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Internet business seeks to make a difference in Latino community

Chicago, Nov 14, 2011 (EFE via COMTEX) — The Valoramas company in Chicago launched a sales portal on the Internet that seeks to make a difference in the Latino community of the United States by refunding some of its earnings to clients and providing subsidies for community organizations.

In plenty of time for the holiday gift-buying season, www.valoramas.com has begun functioning as a bilingual online club whose membership costs $25 a year and provides access to more than 9 million products offered by 2,000 stores across the country.

The portal is the only one of its kind both for the benefits it offers consumers and its total commitment to the community, the president of Valoramas, Alejandra Garza, told Efe.

“Like a good native of Monterrey, I’m always looking for the best way to spend money,” Garza, who was born in that Mexican city and raised in Chicago, said.

That’s where she got the idea of “making a difference in the Latino community,” offering savings to members by refunding more than 50 cents out of every dollar that Valoramas earns annually, as well as contributing to organizations devoted to serving Latinos.

The Valoramas virtual mall includes such stores as Target, Walmart, Best Buy, Sears, Apple, Macy’s, Home Depot and Toys ‘R’ Us, with exclusive offers and the highest refund rates in the United States.

The company says that the average refund is more than 5 percent of the purchase price and could reach 67 percent.

As examples, Garza said that a purchase at Target through Valoramas brings a refund of 4.1 percent of the price, and in Macy’s 5.1 percent, money available in checks made out to the member.

“This advantage will make us the best shopping option on the Internet,” Garza said.

She said that the idea, concept and development of the company comes from Chicago, where Valoramas is located under the registered name OneBigTent LLC, but the portal has a nationwide reach.

“Our mission is to make a difference by creating a place where members can buy, save more, connect with each other and unite to build opportunities for the Latino community,” she said.

As part of its mission of service, the company developed the Valoramas Community Fund that contributes to community organizations that work directly on behalf of Latino needs nationwide.

The fund, which will grow with each and every transaction on the portal – from the cost of membership to sales to advertising revenues – now has $150,000 ready to be distributed starting in January 2012.

Garza said the fund will invest in four key areas – education, health care, community development, and arts and the humanities.

“We’re a new company, but with a very serious commitment to supporting the areas that are most important to the Latino community,” she said. EFE jm/cd