Shop Latino TV helps celebrate heritage year-round

by Marisa Treviño of Latina Lista

If there is a downside to Hispanic Heritage Month it’s that it only lasts a month. Come October 15, retailers who are so busy trying to celebrate this time of year by offering products they think Latinos and non-Latinos would buy put them all away till the next year.

Does nobody get the message that celebrating one’s heritage lasts more than just 30 days?

Well, yes, finally there is someone that not only gets the message but has done something about it.

It’s called Shop Latino TV (SLTV) and it’s the nation’s only live Spanish-language home shopping channel. Available nationwide for DISH Network subscribers and, as of yesterday, now in selected Texas Time Warner markets, though not yet in Dallas, SLTV makes buying bargain and culturally-relevant products a year-round experience.

For example, the fajita-making kit at SLTV doesn’t just feature a cast iron skillet, there’s a tortilla warmer basket, a lemon squeezer (if you have to ask, you just may need this kit), a reversible griddle and the crowning piece of equipment — a tortilla presser just like abuelita used to have.

In the jewelry department, there’s a lot of cross necklaces and a complete gold wedding ring set for only — $59.99.

As of now, no clothes but hopefully that will be added in the future. Also, since it’s only been operating since July, a mere three months, the inventory is a little low, but they do have enough categories that it does offer a diverse selection for what they do have in stock.

For those who don’t receive the television version of the channel, the website allows for easy purchases, too. But if it’s the whole shopping experience that is craved, the web site has a live television feed from the SLTV channel where we find that familiar English-language infomercials have been dubbed in Spanish.

Given the projections that Latino buying power will reach $992 billion by 2009, it’s a certainty that this channel can only grow.

The question is: How long will it take?