With a population of 55 million, Hispanics are the largest and fastest-growing minority group in the US with a purchasing power projected to reach $1.6 trillion by 2018. While their internet usage increased significantly in the past few years, Hispanics still lag behind, overall, in online shopping. As Hispanics become more acculturated, their attitudes toward online shopping tend to grow more positive. However, Hispanics’ preference to buy in physical stores, some degree of distrust, as well as an aversion to paying shipping fees are some of the barriers that online retailers face when targeting Hispanics.

There are no known reliable expenditure data sources for online expenditures made exclusively by Hispanics in the US. Therefore, a market size estimate in US$ for Hispanic online shopping based on Hispanic online expenditures is not presented.

For the purposes of this report, Mintel commissioned exclusive consumer research through GMI in partnership with Offerwise to explore Hispanic consumers’ shopping habits, purchasing behaviors, and attitudes toward shopping online. Mintel was responsible for the survey design, data analysis, and reporting. Fieldwork was conducted in February 2014 among a sample of 1,000 Hispanic adults aged 18+ with access to the internet.

Please note that our surveys are conducted online in the participant’s language of choice (ie English or Spanish). Hispanics who are not online are not included in our survey results.

Mintel has also analyzed data from Experian Marketing Services, using the NHCS (Simmons National Hispanic Consumer Study). The Experian Marketing Services, Simmons NHCS was carried out during November 2012-December 2013 and the results are based on the sample of 23,689 adults aged 18+, including 7,101 Hispanics, with results weighted to represent the US adult population/US adult Hispanic population.

Results for online shopping incidence and payment methods used are based on a sample of 11,620 adults aged 18+, including 3,524 Hispanics, with results weighted to represent the US adult population/US adult Hispanic population, since these questions were introduced or changed for Fall 2013 (April 2013-December 2013).

Note: When Experian Marketing Services, Simmons NHCS results are presented by language spoken at home, the sum of the subsegments may not add to the total, due to the fact that some respondents answered “some other language.”

While race and Hispanic origin are separate demographic characteristics, Mintel often compares them to each other. Please note that the responses for race (White, Black, Asian, Native American, or other race) will overlap those that also are Hispanic, because Hispanics can be of any race.