The boomers beckon

In the United States today, 76.4 million people are products of the post-World War II baby boom, which the Population Reference Bureau says took place between 1946 and 1964. These people — along with Gen-Xers — have greater buying power than those of other generations, says Todd Hale, senior vice president of consumer and shopper insights for New York-based Nielsen.

Baby boomers also offer retailers the “biggest opportunity in terms of spending” on store brand products, Hale points out. Therefore, retailers would be remiss to neglect this huge group of customers.

Recognize their differences

However, a one-size-fits-all strategy won’t do the trick, says Shilpa Rosenberry, director, strategy and insights with Galileo Global Branding Group, a division of Stamford, Conn.-based Daymon Worldwide. With the youngest boomers turning 50 this year and the oldest approaching 70, those near one end of the generation could have completely different needs and tastes than those near the other.

“When you think about the various social and political events that occurred during that time span, it’s a wide enough gap for early and late boomers to have lived through some dramatically different experiences, which shape the way they think and shop today,” she states. “From a retail standpoint, this gap creates an even more important distinction — and one that many retailers overlook: the importance of life stage. … I’m referring to not only their generation — when they were born — but also their household structure at any given point in time.”

Some boomers are married and empty nesters, while others are married with children still living in the house (especially with the tremendous growth of “boomerang kids”), Rosenberry points out. Other boomers are single — divorced, widowed or never married. Retailers need to consider various life stages when developing boomer-targeted products.

Go smaller

The majority of boomer households, though, comprise only one or two people, says Kim Holman, director of marketing with Wixon, a St. Francis, Wis.-based provider of seasonings and flavor

 systems. So retailers generally should be developing, packaging and marketing products geared toward these households when targeting boomers.

For example, retailers will need to portion refrigerated and frozen meals and meal kits properly, as boomers want to clean their plate.

“This is a generation that does not like to waste food,” she says. “They grew up with parents that were in the Depression.”

As for boomers who enjoy cooking — 62 percent of them, Holman says — retailers cannot simply offer the same pre-made meal components they typically offer to younger consumers. When they choose to cook, many boomers do so from scratch.

Also, both younger and older boomers are developing age-related health ailments. This reality is changing the way they choose their foods and beverages, says Darren Seifer, food and beverage industry analyst with The NPD Group, Port Washington, N.Y.

“Whole grains, protein and calcium — or [foods] low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium — will be important to younger and older boomer groups now and in the coming years,” he explains.

Holman agrees, noting that many boomers are beginning to suffer eyesight, memory and heart issues as they age.

Boomers also might have digestive health issues, states Rick Zambrano, food research editor for CuTTS (Culinary Trend Tracking Series), a program from the Packaged Facts division of Rockville, Md.-based MarketResearch.com.

“[We’re seeing] prebiotics and probiotic use as a result of consumers’ drive to cultivate good digestive health,” he explains. “Boomers are adopting and maintaining more active lifestyles throughout their lives and are looking at probiotics, juicing and nutritional foods with much more interest.”

Protein products, in particular, could be a sweet spot for retailers, according to an August 2013 opinion piece penned by Chris Schmidt, consumer health analyst with Euromonitor, Chicago.

“Given the positive media coverage surrounding protein in the popular press and the macronutrient’s key role in preserving lean muscle mass, a topic of extreme importance for active aging, major product categories — including protein powder, protein bars and ready-to-drink protein — have an inherent value proposition for aging consumers,” the piece said.

Think fresh, bold

Zambrano notes that boomers also are increasingly frequenting restaurants, and are “looking for fresh, quality and adventurous” offerings. Retailers should consider replicating such products on the frozen side and in their prepared foods sections and in-store eateries.

Speaking of “adventurous,” boomers are very well-traveled, Holman says, and they enjoy an exotic adventure when it comes to flavors. But boomers are not as adventurous with flavors as millennials are — they still love their classic comfort foods. Therefore, retailers should think exotic in product development, but not too exotic.

Flavors also need to be bold, Holman adds. As consumers age, their taste buds lose their sensitivity, which means a product that might taste flavorful to a millennial might taste dull to a boomer. Holman says retailers should make sure they test products intended for boomers with their target audience before launch.

Don’t neglect non-foods

As for non-foods, some categories that “win” with boomers are health and wellness, beauty care and toys and gifts, Rosenberry explains.

“In fact, more than half of baby boomers are already grandparents, making them a sizable group to reach for toys and gifts,” she explains.

In terms of health and wellness, dietary supplements could be a bright spot. Citing a 2012 survey by the Council for Responsible Nutrition, the Euromonitor opinion piece noted that 76 percent of Americans over 55 take dietary supplements — versus 57 percent in the 18-to-34 age group.

Package, promote with care

In terms of packaging development, many of the best practices that apply to other demographics also apply to boomers, Rosenberry explains.

“Today’s consumers are looking for personalized products, services and experiences — and this is also true for boomers,” she states. “By personalized, I mean brands catering to different lifestyles — for example, calling out specialized dietary needs, what’s ‘right for me.’”

Seifer notes that callouts such as “low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium” are important to boomers. The same goes for callouts describing portion sizes on smaller-portioned products.

“Since boomers often live in smaller households, they are interested in smaller portion sizes or servings,” he says, adding that packaging that helps make products easy to prepare also helps boomers who are looking to quickly throw a meal together.

And if contents have any exotic ingredients or flavors, be sure to communicate so on packaging, Zambrano states.

“Easy-open packages that reflect any global flavors and persuasions the products have will win big,” he says.

As for merchandising, Rosenberry recommends that retailers look abroad to Japan, which boasts a large aging population. Japanese retailers she has visited offer “a store experience that appeals to this generation,” paying attention to product assortment and sizes, printing larger fonts on signage, offering specialized in-store services and loyalty programs, and more.

And no matter what boomer-focused products it sells or services it provides, a retailer must always communicate to boomers as the young-at-heart group they are.

“They do not view themselves as ‘old,’” she states. “This demographic sees this time in their lives as one of opportunity, renewal and self-actualization. They are taking new college courses, becoming active in volunteer work, and sometimes even starting new businesses. In fact, as these boomers become seniors, many prefer not to call themselves ‘seniors.’”