:

QUESADILLA MOVES

Do you remember the book, Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson? Looking at today’s Spanish Christian industry, both in the U.S. and Latin America, we can say, “Our quesadilla is moving … change, change and more change.”

When Tessie asked me to write about this subject, the first thing that came to mind was the sales team I was a part of at Editorial Unilit. I referred to them as the “dream team”: Alvaro Hernandez, Carlos Hernandez, Milton Reynosa, Alfonso Guevara and Rick Heyer. Combined, this team brings decades of experience to the industry. We thought we would be together forever. Yet, the quesadilla moved.

Today, the dream team is active in our industry serving in different companies. This is reflective of how change has affected the Spanish publishers, distributors and retailers. Spanish distributors who were strong and productive for many years are no longer around. Music companies or Spanish music divisions within the major record labels are no longer around or have downsized, or have been sold to other companies.

As I began to gather information on the state of the Spanish Christian industry, I went back to the “dream team” plus a few others—Victor “Danny” Vera, Hosanna Book & Music (retail); Joel Tumax, Fuente de Vida (distributor); and Erick Pflucker, Infinity Marketing Group (promoter/event planner)—and asked three simple questions regarding the Spanish market. However, the responses were not so simple.

How is the market shifting?

• Bigger is not necessarily better anymore. Because of the cost of gas, customers prefer to not travel long distances and will go with a smaller selection if they know they do not have to go as many miles to get to a store.

• E-books are growing in the publishing field, where recent changes and movements reveal their new favorable positions in bookselling around the world, driven by the cultural industries in general and by content production companies in particular.

• The secular, or general, market has been observing the trends and the growth of the Hispanic market, and many big companies are cashing in on the opportunities.

• The trend in Latin America has been positive and uplifting in the past years. While the growth in the U.S. has been slow, the Latin American church continues to increase.

• Religious expressions associated with the Pentecostal and charismatic movements are a key attribute of worship for Hispanics in all the major religious traditions—far more so than among non-Latinos. Moreover, the growth of the Hispanic population is leading to the emergence of Latino-oriented churches across the country.

• Young Latinos are beginning to shift their attendance from the traditional Catholic churches they were raised in to varying evangelical and Pentecostal congregations, according to a recent Pew Research Center study.

How are consumers changing?

• Smaller total dollars spent per transaction. Consumers are looking to take the same number of items or more than what they used to buy for fewer dollars.

• Paradigm shift: The consumer dictates what we need to publish and stock in our stores. 

• The Hispanic/Latino buying habits are also changing. A recent poll showed that Hispanics are buying more online than African-Americans—and their buying power is bigger.

• More and more Hispanics are buying from home; that is, more are using technology to ease their lives and are influenced by the Internet. That means more Hispanics are buying e-books because they own tablets and smartphones with e-book reading capabilities.

What retailers need to do to change?

• Get to know your customer. Go to Expolit! Think the International Christian Retail Show, National Religious Broadcasters and a book fair all in one. Expolit is the trade show for the Spanish Christian retailing industry. You can’t be involved and not be there. For more information, visit www.expolit.com.

• Accurate data plays an important role in the decision-making of many publishers and retailers. We need know what the consumer is thinking, wanting, buying habits, family life, etc., to fill the needs and wants of our Hispanic world.

• Get involved with the local churches and communities in charity, as well as fundraisers and similar events. More than ever, customers want to spend their money in stores that are doing something for their community.

• You must have superior customer service. Your customers must feel like they are important to you. There must be a difference between you and your competition. Your edge is the way your knowledgeable staff treats the customer.

• Keep your inventory current and fresh. You must be in control of your stock.

IN CONCLUSION 

 Why are these changes important to you in your role in the Christian products industry? Because if you believe that our industry is ultimately about spreading the Word of God, then you can’t be selective in who you share the gospel with.

 Rev. Emilio A. Reyes, vice president of multi-language ministries at American Bible Society, says it best:

“Latinos come to the USA in search of a better life. We come here to work in order to help ourselves, as well as our immediate and extended family get ahead in life. The long hours of work leads many to lose their way. And that’s where Jesus steps in.

“When Latinos reconnect with the risen Savior, their passion revitalizes the church in the USA. Publishers have an opportunity to reach this community with resources in Spanish, the language of our hearts. The more culturally authentic those resources are, the better they will speak to the heartfelt issues of this faith-centered community.”

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