Focus on wellness to reach boomers

Baby boomers number roughly 80 million today and make up 44 percent of all households with annual incomes more than $75,000. Because of this reality, the boomer segment quickly is becoming a focal point for the food industry. And according to a new report developed in a partnership between the Packaged Facts division of Rockville, Md.-based MarketResearch.com and CCD Innovation, San Francisco, food industry stakeholders looking to successfully comprehend and cater to this consumer segment need to understand the importance boomers place on wellness.

The report, titled “Boomer Wellness: Culinary Trend Mapping Report,” states that many boomers are concerned about developing and maintaining a holistic wellbeing, fueling dietary needs that are “fairly sophisticated.” For others, food behaviors are reflective of a robust discretionary spending capacity and a need to accommodate a busy lifestyle — such as increased restaurant usage and using technology conveniences to order food.

“Boomers grew up during an era when eating out became a form of entertainment, not just a special occasion affair,” says Kimberly Egan, CEO of CCD Innovation. “They’ve also become accustomed to convenience food in all its forms and expect variety and choice at food retailers, specialty groceries and supermarkets.”

According to Egan, food businesses looking for opportunities in the boomer market need to understand nutrition, aging and convenience — and then harness this understanding.
Sequencing the decision-making cycle and consumer behaviors, the report lays out the following stages:

• Stage 1: Nutritional Genomics — Advances in understanding of the human dietary system drive choices designed to prevent, delay or treat chronic conditions. 
• Stage 1: Dietary Self-Tracking — Data-collecting devices, apps and programs help monitor health metrics.
• Stage 2: Eating for our Microbiome — Boomers feed their personal bacterial ecology for overall health.
• Stage 3: Grocery Shopping 2.0 — Older consumers embrace technology innovation to order fresh, packaged and prepared foods.
• Stage 4: Restaurant Redux — Dining out more frequently is a benefit of superior spending power and more time.
• Stage 4: Juicing Meets Mixology — Boomers are focusing on beverages that provide nutrition, microbiotics, proteins and healthful benefits.
• Stage 5: Food That’s Frozen vs. Frozen Food — Boomers look for healthy messaging in food that’s frozen prompting new retailer messaging and a frozen food “makeover.”

For more information, visit www.packagedfacts.com.