Did Mother’s Market make a mistake by opening a store in Santa Ana? My initial thought was that they really blew this one. When I have visited their store, it has appeared to be empty. So are they going to make it?
I found a marketing report that discovered that Latinos are more inclined to buy organics than Caucasians, which seems hard to believe. Here is an excerpt:
Compared to Caucasian Americans, two ethnic groups we examined are relatively more likely to purchase organics: Asian Americans and, to a lesser extent, Latino Americans (Figure 1). What this means is that based upon their representation in the population, Asian Americans and Latino Americans are more likely to buy organics than Caucasian consumers. Even more surprising to many industry observers, when we look at the ethnic groups most likely to be Core organic consumers, we find that Latino Americans and African Americans are much more likely to be in the Core than Caucasian Americans (Figure 2).
Another company surveyed shoppers in Oregon and found that “about 40% of these mentioned the cost/expense. Other negative word associations related to lack of trust/questionable/credibility, scam/rip-off/fraud, stupid/not necessary, and fake food/gross.”
This study was backed up by other studies with similar findings: “The 2003 Whole Foods Market ® Organic Foods Trend Tracker survey of 1,000 adults nationwide (Whole Food Market ®, 2003) reported that price remains the biggest barrier for consumers who don’t eat organic food. The 2004 survey found that 73% of adults believe organics are too expensive (Whole Foods Market, 2004).”
I suspect that the cost/expense issue is a major one for the working families in Santa Ana.
Even if Latinos do want organics, another study, based in Chicago, found that “Ten percent of stores in black communities carry organics, compared to 24 percent in Latino communities and 63 percent in white areas.”
Will Latinos buy organics? They might, under the right circumstances:
Hartman Group notes that there is opportunity to connect with groups through targeted messaging that resonates on a cultural level. For example, among Latinos, motivations for buying organics include supporting the environment, avoiding pesticides and genetically modified foods and championing better treatment of farm animals. The culturally strong concern for family is also a driver:
- 65 percent of Latino organic users with very young children (under age 5) are core organic users (compared to 30 percent among those without small children).
- 57 percent of Latino organic users with young children (under age 10) use organics daily, compared to only 17 percent among those without young children.
But is Mother’s Market doing anything to reach out to Santa Ana’s Latinos? Check out their website. It is entirely in English. And if you drive by their Santa Ana store you won’t see any signage in Spanish.
I don’t think that Mother’s will make it in Santa Ana. That is too bad given the information I found about Latino consumers and organics. Mother’s doesn’t appear to be even trying to reach out to Santa Ana residents. The only question that remains is which mercado will replace them?
Jill,
I wouldn’t want to waste those food stamps on tofu and wheat-free cookies!
I’m surprised that they are not closed already. I have visited that store twice since it’s been open. They are WAY TOO EXPENSIVE considering the economic climate. Also, unlike Sprouts and Henry’s..we don’t get any ad flyers in our mail. To me, that is a bad idea. The average joe is pouring over those ad flyers to see who has the best for their buck.
Now…if they would have placed a Trader Joe’s there, that place would be busting at the seams! I would be there all the time.
It was a joke…lighten up. I am losing my job this week (today in fact) so I am using a little humor so I won’t cry. Get over it! I don’t need to cow tow to you anonster!
I strongly beleive that the Mothers market at Santa Ana will close down before the lease end.
It will not became Vietnamese/Chinese/Mexican Market even I saw there are more than 50% of the property there was sold to the Asian people.
I believe that it will become Super 99 cent store
Speaking of stores….what is the status of the supposedly ‘Smart N Final’ that was going in at the Bristol Marketplace?
Those idiots who call themselves our city council blew it with Northgate Gonzales…or another grocery conglomerate for that matter. That place is such an eyesore…and a MAJOR inconvenience now that Ralphs’ is gone…
Hey..maybe Northgate Gonzales will go into the Mother’s site when the lease ends….will that really piss off the uppity-upps big time…
Ha ha ha, hey Teacher, guess what? 65% of those “freeloaders” are CHILDREN.
Silly Art!! Again,
Nothing more exciting to write about is it not o.k. for me to have one, (1) store that carry the products I would like to buy, do i have to drive out of my city to get the products I like to keep in my home. Big deal there are stores, or your cute lil mercados all over town right?? I like not buying proctor and gambel I dont heart general mills or puppy mills. Its not that much more expensive a lot of these products are made from smaller companies that don’t outsource their products to which also are made locally or in the U.S.A too. Let MoM’s be already.. If I wanna shop with flies and screaming babies i’ll walk over to Big Savor…:-P
K-all done
I follow this stuff pretty closely, for investment reasons.
Mothers plan was ill-thought out dependent on rising aever rising real estate market, some fast selling by developers (the real thieves.
Motyhers is a specialty shop, not to be confused with Ralphs or even Northgate.
This is the epitome of the real estate crash fall out.
The blog subject is that the Santa Ana Market will probably not support Mother’s and it might fail.
The message is not to block stablishment of a particular business.
The market decides success or failure.
Live and let live. I shop at Mother’s, big Savor, Northgate and Albertsons. Us Hispanics have no problem shopping at various stores flies and all. I live in Orange Park Acres, a Equestrian Community in Orange- we are full of flies. Flies are also in multi million dollar home communities – amazing fact huh?
This Hispanic shops Trader Joe’s, Sprouts and Stater Bros. I shop value and these three markets provide value.
#10 should be more concerned about their poor grammar skils than flies.
This is not an English class, I understand even there is a broken english because I am clever. I am clever to known that the Cityplace need Mothers Market there for them to sold their units or property. After they sold out then Mothers market will leave for good as Santa Ana is not a good place.
We used to have a Trader Joe’s in the north Santa Ana. It was on Main and Washington. Somebody told me it was taken out because of lack of business. I find that hard to believe because everytime I went in they always had customers. That was the dumbest decision to get ride of it. We need a Trader Js in this part of town instead of having to go to Tustin, Orange or even south Santa Ana which is a chore in itself to drive there. Take Mother’s out and put Trader Joe’s in. That will be the smartest move our city council will ever make.
Also, I don’t think Latinos don’t shop there because they don’t like organic products, etc. They don’t shop there because that place is way overpriced. Give me a break. I go to Northgate and I see plenty of healthy looking Latinos, and I don’t mean fat, buying fruits and vegetables that are NOT expensive. They aren’t stupid you know.
Yes, there used to be a very small, very obsolete Trader Joes on Main and Washington in Santa Ana. I remember going there in the late ’60’s and ’70’s. I was a teenager and it was the best place to go to buy wine and beer (illegally, of course…we weren’t of age yet). lol. Maybe that was why it was closed down??? hmmm.
Maybe it was also closed because that area of town was very poor and alot of the old buildings had been closed-down due to lack of business. Everyone was now going to the Horner Plaza to shop, or the local big newer supermarkets. This was when the small businessmen got the boot and lost customers to more fancy shopping experiences.
Look at Trader Joes NOW!! Wow! Who would’ve guessed it would get that big???
Marsha (Bogan) Santos
Wow!
F.y.I,
To Art Lomeli and and number 13. I was born raised currently live and hold 2 jobs in Santa Ana. Guess what I am hispanic also, my typing skills are a product of my wonderful Santa Ana Unified school district schooling. Thank you for pointing out the obvious statics on flies Art L. from outside of the Santa Ana boundries and thank you for the grammer check Anonymous and for informing on what I should be “worried” about your an angel. Ta! Ta!
Mothers Market don’t have enought customer for sure. Soon or later they will close, period.
I found some of the peoples comment here to be blatantly racist. You guys act as if Santa Ana is one of the most impoverished places to live. If anything it is becoming another gentrified city where all the hipsters and upper-class yuppies move right on in and suck every bit of the culture out that the original community has built. Mothers is a great company and their prices are almost the same as Albertsons or any other Safeway market. Trader Joes is not organic and not very “natural” I might add. I would like to see a Mothers any day in my neighborhood than another Starbucks or Burger King.
to Nancy;
Did you see Mothers Market has more customer than Trader Joes ? Please be honest as everybody known that trader Joes has alots more customer than Mother market.
Honestly, I like Mother Market than Albertsons or Safeway but we should known that Mothers Market at Santa Ana City don’t have enought customer to survive.
To All:
Mother’s Market Santa Ana is just about 9 months old. Generally any new establishment suffers losses for approximately 3 years. I know that this store has only increased its sales and profits without any decline. This is unprecidented news for anybody who knows anything about business and our economy. Not to mention, this store was already in the works PRIOR to the economic crash. You would think that this would play a role in declining sales but Mother’s has remained resilient. This store cannot be compared to any other market ie, albertsons, trader joes because Mother’s is a lifestyle brand. (more than just organic veggies) Mother’s offers more service to their customers with
bi-lingual associates, natural beauty dept, follow through of special diet requests, and thier robust supplement knowledge. Might i add that Santa Ana Mothers seems to have one of the largest Vitamin deptarments in a grocery store that i have ever seen anywhere at least in southern california. You can call them with any health issue and their helpfull staff will guide you to great products suiting any need. Try finding that ANYWHERE else. Mother’s Santa Ana has already raised a new community awarness of natural healing and diet through their free seminars, something that this community has not seen, and that no one else offers. This new lifestyle that Mother’s brings is a change for the local demographic here in Santa Ana where new interests for living naturally are born everyday.
p.s. if you haven’t taken the time to notice, Mother’s prices on certain products blows the competition out the water. Give em a shot!
There has been an interesting bit of EDITING on the comment section of this post. I wonder who’s responsible?
#20,
Beats me. This is an old post. I don’t pay much attention to it.
I am glad to hear that Mother’s is doing well in Santa Ana.
I’m so suprised to hear anything negative about Mothers Market in Santa Ana. It is such a great store. Santa Ana is soooo lucky to have it. I’ve shopped at the other Mother’sMarkets for about 15 years and they are all about health, wellness and community. Negative people just need to keep their negativity to themselves. Mothers is nothing but a good place with good products and good people. If you don’t like it, don’t shop there, and keep your negative opinions to yourselves. We don’t need them!
Clyde you’re an idiot. No I did not “see” that Mothers had more customers than Trader Joes. Where did I ever state that in my comment?