Grocers Told Bilingual Signage Must Communicate, Not Just Translate

Bilingual signage that amounts to little more than translation can backfire, because shoppers immediately sense inauthenticity, industry executives and analysts said in a Grocery Dive report published Sept. 30, 2026.

"Translation doesn't actually compensate for a store that really isn't reflecting the broader community, and it's simply serving as a touch point to say, 'Hey, we get you,' because that's not authentic, and it's not going to come across as authentic," said Diana Leza Sheehan, CEO and founder of PDG Insights.

As multicultural grocery keeps growing — from international chains to international aisles inside traditional supermarkets — retailers increasingly deploy bilingual signage and packaging to connect with shoppers. Done improperly, experts caution, the tactic produces the opposite effect.

The guiding principle, per Sheehan: treat bilingual signage and packaging as a form of communication, not a mechanical act of translation.

Where does bilingual signage work hardest?

Placement matters. Aisle markers, a staple navigation tool, lose impact as bilingual touchpoints because shoppers stop consulting them once they know their neighborhood market, Sheehan said.

Signage explaining promotions, and shelf tags detailing a product in two languages, do more to compel customers, she noted.

Who are you actually speaking to?

Bilingual marketing in U.S. grocery centers primarily on Spanish — the country's second-most-spoken and fastest-growing language. But Spanish varies widely, in the U.S. as elsewhere: Mexican Spanish differs sharply from Cuban Spanish.

"The misconception is that people see the Hispanic customer and want to cover it with one broad stroke — and that's just a big mistake because the customer knows," Heritage Grocers Group Chief Experience Officer Adam Salgado said.

Heritage Grocers, a Hispanic grocery company operating four distinct banners, calibrates language use to each chain's customer base:

• El Rancho Supermercado (Texas): prioritizes Spanish in signage and in-store marketing.
• Tony's Fresh Market (Chicagoland): more English-forward, though half its stores sit in highly Hispanic-dense markets and leverage Spanish differently.
• Cardenas Markets (California): English-forward in-store, but primarily Spanish on Facebook, where its core older-generation audience lives.

Heritage also runs local social and creative teams within its marketing department. Their job is embedding natural language and cultural nuance into messaging — most persuasively in local initiatives like Tony's Fresh Market's recent tailgate promotion for a Chicago Bears NFL game, Salgado said.

How do grocers keep the tone natural?

Leevers Supermarkets, which partners with Save A Lot to open and run Hispanic discount supermarkets including the Ahorra Mucho and Save A Lot y Mas concepts, leans on grassroots marketing to keep messaging natural, President and COO Jon Koontz said.

"There are things we want to message to them in an informal and friendly way versus a formal way," Koontz said. "Those types of nuances exist in all languages, and something that we take into really careful consideration as we're going through the editing and revision process, and relying on experts, relying on those who speak the language at home, at work, with friends and family, is really the best way to do that."

Koontz said no faster route exists to losing customer trust than circulating messaging that is inaccurate or does not make sense when translated. "If you're speaking to customers in a language that does not resonate with them, then that lack of [authenticity] is going to be felt throughout your store," he said.

Can signage stand alone?

No, Sheehan said. Bilingual signage and packaging must extend into product assortment, meal offerings and staffing.

"It can't be the sole thing that says, 'Hey, we're here for you.' And I think part of it is [that] it really has to be an embedded part of the broader store experience," she said.

Sheehan pointed to Albertsons' Jewel Osco locations in Chicago as doing a "respectable job with assortment" and making a valiant effort to offer relevant, authentic assortments in stores serving Latino communities.

"Integrating the Spanish language as a part of the [shopping] experience is actually a nod of respect," Sheehan said. "But if it's only a nod of respect, then it's actually completely and totally not going to get what retailers are trying to get out of it."

Not every grocer needs bilingual signage, she cautioned — and those unwilling to embed it fully in the store experience should skip it entirely.