Irvine : UCI Experts Report on Latino Consumerism

Traditions and cultural values of Latino families in the United States may affect their consumer behavior, according to two UC Irvine researchers.

In a recent issue of the periodical Psychology and Marketing, Mary C. Gilly and Lisa Penaloza reported their findings on “The Hispanic Family--Consumer Research Issues.”

Gilly is an assistant professor of administration, and Penaloza is a doctoral student at UCI’s Graduate School of Management.

In their study, they said that family pride, tradition and loyalty appear to play key roles in the consumer behavior of Latinos.

“Hispanic-Americans are price-conscious, but they consistently refuse to use cents-off coupons because of negative associations to food stamps, which may conflict with values of family pride and self-image,” said Penaloza.

She also said that the importance of tradition in the Latin culture may explain why they have higher levels of brand loyalty than non-Latinos. “In one consumer survey we reviewed, 80% of the (Latino) respondents said that once they find a brand they like, they stick with it,” said Penaloza.

The consumer study was funded by the UCI Faculty Mentor Program for Minority Students and a UCI Cultural Diversity Studies grant.