DRUGSTORE CATERING TO LATINO'S
By Brent Hopkins
Staff Writer

VAN NUYS -- Business as usual won't work at the farmacia on the corner. Drugstore chains have long drawn criticism for ignoring the Latino market, an increasingly powerful economic force that, according to census data, accounts for more than 30 percent of Southern California's population. Largely run by out-of-state corporations unfamiliar with local demographics, they operated with few attempts to cater to Spanish-speaking consumers for years.

But as populations have shifted, drugstore operators have learned they need to alter their plans.

"It's become obvious that the Latino community is becoming a more important segment of the United States' population each year," said Michael Polzin, a spokesman for Walgreens. "If you want to reach out to a significant portion of your customers, you need to be able to connect with the Latino community."

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