52 • September | October 2026 • abasto.com BY KEN NINOMIYA H ispanic Heritage Month gi- ves independent grocers an opportunity to do more than translate an advertisement into Spani- sh. It is an opportunity to demonstrate that the store understands the foods, traditions, family occasions, and cul- tural differences that influence how Hispanic households shop. That distinction matters. FMI reports that Hispanic shoppers spend more on groceries than shoppers overall - $186 versus $165 - and shop across more ban- ners and channels. FMI also found that 49% of Hispanic shoppers say the quali- ty of a store’s app or website is important when choosing a primary store. For independent grocers, the oppor- tunity is not simply to advertise to His- panic shoppers. It is to become more relevant to them. AI as a Tool During Hispanic Heritage Month Hispanic consumers should not be treated as one homogeneous audience. Mexican, Cuban, Puerto Rican, Colombian, Domi- nican, Central American and other Hispa- nic communities can have very different food traditions, celebrations, terminology and shopping preferences. Even within these communities, preferences can vary by generation and geography. This is where AI can become a valua- ble marketing resource. An independent grocer can use Chat- GPT as a starting point to gain marke- ting insights into Hispanic markets, explore cultural differences, develop campaign concepts, identify merchan- dising opportunities and generate ideas for recipes, social media, email, digital promotions and in-store experiences. The goal should not be allowing AI to replace local knowledge. Instead, AI can help a grocer ask better questions, explo- re more possibilities and turn its knowle- dge of the neighborhood into actionable marketing ideas faster. HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH: Use AI to Move from Translation to Cultural Relevance Try entering the following prompt into ChatGPT: Act as a Hispanic grocery marke- ting strategist. Help an inde- pendent grocer create culturally relevant marketing that connects authentically with local Hispa- nic shoppers. Consider cultural traditions, regional differences, family occasions, foods, recipes, language preferences, value, and community connections. Develop five campaign ideas with a theme, featured grocery categories, a bilingual messaging concept, a promotional offer, a social media idea, and an in-store activation. Avoid stereotypes and generic translations. Focus on authen- ticity, community relevance, increased basket size, store visits, and long-term shopper loyalty. Bring your ideas The ideas generated should be treated as starting points - not final answers. Validate recommendations with em- ployees, shoppers, community orga- nizations, and suppliers who unders- tand the local Hispanic market. That human validation is critical. Cultural relevance cannot simply be automated. Hispanic Heritage Month can also become a testing ground for a much larger strategy. Identify which re- cipes generate engagement, which displays increase basket size, which messages bring shoppers into the store, and which cultural occasions create the strongest response. Then continue what works throu- ghout the year. The independent grocer’s advantage is its connection to the neighborhood. AI can help turn that local knowledge into more ideas and better marketing, but authenti4city is what ultimately earns the shopper’s trust. • FOOD INDUSTRY