Needs of this growing demographic remain unmet in certain areas of the country

The world of Spanish-language Christian books is expanding not only in the titles published, but also in the number of distribution outlets. Companies like Editorial Vida (Zondervan), Grupo Nelson (Thomas Nelson), Editorial Unilit (Spanish House), B&H Español (B&H Publishing Group) and Casa Creación (Charisma Media) understand the importance of the Spanish market.

At Casa, we have published many of the Spanish titles that have become best-sellers with authors such as Joyce Meyer, Joel Osteen, John Eckhardt and Jentezen Franklin. These authors understand that Hispanics follow their ministries, watch their television programs and read their books. 

Customer demand also means that we need bookstores like Christ Centered Life Store in Fort Myers, Fla., and Christ for the Nations in Dallas, as well as distribution centers like Fuente de Vida with offices in Miami, Texas and California. Miami-based Luciano Distributors distributes nationwide in the U.S. and to some Latin American countries.

PURCHASING POWER 

There are 51.6 million Hispanics in the United States, according to the 2010 census. Hispanics have a purchasing power expected to reach $1.5 trillion by 2015, which would rank that demographic as the 13th largest economy in the world.

Hispanics are also the fastest-growing ethnic group in the U.S., with growth no longer coming from new immigrants, but from U.S. births—one in four children today are born to a Hispanic mother. And more Hispanic women than ever before are going to college. This, along with population growth, is contributing to their fast-growing purchasing power.

No longer are the Spanish speakers in the U.S. confined to border states and big cities. Today, nearly all states have some sort of Hispanic population.

Our sales consultant for U.S. Spanish bookstores has received many calls from places like Kansas, Oregon and Washington interested in buying directly from us because of the lack of Spanish Christian bookstores in their states. This is an opportunity that Christian bookstores cannot miss. Consider reaching out to Hispanic churches and make it known that your store can provide the resources they need.

HISPANIC HERITAGE

Proud of their cultural duality, Hispanics strive to communicate in Spanish and English and generally don’t favor one over the other as in the past. Therefore, a growing number of second- and third-generation Hispanics are seeking to learn Spanish and make certain their children grow up bilingual. 

For instance, I was born in Puerto Rico, and at the age of 10, we moved to New York. My mom always said: “At home, we speak Spanish. English is only when we are outside.”

 Of course, this was a great benefit for me because being bilingual has opened many doors, for which I’m grateful. Now I use this same principle with my own children.

With so many Spanish speakers in the U.S. and with more than 40% of population growth among Hispanics, the stage is set for an enormous increase in Spanish usage. This has sparked greater interest among U.S. citizens—as well as some backlash among English-only activists—but interest in learning Spanish is expected to rise. 

With more than 50 million people speaking Spanish in America, the United States is fifth on the list of countries with the most Spanish-speaking people. As a result, there is significant demand for Spanish literature—which is a big opportunity for Christian publishers and retailers. 

In fact, it’s not only in the U.S. where Spanish is popular. Spanish is an official language on four continents and is the mother tongue in 21 countries. In Europe, Spanish is the second most popular second language, after English. For example, TMC Communications in London reports that the Spanish market is growing, and spiritual revival is taking place among Hispanics in the United Kingdom.

RELATIONSHIP RETAIL

People are defined by the books that interest them. When such books are written in their native language, they are not only preferred, but often treasured. Our Casa Creación sales are increasing wherever there is a population density of Hispanics in the United States. 

We have  also had great success with our partnership with Hachette Book Group and with licensing opportunities. Vida partners with Editorial CLIE, which is one of the largest publishers in Spain that provides resources such as Bible dictionaries, commentaries and more.

Christian retailers will want to consider whether Spanish products will sell in their particular store. Let me offer some recommendations:

• Create a separate section for Spanish books so your Spanish customers know you are committed to addressing their needs. Keep in mind that when you say no Hispanics enter your store, perhaps they are not coming because they don’t know you sell Spanish books!
• Find out how many Spanish churches and Bible institutes are in your city. Have an employee who speaks Spanish visit Spanish-speaking churches and schools and start a relationship with them. To be successful in this market, you have to be relationship-driven. Ask the Spanish community what they need in books, Bibles, church supplies and gifts.
• Connect with them through Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other social media sites. Our marketing department is committed to helping our stores and distributor spread the word of our products through social media. Any store that needs assistance with this can contact our marketing coordinator, Tony Rivera, for resources to use online.

So, I challenge you to start carrying Spanish products in your store. With the growth of the Hispanic community, not only will reaching out bring in additional revenue, but also a significant ministry opportunity.