instore - March + April 2015 - (Page 18)

shopper demographics Trendspotting: Hispanic Snacks Consumers are gaining a much greater interest in purchasing specialty snack foods, particularly sweet and savory bakery and deli items that offer unique flavor profiles. This puts food retailers right in the middle of a prime opportunity to promote globally inspired snack items that offer delicious flavors and are convenient to eat. Overall, specialty food shoppers say they are now spending one in four of their food dollars on specialty food, up from one in five in 2013, according to the Specialty Food Association. Their top picks? Chocolate and cheese are purchased most. Mintel states in the new report, Today's Specialty Food Consumer 2014, that the 145 million people who say they've bought specialty foods this year represent an 8 percent advance over 2013. The most likely buyers of specialty foods continue to be Millennials (70 percent of people between 18 and 34 years old), affluent (70 percent of households earnings $75,000 or more per year) and Hispanic (71 percent). So a potential source of new customers is the country's fast-growing Hispanic population. The Census Bureau found that people of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 16.9 percent of the US population in 2012, up from 12 percent in 2000. When marketing to Hispanics, it's important to avoid a one-size-fits-all approach to promoting your bakery and deli products. Someone who, for instance, recently immigrated from Mexico and lives in Texas may respond to specific marketing messages differently than someone of Chilean origin who was born in the US and grew up in Chicago. Overall, foods from Latin America offer great potential to appeal to America's growing appetite for Latin flavors. Here are some examples: In the United States people celebrate birthday parties with cake, but in Argentina, it's always the chocotorta, or "chocolate cake." Its popularity is due to its simplicity: A tub of dulce de leche, a tub of queso crema, wafer-like chocolate cookies, and brewed coffee. Similar to a truffle, the ultra-sweet brigadeiro from Brazil is made from sweetened condensed milk heated with cocoa powder to form a paste, then mixed with cold butter and rolled into small balls, which are then rolled in toppings like brown sugar, sprinkles, coconut shavings, or almonds. They're often enjoyed at birthday parties. Picarones start with a silky purée of camote, a type of sweet potato, and macre, a type of squash. They are combined with flour, sugar, yeast, and anise, formed into a round donut shape and deep fried. 16.9% Uruguayan food might not be of the US population in 2012 was made up known internationally, but the chajá of people of Hispanic cake is gaining wide notoriety in or Latino origin. culinary circles in the United States. Named after a native Uruguayan bird, chajá starts from a sponge cake base and peach syrup that's spiked with a few tablespoons of rum. Add on layers of meringue, fresh peaches, whipped cream, and dulce de leche, then smother the whole cake with mounds of whipped cream and top it off with more sweet crisp meringue and peaches. Generally eaten to celebrate Independence Day, pastelitos are a point of Argentine patriotic pride. Flaky puff pastry is filled with sweet quince or sweet potato paste and formed into a flower or pinwheel shape, then deep fried in lard or sunflower oil until golden brown. It's finished off with sugary glaze, and topped with festive sprinkles. Peru's picarones, which date back to Peru's colonial days, are potatobased desserts. In this case, camote, a type of sweet potato, is mixed with macre, a type of squash, to form a silky purée. It's combined with flour, sugar, yeast, and anise, formed into a round donut shape and deep fried. Chilenitos are a popular sweet treat originating from Chile. Manjar is spread and sandwiched between two flat cracker-like biscuits before it is covered in sweet and fluffy meringue for a bite that's creamy, sugary, and crunchy all at once. 18 * MAR + APR 2015 * instore

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of instore - March + April 2015

instore - March + April 2015
Editor's Note - Knowing Hispanics: Authenticity is Key
What's Ahead
Table of Contents
News - On Our Radar
Shopper Demographics - Trending Pie
Trendspotting - Muffin Inclusion
Trending - Deli Prepared Salads
Trendspotting - Hispanic Snacks
Consumer Insights - Babyboomers
Diet Trends - Consider Whole Grains
Hispanic Influence
Success Stories
Merchandising - Wedding Season
Top 10 Trends for 2015
Seasonal Promotions - Prepare for the Scary Season
Specialty Foods - Italian Meats
Specialty Cheese - Promoting Hispanic Cheeses
Packaging Trends - RPC Guidelines
Product Trends - First to Market
Product Showcase
Next Up/Ad Index

instore - March + April 2015