Imagine my surprise when I read a recent study saying that I have significant purchasing power in the food space. Well, not just me, but all millennial moms. Millennials (ages 18-34) have officially replaced Generation X as the largest generation in the workforce; Pew Research Center (pewresearch.org) analysis shows that one-in-three Americans in the workforce are millennials and nearly half are women. What’s more is that almost half of millennial women are mothers and many millennial women are working mothers – which makes them (us) an important segment for brands to keep their eyes on. Why? Because we want more from our food packaging than previous generations; we want nutritious and high quality items for our family, but in convenient and time-saving packages.
More so than previous generations, millennials place importance on organic and locally sourced products. In addition to that, time is also of the essence. As reported by the PBH Foundation (pbhfoundation.org), 60% of moms spend 30 minutes or less preparing a meal. Of that 60%, many spend only 10 minutes preparing a meal. The PBH Foundation goes on to state that there is a definite need for healthier food choices that circumvent demanding meal-prep time, whether that means vegetables coming pre-cut or healthy meals that are partially prepared. So long as it is quick, healthy and flavorful, younger moms are less picky as to what form the conveniently prepared food arrives in.
Because convenience is such a hot trend with all shoppers, items like portion-controlled snacks, fresh cut packaged fruit and vegetables and single-serve breakfast items are hot for eating on the go and packing healthy lunches. So much opportunity is here for brands to capitalize on and meet this consumer bases’ needs. Health and convenience are the big trends this group wants, and I can personally attest to that. As a working mother of two girls, I am always shopping for food products to make my kids’ and my lives easier and healthier. Chances are this trend is here to stay, across most generations.
