10 items or less - cornnaturally · of millennial parents agree or strongly agree with the...
TRANSCRIPT
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TABLE OF CONTENTS(Click a chapter title or turn the page to continue reading.)
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The contents of a shopping cart can tell you a lot about grocery
shoppers. Are they indulgent or strict? Do they stick to a budget or buy
high-priced items without much thought? Do they cook from scratch
or eat a lot of prepared foods? How brand conscious are they? Do they
have children?
Even among shoppers of the same generation, food-buying attitudes
and behaviors vary significantly. GenerationWhy, a consumer research
study commissioned by the Corn Refiners Association, found that
millennials fall into four distinct consumer segments. Respondents
for the quantitative survey phase of the study were provided by Ipsos.
Millennial participants in the qualitative phase were sourced through
BuzzFeed. It also found that, even within a single segment, consumers
shop differently if they have children in their households.
FOR MILLENNIALS, HAVING KIDS CHANGES EVERYTHING.
BC: BEFORE CHILDREN
TRADITIONALIST TAYLOR Traditionalist Taylor doesn’t eat out very much and doesn’t
think a lot about food or nutrition. However, parents in
Taylor’s segment are more likely to read the Nutrition
Facts panel than those without kids.
BON VIVANT BRITTANYBon Vivant Brittany prefers eating out to dining in and
isn’t very health conscious. However, parents in Brittany’s
segment are more likely to enjoy preparing a home-
cooked meal than those without kids.
FOOD PURIST PAIGE Food Purist Paige loves cooking at home, but struggles to
afford food that meets her high standards. In fact, parents in
Paige’s segment are even more concerned about the price
of food and beverage products than those without kids.
BALANCE-SEEKER BRAD Balance-Seeker Brad is a trendsetter who is highly influential
on social media and thinks all foods are okay in moderation.
In fact, parents in Brad’s segment rank taste as more
important when choosing food and beverage products
than those without kids.
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Having kids makes planning ahead a must. Therefore, it’s not surprising
that parents are more likely to shop with a grocery list than non-parents
are—45 percent compared to 36 percent. However, bringing kids along
on shopping trips can make sticking to the list somewhat challenging.
Although 40 percent of parents adhere to their grocery list when
shopping alone, only 27 percent manage the same feat when shopping
with their children.
Despite the challenge of shopping with kids in tow, grocery shopping
alone is a luxury not everyone can afford. It should come as no surprise
that parents in the lower-earning segments (Taylor and Paige) are much
more likely than parents in the higher-earning segments (Brad and
Brittany) to bring their kids along on shopping trips.
PARENTS ARE MORE LIKELY TO MAKE GROCERY LISTS, BUT STRUGGLE TO STICK TO THEM.
FAMILY PLANNING
35% 25%
Parents in Taylor’s segment Parents in Brittany’s segment
31%
Total millennial parents
40% 23%
Parents in Paige’s segment Parents in Brad’s segment
WHO BRINGS THEIR KIDS ON MOST SHOPPING TRIPS?*
*at least 7 in 10 trips
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Food Purist Paige and Balance-Seeker Brad are the most intriguing
segments identified by GenerationWhy because of their contrasting
food attitudes and social media behaviors. Paige has more extremist
views on healthy eating and is less influential on social media, whereas
Brad embraces a more “mindful” approach to healthy eating and is
extremely influential on social media. Their contrasting behavior also
extends to the grocery aisle in a few unexpected ways. For example,
while Paige, like most millennial parents, is more apt to stick to her
grocery list when shopping alone, Brad is actually likelier to stray from
his list when he’s alone.
A STUDY IN CONTRASTSPAIGE AND BRAD EXEMPLIFY DIFFERENT GROCERY-SHOPPING BEHAVIORS.
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Compared to the other segments, since Brad shops with his children
less frequently, it could be an indication of the unique attitude he brings
to the grocery aisle. Perhaps Brad—the highest-earning segment and
the segment most apt to refer to himself as a “foodie”—enjoys browsing
grocery aisles and indulging his impulses when alone, but tries to stay
focused when his children are in tow. It’s important to remember that
grocery shopping isn’t just an errand for millennial consumers; for some,
it may also constitute an enjoyable experience.
A STUDY IN CONTRASTS (CONTINUED)
WHO STICKS TO THEIR GROCERY LIST AND WHEN?
41% 36%
Brad shopping with children Brad shopping alone
28% 57%
Paige shopping with children Paige shopping alone
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OPPOSING PARENTING STYLES
Brad and Paige exhibit several other stark differences when shopping with
kids. Although both Paige and Brad are interested in nutrition, they differ in
their approach to teaching children about healthy choices. While 46 percent
of consumers in Brad’s segment use grocery shopping as an opportunity
to talk to their kids about nutrition, only 16 percent of consumers in Paige’s
segment do the same. Motivated more by opportunity than anxiety, Brad
embraces the experience of grocery shopping as a “teachable moment” in
his children’s lives. Paige, on the other hand, besieged by food fears, fails to
engage her kids in a concerned conversation.
On every front, Brad seems to represent an engaged consumer who is
concerned and deliberate in his choices. Brad sees grocery shopping as
an opportunity to instill his balance-seeker attitude in his children, talking
to them about nutrition on the one hand and buying them treats on the
other. Then he turns around and shares the experience with his many
social-media followers. Brad’s not just a regular dad; he’s a “cool dad.”
PAIGE AND BRAD DIVERGE IN THEIR APPROACH TO RAISING KIDS WITH HEALTHY HABITS.
WHO USES GROCERY SHOPPING AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO THEIR KIDS ABOUT NUTRITION?
WHO SOMETIMES BUYS INDULGENT ITEMS FOR THEIR KIDS WHEN THEY IMAGINE HOW MUCH THEY’LL ENJOY THEM?
16%
11%
46%
43%
Paige
Paige
Brad
Brad
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Although parents are more interested than non-parents in the
healthfulness of the food and beverage products they buy, they aren’t
likely to take an extreme approach to healthy eating. In fact, 90 percent
of millennial parents agree or strongly agree with the statement, “I try to
eat a reasonable balance of foods.” As they strive to maintain this balance,
however, parents must also contend with the need to please picky eaters.
For nearly 80 percent of parents, it’s very important or even critical to
choose products they know their children will like.
Of course, there’s one thing kids and their parents can definitely agree
on: Food should taste good. Only 28 percent of parents and 17 percent
of non-parents say it’s worth sacrificing taste for healthier food and
beverage products. In fact, taste ranks higher than any other purchase
driver for parents and non-parents alike. Brad exemplifies this finding:
When indicating the important of various factors on snack-food purchase
decisions, 71 percent of parents and 70 percent of non-parents in his
segment ranked “taste” among their top three considerations.
NEW BALANCEPARENTS PURSUE A BALANCED DIET OF HEALTHY FOODS AND TASTY TREATS.
HOW IMPORTANT IS IT THAT A PRODUCT IS SOMETHING YOU KNOW YOUR KIDS WILL LIKE?
WHICH FACTORS ARE CRITICAL WHEN MAKING A PURCHASE DECISION?
GOOD TASTING GOOD VALUE FOR THE PRICE
46% 42%47% 37%
Parents ParentsNon-parents Non-parents
SOMETHING I KNOW MY KIDS WILL LIKE
38% N/AParents Non-parents
40.3%
14.6%5.5% 1.6%
37.9%
Critical Less important
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Whether or not millennial consumers have children affects how they shop
for food. Even among parents, whether consumers have their kids tag
along at the grocery store affects what products they choose to buy.
It’s important for F&B marketers to understand the various ways kids
change millennial consumers’ behavior, but they must also consider the
other factors that make an impact, such as income level. Marketers should
take note that taste is an important factor, too. When weighing taste against
healthfulness, a majority of millennial consumers—parents and non-
parents alike—choose taste.
Learn more about millennial consumers and see the complete findings of
GenerationWhy, including information specific to your product category.
THERE’S MORE TO DISCOVERYOU’VE SEEN ONLY A FRACTION OF WHAT GenerationWhy HAS TO OFFER.