Boomers CONSUMER INSIGHTS & SHOPPING BEHAVIOR
Discover the Boomer consumer.
Boomers (also known as Baby Boomers) have held control of consumer spending across CPG & general merchandise for several years, and they continue to have a significant influence. But as they enter their golden years, Boomers are making significant changes to how and where they shop. Discover Boomers’ latest shopping behaviors along with purchasing trends in the health, home improvement and pet industry.
What are the buying behaviors of Boomers?
Boomers (born before 1965) are the largest generation in the US and make up 37% of US households. They spend $14,000 annually for CPG & general merchandise. They make over 420 shopping trips in a year and spend $33 on each of those trips, on average.
Unlike Gen X, Boomers shop different retailers from the total US. Walmart takes up 1 in 5 (21%) CPG & general merchandise dollars among Boomers. While Amazon does underindex with Boomers, the retailer still takes the second spot in spending. Target, part of the top 10 among Gen Z, Millennials and Gen X, falls off the list for Boomers, landing 11th. The top brands that overindex with Boomers are focused on oral care, as well as historical brands such as ConAgra’s Van Camp’s and McCall Farm’s Margaret Holmes.
37%
of Total US Households
$14,076
Spend per Household
426
Trips per Household
$33
Spend per Trip
Source: Numerator | Sectors include: Baby, Grocery, Health & Beauty, Household, Pet, Electronics, Home & Garden, Office, Sports, Tools & Home Improvement & Toys. Only showing brands with Boomer penetration >5%.
Who is the Boomer shopper?
Boomers are a predominantly White household as 79% classify themselves as being White. Black and Hispanic / Latino households make up 17% of Boomers in the US.
They also tend to have smaller households. With 9 in 10 (91%) Boomers saying they do not have children in the home, over 82% are in households with two or less people. They also live in non-urban settings with a majority (73%) living in rural / suburban settings.
While Boomers no longer have to be concerned about raising children and can use their funds elsewhere, they also have a lower income compared to other generations. Only 20% of Boomers make an annual household income above $125K with half of Boomers (50%) being middle income ($40k-$125K). With prices at all time highs and little leverage to adjust income, Boomers are facing economic pressures based on our economic segmentation.
What are the major trends happening with Boomers?
Making health matter.
Boomers are significantly more likely to report having health conditions as compared to the total US.
Based on Numerator’s psychographic health segmentation tracking over 35 conditions, the top three conditions are: High Blood Pressure / Hypertension (46%), Outdoor Allergies (41%) and High Cholesterol (36%).
However, they are treating their conditions. Of those with high blood pressure, 98% are taking prescription medication and 25% are also making diet and lifestyle changes.
Other conditions that highly overindex focused on bone and joint conditions. Nearly 1 in 4 (24%) Boomers have osteo-arthritis– almost twice the incidence among total US (13%).
Health and food brands should continue to help address the needs of Boomers as the cohort accounts for over $38 billion and $390 billion, respectively.
Still building & creating.
Even with health conditions arising, Boomers are looking to still be active by building and gardening. Boomers are upwards of 15 to 20% more likely to be purchasing categories such as live plants, gardening soil and building supplies.
Boomers are also DIY’ers. When asked about what they shop for when at a home improvement store, 49% stated they were there to purchase for projects they are planning to do on their own.
Brands within the durables space have opportunity to grow with these consumers and build equity with them.
Understated value.
Boomers are the largest purchasers of wild bird food & treats by spending $88 annually. Almost 2 in 3 dollars (63%) in the category come from Boomers, yet only 3% report having a bird as a pet.
So what gives? As Boomers spend more time at home and tend to their yard, they want to enjoy everything nature has to offer, including bird watching.
For a category worth over $2 billion, there is a lot of opportunity for retailers to win their fair share through proper targeting and marketing. It’s also a reminder for brands to remember opportunity lies even with consumers you might have initially disregarded.
Understand the consumer across generations through our deep dives.
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