Jennifer Lopez and other Hispanic-Americans May Buy More Flowers than other Minority Populations

Published on this site: November 18th, 2006 - See more articles from this month

Jennifer Lopez is arguably one of the most recognizable Hispanic-American women in the world. And she's in good company since it's estimated that people of Hispanic descent make up 14.5 percent of the population in the United States. With so many people in this demographic, it's not surprising to hear that Hispanic Americans are poised to become the nation's most
powerful group of minority consumers.

Every year the University of Georgia's Terry College of Business combines forces with the Selig Center to conduct a study concerning the economic power of a variety of population groups. This year's study found that since 1990, Hispanic consumers' economic power has increased from $212 billion to $798 billion. That puts them second only to the African-American consumer population, whose power rose from $318 billion to $799 billion in the same time period. Economic power, as defined by the study, is the amount of money an individual has to spend on products and services after taxes.

With so much buying power, it's not surprising that many businesses, including the flower business, are beginning to gear portions of their products and marketing toward the Hispanic population. That certainly makes good sense.

A new market many florists are beginning to turn to is helping Hispanic Americans celebrate their daughters' Quinceanera, which is a party thrown for a girl's fifteenth birthday. Such parties have become so popular in states with high Hispanic populations, like Georgia, North Carolina, Arkansas, and Florida, that families sometimes spend as much as $80,000 on a party.

Isabel Albuerne, known as the Event Lady of Naples, Florida, told the New York Times, "We have seen a lot more of the bigger productions. The Hispanic community treats it this way: I have one or two daughters. She may get married several times but a '15' happens only once. It's once in a lifetime. And there is no other half giving an opinion. It is the mom, the dad, and the girl. You spend $40,000 on a wedding and in a year you are divorced."

With money like that being spent on Quinceanera parties, it would be a wise choice for florists to spend some time developing their products and services for the Hispanic community. After all, you just never know when Jennifer Lopez will have her own daughter and one day need all the finery and flowers for a Quinceanera party!

Wesley Berry - is member of the American Academy of Floriculture (AAF) and President of Wesley Berry Flowers http://www.wesleyberryflowers.com , a successful multi-million dollar floral business that was established in 1946. He also works with http://www.funeral-homes.net to provide useful information about funeral homes across the nation. He has been recognized by florists nationwide http://www.flowers-nationwide.com as a leader in the flower business. Visit Wesley Berry Flowers on the web at: http://www.800wesleys.com