What’s Spanish for Target?

Dual language signage has become increasingly common at retail during the past decade, and some even operate stores specifically focused on the needs of Hispanic consumers. It makes good business sense, given the purchasing power and growing influence on the U.S. economy.

That’s why it won’t be long before major retailers start offering a Spanish version of their Web sites. The Hispanic online population reached a record 20.3 million visitors in February 2009, representing 11% of the total U.S. online market, and during the past year, the growth of the U.S Hispanic Internet audience outpaced that of the total U.S. online population in terms of number of visitors, time spent and pages consumed, according to comScore Media Metrix, an online audience measurement firm.

“It’s well known that the Hispanic market is a growing and increasingly important segment to advertisers and marketers,” said Jack Flanagan, EVP comScore Media Metrix. “However, any business attempting to effectively reach this segment needs to understand the behavior of the U.S. Hispanic online consumer as a fundamental component of their marketing and media strategies.”