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Baby Boomers: 2006: Changing Food Consumption Among Baby Boomers (1946-1964)

Hartman Group
March 1, 2007
110 Pages - SKU: HAR1471688

Abstract Table of Contents Search inside this report Related Reports

No other generation in history has been more intensely watched than Baby Boomers. Anything "boomer" makes headlines. And for good reason, with an estimated annual spending in the $2 trillion range, this consumer group of 79 million people has not just left its mark on the marketplace, it continues to redefine how aging consumers live, shop and use products. As the eldest Baby Boomer turned 60 in 2006, health concerns brought on by their aging bear new economic and cultural resonance that cannot be ignored by tomorrow's competitive food and beverage manufacturers, marketers and retailers.

Given that boomers' changing relationship with food and beverages, and health and wellness are occurring in an ever-complicating labyrinth of dining, product and retail options, Changing Food Consumption among Baby Boomers (1946-1964): Looking Five Years into the Future will provide food manufacturers, food retailers and other interested stakeholders with the following insights:

Knowledge, attitudes and behaviors regarding health and wellness,
How this translates into current food purchase and consumption, and
Trends likely to unfold in five years' time.

Executive Summary
Chapter I. Who Are the Boomers?: Boomers as a Population; Historical Influences..10; 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; “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; Economic Livelihood Arena; Physical Health Arena; A Model to Show Different Orientations to Change and Opportunity; Dancing Adventurers; The Family Anchor; Non-Explorers; Age-Specific Rites of Passage Are Key Markers of Differences; Key Insights; Economic Livelihood Changes; Household/Family Changes; Physical Changes
Chapter IV. Healthy Living, Boomers and the World of Wellness: Evolution in Wellness; Common Wellness Emphasis; Periphery Wellness Boomer Consumers; Mid-level Wellness Boomer Consumers; Core Wellness Boomer Consumers; Finding Time for Staying Fit; Exercise Practices and Routines; Healthy Living Is Part of Aging; Triggers and Gateways to Awareness of Healthy Living; Named Health Concerns; A Healthy Living Language Map; Codes of Healthy Eating
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; Consumers Are Willing to Explore New Beverages with Health Benefits or Premium; Quality; Boomers Feel Entitled to Have Healthy Food that Also Tastes Good; Snacks and Beverages Are Significant Categories for Brand Exploration and Opportunity; 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; 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; 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; Trend Toward Self-Diagnosis Impacts Views of Pharmacy and Grocery Channels; Eating Out Is Both a Luxury and a Habit; Travel Is More than Just a Trip - It’s a Way of Life and a Way to Keep Living
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; Simplify Information; Recognize New Freedoms and Directions; Celebrate and Support the Aging Body; Build and Support Travel Adventures; Accommodate Boomers of Varying Health and Wellness Orientations; General Food and Beverage Ingredient Recommendations; Retail-Oriented Recommendations
Appendix I . Methodology: Ethnography
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

Baby Boomers: 2006: Changing Food Consumption Among Baby Boomers (1946-1964)

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