These shoppers mean business.(MERCHANDISING)(Brief article)

NEW YORK -- Two indisputable facts make Hispanic beauty consumers prime targets of both chain drug retailers and suppliers: Hispanics are the fastest-growing demographic in the United States, and they buy more beauty items than the general population.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Hispanics comprised 13% of the nation's population in the year 2000. By 2050, that number is projected to nearly double to 24 %.

"The 46 million Hispanics currently living in the United States wield a powerful influence on the American consumer economy, with buying power that totaled more than $980 billion in 2008," notes the market research firm Packaged Facts.

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