Walmart, Mi Pueblo Set to Accept Excellence Awards At Hispanic Retail 360

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. and Mi Pueblo Food Centers will receive 2009 Hispanic Retail Excellence Awards at next month’s fifth Hispanic Retail 360 Summit, set to take place Aug. 9 to Aug. 11 in Las Vegas. The world’s largest retailer and the 12-store, northern California-based independent will be feted at the annual trade event for their strong commitment to serving the fast-growing Hispanic community in the United States.

Based on a poll of more than 1,000 Hispanic-focused retailer and supplier executives -- including members of the conference’s 22-member Retailer Advisory Board -- the awards recognize leadership among retailers targeting the growing Latino population.

Jose Antonio Fernandez, VP of business development for Walmart, will accept the award on behalf of the company, along with Santiago Roces, SVP of small formats for the Bentonville, Ark.-based international retailing giant.

Earlier this year, Walmart unveiled its first Supermercado de Walmart in Houston, which features a new layout and more relevant product assortment for Hispanic customers. The new 39,000-square-foot store carries approximately 13,000 SKUs, including a wide assortment of fresh tropical fruits and vegetables and a bakery that offers more than 40 traditional sweet breads and fresh corn tortillas. The store’s meat department features specialty meats such as milanesa, diezmillo, fajitas, chuleta de cerdo, carnes marinadas and arrachera, to meet the specific preferences of local Hispanic customers.

The store also features an in-store cocina serving traditional Hispanic food like tacos, tortas, aguas frescas, sopas, carnitas and barbacoa, and has a family seating area, a pharmacy, a Walmart MoneyCenter, a baby center and a party center.

San Jose, Calif.-based Mi Pueblo Food Centers -- which was saluted earlier this year as one of Progressive Grocer’s Outstanding Independents -- is described by many industry observers as a model that sets the standard for other retailers to improve their focus on the Hispanic customer. “I’m not in the grocery business. I’m in the people business,” founder, chairman and CEO Juvenal Chavez said earlier this year. “Los valores de la familia” or “family values” is a key ingredient for the community-focused independent grocer’s success.

In addition to accepting the Hispanic Retail Excellence Award, Chavez will also participate in a special retailer best-practices panel on Aug. 11 during the Hispanic Retail 360 Summit.

Previous Hispanic Retail Excellence Awards award winners have included a wide spectrum of retailers, including Target Stores, Jewel/Osco, Hy-Vee, Long’s, Best Buy, 7-Eleven, and independent grocers such as Pro’s Ranch Market and JAX Markets.

As the retail industry’s sole conference dedicated to providing retailers the tools and insights they need to grow their Latino-focused business in the United States, Hispanic Retail 360 -- produced by Progressive Grocer and Convenience Store News, two of Nielsen Business Media’s leading media brands -- will take place at Las Vegas’s Venetian Hotel.

On Sunday, Aug. 9, Teresa Iglesias-Solomon, VP of Hispanic initiatives for Best Buy, will kick off the event, followed by a presentation from Cindy Nuñez-Hasman, multicultural marketing manager for Ace Hardware Corp., and José Gonzalez, partner, Revolucion, who will present a case study on Ace’s first foray into Hispanic marketing, along with five “surefire tips” every retailer can use to increase Hispanic footsteps in its stores.

In addition, retail and multicultural experts from Nielsen, the world’s largest marketing and media information company, will debut research from the firm’s new national Hispanic household panel about how Latino households are faring in these difficult economic times. The Nielsen experts will also provide insights on key areas of focus for retailers and suppliers to be successful with Hispanic consumers in a recessionary economy.

An impressive lineup of speakers -- from retailers, CPG manufacturers and leading multicultural marketing authors and consultants -- are also on the Hispanic 360 agenda, another highlight of which is a retailer panel discussion moderated by strategic analyst Art Turock. The team of panelists -- which will include Tracy Krogstie, marketing and promotions manager for Jewel-Osco; José Amaya, director of diversity for Hy-Vee, Inc.; and Marco Orozco, territory Hispanic market manager, Southwest USA and Hawaii, and an executive from Best Buy -- will explore innovation in addressing Hispanic shoppers through “how-to” stories and advance insights from prominent retailers that are leaders in serving Latino shoppers.

For the fifth consecutive year, Coca-Cola is the presenting sponsor for Hispanic Retail 360 Summit. Other sponsors include Geoscape and Café Bustelo. To learn more about the many levels of available sponsorship opportunities, contact Michael Hatherill at 646-654-7501, or at [email protected].

For more information or to register, go to www.hispanicretail360.com.
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