New research has found that millennials are more adventurous with food than their parents ever were, and has shed light on shopping habits within the demographic.
The study – carried out by creative agency Haygarth in partnership with brand insight specialist Flamingo – found that more than 40% of millennials thought it was more important to be knowledgeable about food than fashion, with 26.7% stating the opposite. The finding reinforces the group’s reputation as a digital generation, with the popularity of sharing food on social media platforms increasing.
Millennials share images of their food on social media three times a week, compared with less than 30% of their parents, the survey added. Almost three times as many millennials experiment with new recipes six or more times each month when compared to the previous generation.
The study, entitled Inspiration Generation, concluded that retailers and manufacturers were under-targeting millennials based on misperceptions of the demographic.
Haygarth CEO Sophie Daranyi said: “Millennials make up almost 20% of the population and yet we felt that, when we considered the marketing activity in FMCG and grocery retail, they weren’t regarded as a significant target audience by the majority of brands. The ‘Inspiration Generation’ research has provided a fascinating insight into this under-considered audience and has enabled us to put together the golden rules for retailers and brands to really engage this passionately foodie generation. Already spending almost as much as their parents each week on food, as they progress through their lives and their disposable income grows, the opportunity for brands who successfully recruit them as advocates is immense.”
40.4% of millennials think that it is more important to be knowledgeable about food than fashion, with 26.7% stating the reverse.
Millennials share images of their food on social media three times a week on average, while more than 70% of their parents have never done this.
They follow nearly as many food experts on social media as celebrities or fashion brands, and regarded social media “as a major source of cooking inspiration” in nearly half of all cases.
35% of millennials experiment with new food regularly, compared to less than 13% of their parents’ generation.
59% still do a regular “big shop for a few days’ or week’s worth of food and other household items with a shopping list”.
74% said that they were interested in shopping at more independent food shops, such as butchers, grocers and bakeries. Those that already visit independents at least three times per week do so more than their parents’ generation did.
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