Selling Fresh Food to Gen X, Gen Z, and Millennials

Grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food that is portable continues to drive top line sales and bottom line profits in every sector of retail foodservice today according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

Recently Acosta shed light on the five distinct generations of shoppers, and their distinct shopping characteristics, in the recently released 14th edition of its The Why Behind the Buy report.  The team at Foodservice Solutions® found it extremely valuable and we think you will too. See the breakdown below:

Gen Z: Emerging Influencers (Ages 12-21; Gen Z Shoppers Ages 18-21)

• Not being in the working world yet, Gen Z shoppers (18-21) reported spending the least on groceries each month, averaging $269.
• Gen Z has never experienced life without the internet and 42% of Gen Z shoppers indicated they use a digital grocery list.
• Gen Z and millennial shoppers averaged the most grocery shopping trips each month across generations, with Gen Z making 4.5 routine grocery trips a month.

Millennials: Selective Spenders (Ages 22-36)

• Millennial shoppers spend an average of $298 monthly on groceries.
• This generation is not yet brand loyal—48% agreed they don’t care which brand they buy, and will switch when they find a better deal. 
• Sixty percent of millennial shoppers use mobile apps for grocery coupons or discounts, significantly higher than any other generation.
• Forty-six percent of millennial shoppers have children under 18 in their household. Millennial parents spend an average of over $100 more per month on groceries than millennials without children.

Gen X: Spending Big & Digital Adapters (Ages 37-52)

• Gen X shoppers reported spending the most each month on groceries, averaging $380.
• Many Gen X shoppers have embraced digital grocery tools—70% reported redeeming a digital or mobile grocery coupon within the past month.
• Two-thirds of Gen X shoppers indicated they enjoys preparing new dishes and 60% agreed they often check out new items in a grocery store.

Boomers: Still Driving Change (Ages 53-71)

• While this generation is downsizing, they still spend an average of $314 each month on groceries.
• Boomer shoppers are brand loyal, and are buying 82% of the same brands that they bought in the prior year.  
• These shoppers are also loyal to their grocery stores—93% of boomers reported shopping most often at the same grocery retailer as last year.

                
Silents: Spending on Groceries (Ages 72+)

• Silent shoppers reported spending an average of $287 monthly on groceries, which also reflects the highest household grocery spending per person across all of the generations.
• This generation also spends the least amount of their total monthly food budget on eating out.
• Silent shoppers focus on value and are big redeemers of coupons, as nine in 10 reported redeeming a paper coupon for a grocery item within the past month.

Invite Foodservice Solutions® to complete a Grocerant Program Assessment, Grocerant ScoreCard, or for product positioning or placement assistance, or call our Grocerant Guru®.  Since 1991 www.FoodserviceSolutions.us  of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche. Contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or 253-759-7869