Baby Boomers: Changing Food Consumption Among Baby Boomers

Table of Contents

Executive Summary

Chapter I. Who Are the Boomers?

• Boomers as a Population
• Historical Influences
• Ideas of Security and Freedom
• Strong Individualists - and Selective Consumers

Chapter II. Getting Old - Boomer Style

• The Executive Producers of Their Own Lives
• Boomers Compare Themselves to Their Parents
• Interacting with Other Generations Is Important
• Inventing a New Life Stage
• The Process of "Becoming Philosophical"
• A Positive Attitude
  • Defying Gravity: The Aging Boomer Body
• "Golf Will Get Old"
• "They Won' t Call Us Seniors"
• No "Sun City"
• A House That Is a Home
• Community Matters
• Positive Attitude, Positive Results
• Increasing Simplicity
• Travel, Travel, Travel
• Even Healthier Living

Chapter III. Key Boomer Differences - Life History, Age and Gender

• Family and Household Arena
  • Divorce
  • Empty Nest
  • Parents Die
  • Becoming a Grandparent
• Economic Livelihood Arena
  • Lost Job - Retirement Without a Safety Net
  • Secure Retirement
  • Switch to Self-Employment or New Job
• Physical Health Arena
  • Changes to Physical Health
  • Encounters with Disease and Deterioration Shift Awareness Around Physical Health
• A Model to Show Different Orientations to Change and Opportunity
  • The Adventure-Meter
• Dancing Adventurers
  • Personal Growth-Centered
• The Family Anchor
  • Family-Centered Growth
• Non-Explorers
  • Structure and Routine-Centered
• Age-Specific Rites of Passage Are Key Markers of Differences
• Key Insights
• Economic Livelihood Changes
  • Men
  • Women
• Household/Family Changes
• Physical Changes
  • Men
  • Women

Chapter IV. Healthy Living, Boomers and the World of Wellness

• Evolution in Wellness
• Common Wellness Emphasis
• Periphery Wellness Boomer Consumers
  • "Bad Eating Habits" from the Past
  • Focus on Health Driven by Others
  • In Their Words: Periphery Wellness Boomers on Health
• Mid-level Wellness Boomer Consumers
  • More Self-Driven in Health and Wellness
  • In Their Words: Mid-level Wellness Boomers on Health
• Core Wellness Boomer Consumers
  • Significant Lifestyle Commitment to Health and Wellness
  • In Their Words: Core Wellness Boomers on Health
• Finding Time for Staying Fit
  • Older Boomers
  • Younger Boomers
  • Boomers with Children in the Home
• Exercise Practices and Routines
  • Outdoor Activities
  • Combining Mental and Physical Discipline
  • Everyday Tasks as "Exercise"
• Healthy Living Is Part of Aging
  • New Physical Limitations
  • Staying Healthy to Live Longer
  • Motivations for Living Healthy:
• Triggers and Gateways to Awareness of Healthy Living
• Named Health Concerns
  • Conditions - Prevention and Management
  • Weight Management
• A Healthy Living Language Map
• Codes of Healthy Eating
  • A Culture of Healthier Living
  • Paying More Attention to the Function of Food
  • Taking More Time
  • Goods and Bads

Chapter V. Emerging Boomer Product Preferences

• Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Are Central to Healthy Eating
• Fresh Also Means Less Processed or Homemade
• A Quality Distinction
• Natural Means Real or Authentic
• Local Is Increasingly Important
• A "Worthwhile" Indulgence is Necessary for Balance
• Consumers Indulge in Gender-Distinct Ways
• Indulgences Are Often Associated with Being Social
• Exploring New Flavors Can Be an Adventure, and Healthy Too
  • Exotic Cuisines Are an Adventure
  • Eating Out Is Good for the Soul
• Consumers Are Willing to Explore New Beverages with Health Benefits or Premium Quality
• Boomers Feel Entitled to Have Healthy Food that Also Tastes Good
  • Healthy Beverages that Taste Good and Fill You Up
  • Waters that Aren' t So Boring
  • Substitutes for Sweet That Aren' t High in Calories and Fat
  • Healthy Snacks that Are Fun and Comforting
  • New Flavors
• Snacks and Beverages Are Significant Categories for Brand Exploration and Opportunity
  • Social Occasions Are Crucial and Opportunities to Eat and Drink Snacks and Beverages
  • Snacking and Drinking Liquids Are Associated with a Healthy Lifestyle
  • Flexible Leisure Time Requires More Food Variety
• Premium Brands Are Increasingly Attractive, Especially in Snacks and Beverages
• Organic and Private Label Brands on the Rise
• Nostalgic Brand Loyalty Decreases as Consumers Gain Fluency in Health and Wellness
  • Products Associated with Childhood Are Often Associated with Bad Health
• Gourmet or International-Origin Brands and Ingredients Are Intriguing
• Ingredients to Avoid
• Ingredients to Embrace
• What Is on the Package
• The Lack of a Package

Chapter VI. Shopping, Consuming, Spending

• Different Channels for Different Reasons
  • Flexible Time Brings Flexible Shopping
• Natural and Specialty Channels - Select Retailers are Fertile Ground for Discovery
• Grocery and Mass Channel Use
• Positive In-Store and At-Shelf Experiences
• Definitions of Quality at Retail - Health Perception is Key
  • Channels Promoting "Fresh" Foods Are Compelling
  • Quality and Healthiness Perceptions Varies by Health and Wellness Orientation
  • "Real" and "Authentic" Are Increasingly Important
• Trend Toward Self-Diagnosis Impacts Views of Pharmacy and Grocery Channels
  • Boomers Seek Holistic Health Resources
  • Neighborhood Pharmacies Ought to Be Neighborly Pharmacies
• Eating Out Is Both a Luxury and a Habit
  • Fast Casual Is a Habit and a Way of Life
  • Dining Out as Vacation
  • Eating Out is Part of a Healthy Lifestyle
• Travel Is More than Just a Trip - It' s a Way of Life and a Way to Keep Living
  • Boomers Will Expand What It Means to Travel
  • Boomers Feel Entitled to Travel
  • Boomers Comment on the Role of Travel in Their Lives
  • Travel Is More than a Trip

Chapter VII. Information Sources

• Social Networks
• Low-Tech News Sources
• Internet
• Popular Celebrity Culture
• Healthcare Practitioners
• New Consciousness-Raising Channels

Chapter VIII. Conclusions and Recommendations

• Provide Help with the Aging Process
  • Support the Process of Reinvention
  • Provide an Opportunity to Be an Expert
  • Recognize Autonomy and Independence
  • Celebrate the Life Stage
  • Build a Positive Future
• Simplify Information
  • Label Products to Guide Not to Scold
  • Overall, Less Packaging on Food Products
  • Gentle Not Harsh, Provide Insights Not Hype
  • Encourage Product Participation
• Recognize New Freedoms and Directions
• Celebrate and Support the Aging Body
• Build and Support Travel Adventures
• Accommodate Boomers of Varying Health and Wellness Orientations
  • More Conservative Boomers
  • More Progressive Boomers
• General Food and Beverage Ingredient Recommendations
  • Ingredients/Foods to Avoid or Reduce
  • Ingredients/Foods to Promote or Accentuate
  • Indulgence-Oriented Foods and Ingredients
  • Beverages
  • Snacks
• Retail-Oriented Recommendations
  • General Recommendation - Elegant Retail Space
  • Accommodate Cross-Channel Shopping of Progressive Boomers
  • Accentuate "Fresh" at Retail
  • Exploit "Local" and "Authentic" Cues

Appendix I . Methodology

• Ethnography
  • One-on-One, In-Home Interviews
  • Social Network Parties
  • Shop and Talk Tours
  • Online Discussion Groups
  • Visual Ethnographic Artifacts (All consumers)

List of Figures

• Figure 1- The Struggle for Optimism
• Figure 2- Boomers on Signs of Getting Old
• Figure 3 - Boomer Arenas of Change
• Figure 4 - Family and Household Arena of Change
• Figure 5 - Livelihood Arena of Change
• Figure 6 - Physical Health Arena of Change
• Figure 7 - Summary Chart: Orientations to Change and Opportunity
• Figure 8 - Age-Based Shifts
• Figure 9 - The World Perspective
• Figure 10 - Dimensions Organizing the World of Wellness
• Figure 11 - Proportions of the World of Wellness
• Figure 12 - Periphery Wellness Boomer Preferences
• Figure 13 - Mid-level Wellness Boomer Preferences
• Figure 14 - Core Wellness Boomer Preferences
• Figure 15 - Boomer Health Conditions, Disease and Concerns
• Figure 16 - Boomer Perceptions of Healthy Living