Abstract
As Americans become more attuned to their heritage and less likely to speak only English,
shopping malls have become more inclusive of Hispanic Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans
and increasingly Central and Eastern European Americans, (CEEA).
The change, this report finds, lies with customer service which is shifting into bilingual mode;
with merchandizing, which includes products that appeal to consumers with a radically different
sense of style from typical Caucasian Americans; with marketing, which now shifts between ethnic
groups in its message, between languages and between ethnic and mainstream media. The change also
injects new concepts - like Quinceaneras - into American mainstream, with large stores catering to a
universe of cultural habits, religious holidays and rites of passage that stretch way beyond
Thanksgiving.
The main purpose of this report is to examine Multicultural Marketing Trends in the Retail
Industry. Specifically, we will look at how companies are communicating their message to diverse
consumers included in the following ethnic demographics: Central and Eastern European Americans,
Hispanic Americans, African Americans, and Asian Americans. The growth of these multicultural
populations (and their subsequent increase in buying power) in the United States is creating
opportunities for Retailers to attract new customers and increase their market share in the
industry. In order to take advantage of this opportunity, Retailers must realign their marketing
goals to be inclusive of the ever-changing face of America.
This report will identify the major considerations that must be made when communicating a message
to a multicultural audience. This will address topics including cultural sensitivity, media
vehicles, and targeted objectives. In order for retail companies to reach multicultural communities,
they must understand the unique differences between specific cultures, and how to incorporate these
differences into their primary communications. Additionally, this report will delve beyond marketing
messages and look to how retail companies are incorporating multicultural communities into their
overall goals. Retailers must consider other trends including geographic location of stores,
stocking products that appeal to their multicultural consumers, and creating an environment that is
welcoming to multicultural consumers.
Finally, the report examines specific retail companies. These snapshots will provide a history of
the companies multicultural marketing efforts and their past effectiveness. The reports will look
at the perception of these companies held in multicultural communities. The company snapshot will
end with a view of each companies future plans for courting multicultural consumers. Companies
profiled are Sears, Target, Lowes, Circuit City, Wal-Mart, Federated Department Stores and IKEA. | 
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