Fort Lauderdale, Fla. – Smiling from behind their rounded spectacles, Abuelito Pancho and Abuelita Rosa sing Spanish lullabies that stir warm childhood memories for many Latinos – and tug at their purse strings.
The silver-haired grandparent dolls are the inspiration of three working moms from Miami who set out to preserve Latino culture for future generations. They ended up on the toy shelves of major retail stores, including Toys “R” Us and Target. Last month, Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, announced it would carry the dolls at more than 330 stores.
Dressed in a guayabera shirt and traditional house robe known as a bata de casa, the Baby Abuelita dolls appeal to an increasingly powerful but underserved consumer group, experts say. Since 2000, Latino buying power has increased from $489 billion to about $800 billion, growing about twice as fast as that of non-Latinos.
By next year, Latinos for the first time are expected to outspend any other U.S. minority group, according to a report released last month by the Selig Center for Economic Growth at the University of Georgia.
As a result, Baby Abuelita and hundreds of other Spanish- speaking and bilingual toys are positioned to cash in on the nation’s shifting demographics.
With a population of more than 42 million, Latinos represent the country’s largest and fastest-growing minority group. In response, major toy companies are making infant and preschool toys bilingual, said Reyne Rice, toy trend specialist for the Toy Industry Association.
“It gives them the opportunity to sell to a larger market, and it gives them an entrée to Spain and Latin America,” she said.
Popular animated heroine Dora the Explorer, a 7-year-old Latino adventurer, became a near instant commercial success.
She debuted as the star of a Nickelodeon TV series in 2000 and later spun off a host of toys with cross-cultural appeal. Now Dora is the No. 1 licensed property for preschoolers.
She has plenty of company: Scholastic Entertainment’s Maya and Miguel characters are growing favorites who have inspired everything from miniature play sets to party decorations. For the trendy American Girl doll series, a top seller in 2005 was Marisol, a Mexican-American. There’s also a popular Elmo toy that sings the “Sesame Street” theme song, “Sunny Day,” in Spanish and English.
Baby Abuelita clearly targets Latino consumers. But the founders – Hilda Argilagos- Jimenez, Carol Fenster and Laura Santamaria – say the dolls transcend geographic borders.
Abuelito Pancho and Abuelita Rosa sing pan-American lullabies such as “Los Pollitos Dicen” (“The Baby Chickens Say”) and “Arroz con Leche” (“Rice with Milk”), which date back several generations and run the risk of being forgotten by young Latinos. They also are modeled after grandparents, important figures in many Latino families.
“Toys that have an emotional appeal for the parents and animated play appeal for the kids can be a great combination,” said Felippe Korzenny, director of the Florida State University Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication.
$800 billion
Latino buying power in the U.S.
$1.2 trillion estimated Latino buying power in U.S. by 2011
42 million
Number of Latinos in U.S.
8.5 million
Number of Latino children under age 10 in U.S.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Selig Center for Economic Growth at the University of Georgia
