Aging Populations: Changing Food & Beverage Needs And Behaviors Of Senior Consumers

Content

• Overview
  • Catalyst
  • Summary
  • Table of figures
  • Table of tables
• THE FUTURE DECODED
• INTRODUCTION: Health is an important purchase criterion in food and drinks categories for all consumers
• TREND: The population aged 50 plus is expected to continue expanding
  • Seniors are an important group due to their sheer number
  • Seniors account for a large proportion of US and European society
  • Growth in the Seniors population in Asia Pacific and other emerging markets is commercially appealing
  • Rising median age confirms the aging of society
  • Rising life expectancy, declining mortality rate and decreasing fertility rate are the main contributors
  • The number of Seniors and their market potential cannot be ignored
  • Key takeouts and implications: the world population is getting older
• TREND: The Senior population grouping consists of several different sub-cohorts
  • The US: differences among the GI generation, silent generation and baby boomers need to be recognized
  • Baby boomers entering the 50-plus cohort could bring fundamental change to how 'aging' is defined
  • Japan: the dankai generation are re-defining the meaning of otona (adult)
  • Beyond demographic groups: understanding where the generations are from is the key to communication
  • Key takeouts and implications: consumers in the 50-plus cohort are not all the same
• TREND: Seniors' financial status heavily influences their purchasing behavior
  • Seniors are well attuned to the premiumization philosophy of 'less but better'
  • Aging population and the impact on wealth: grow old and rich, or old and poor?
  • The financial status of the 50-plus cohort is affected by their family stage
  • The recessionary environment is a cause for concern among the 50-plus population
  • The profitability of the Senior consumer is now a key issue
  • The housing market downturn is problematic for Seniors
  • Seniors have cut the frequency with which they trade up in food and drinks
  • The alcoholic drinks market has seen little premiumization in 2008 with Seniors greatly affected
  • Seniors' up-trading is reasonably robust in personal care categories
  • Seniors may change certain aspects of their lifestyles less than younger adults in the current economic environment
  • Key takeouts and implications: the purchasing power of the 50-plus age cohort is varied
• INSIGHT: Convenience matters to Seniors, but less so than to younger adults
  • Seniors can be described as time maximizers
  • Ready meals are more popular with younger adult consumers
  • Seniors are more likely to cook using both convenient and slow-cooking methods
  • Canned food offers long shelf-life convenience but consumption is low among Seniors
  • Frozen food is one of the most consumed convenience food types among Senior consumers
  • Seniors' adherence to traditional mealtimes limits the extent of their convenience needs
  • Seniors seek a balance between health and convenience needs
  • Key takeouts and implications: meeting Seniors' convenience needs is a complex and difficult task
• INSIGHT: Heart health is a major concern for Senior consumers
  • Seniors use oils and fats more extensively in the US and Europe, but sparingly in Asia Pacific
  • Seniors care about both the amount and types of fat they consume
  • Seniors can benefit from 'good' fats in other ways
  • Key takeouts and implications: Heart health is a major concern for Seniors as the prevalence of coronary disease increases with age
• INSIGHT: Meat and protein intake is a moderately important issue for Seniors
  • Senior consumption of meat protein is mixed across regions of the world
  • Key takeouts and implications: Seniors' traditional approach to meat, as a part of, but not the dominant component of a meal, may be responsible for great longevity in many countries, as several studies have highlighted
• INSIGHT: Salt is an issue for all consumers, especially so for Seniors
  • Attention to dietary salt levels increases with age
  • Younger consumers are becoming more pro-active in addressing the issue of salt intake
  • Seniors currently have a low consumption of savory snacks
  • Key takeouts and implications: salt is a hot topic for Senior consumers in their quest to protect their health
• INSIGHT: Sugar consumption is a high level concern for Seniors
  • Health threats more common in later life make sugar intake one of the greatest dietary concerns for older consumers
  • The Glycemic Index appears of little interest to Seniors, or consumers of any age
  • Senior's say they have done the most to reduce sugar in their diet in 2008
  • Seniors' reduction in sugar intake will affect the carbonates and confectionery categories most
  • Confectionery is the product category most reliant on sugar but has low consumption among Seniors
  • Key takeouts and implications: sugar content is an issue for many consumers, as many of its negative aspects related to over-consumption are visibly affecting consumers' health
• INSIGHT: Fiber intake can be of benefit to Seniors digestive and general health
  • Wholegrains are the latest buzzword in nutrition
  • Seniors in Western Europe consume high amounts of bakery and cereal products
  • Key takeouts and implications: dietary fiber appears to be returning towards the top of the dietary agenda for consumers and producers alike
• INSIGHT: Added fortifying ingredients appear to have little appeal for Seniors
  • Seniors are more likely to have included Omega oils in their diet than other added ingredients
  • Key takeouts and implications: Seniors seem to prefer naturally healthy foods rather than fortified versions
• INSIGHT: Bone health has a major impact on personal mobility for Seniors
  • Dietary changes may help Seniors, but to some degree may be a case of 'too little, too late'
  • Key takeouts and implications: Bone health has practical implications for Seniors' personal mobility
• INSIGHT: Immune system function is vital for Seniors to maintain a healthy lifestyle
  • Key takeouts and implications: Immune system function gets attention but motivates little action
• INSIGHT: Hydration has many benefits for Seniors
  • Relative consumption of bottled water is low among Seniors
  • Fruit juices are popular with many Seniors
  • Hot drinks are popular beverages among many Seniors
  • Key takeouts and implications: hydration can have many beneficial effects for Seniors
• INSIGHT: Portion control is an issue of interest for some Seniors
  • Seniors appear to have less use for nutritional labels
  • Key takeouts and implications: portion control still matters to health-conscious Seniors
• INSIGHT: Trying new things matters less to Seniors
  • Half of Seniors attribute importance to trying new things but they lag behind younger adults
  • Seniors show a much greater attitude-behavior gap in putting their interests in experimentation into practice
  • Exotic flavors appeal less to Seniors despite the need for heightened taste sensation with age
  • Marketplace clutter is less of an issue to Seniors
  • Key takeouts and implications: encouraging Seniors to try new things is problematic
• ACTION POINTS
• ACTION: Increase fiber content to aid digestion and combat other health concerns
  • Seek to exploit opportunities in the field of aiding Seniors' digestion
  • Add soluble fiber to help protect against other health concerns
• ACTION: Reduce and remove 'bad' fats
• ACTION: Help Seniors to protect their bones
• ACTION: Reduce salt while maintaining taste
• ACTION: Use natural flavoring to reduce added sugar
• ACTION: Cater for Seniors' mental as well as physical health
• ACTION: Provide viable healthy hydration alternatives to water
• APPENDIX
  • Definitions
  • Methodology
  • Further reading and references
  • Ask the analyst
  • Datamonitor consulting
  • Disclaimer
• List of Tables
  • Table 1: Senior population (m) by country, US & Europe, 2002-2012
  • Table 2: Senior population (m) by country, Asia Pacific and emerging markets, 2002-2012
  • Table 3: Median age of world population across countries, 2002-2012
  • Table 4: Life expectancy, mortality rate and fertility rate across 18 countries in Europe, the Americas and Asia Pacific, 1990-2006
  • Table 5: Consumer survey: frequency of cooking an evening meal at home from scratch, by age group, Global, 2008
  • Table 6: Consumer survey: frequency of preparing a main meal at home that predominantly involves microwaving, by age group, Global, 2008
  • Table 7: Consumer survey: frequency of preparing a main meal at home involving roast or slow cooking, global, 2008
  • Table 8: Number of skipped breakfast occasions per capita, by age group, Europe, US, Australia, and New Zealand, 2007
  • Table 9: Number of skipped lunch occasions per capita, by age group, Europe, US, Australia, and New Zealand, 2007
  • Table 10: Number of skipped dinner occasions per capita, by age group, Europe, US, Australia and New Zealand, 2007
  • Table 11: Consumer survey: the degree of attention paid to heart health, in 15 countries across Europe, Asia Pacific, South America and the US, by age
• List of Figures
  • Figure 1: Datamonitor Consumer Survey 2008: Senior consumers are more likely to believe that diet and nutrition is a more important driver of wellness than physical exercise
  • Figure 2: Baby boomers' lack of technophobia has contributed to the success of home entertainment technologies
  • Figure 3: Apple's iPod is also popular among baby boomers
  • Figure 4: Media, including websites and magazines, have turned their attention to the dankai generation and senior population in Japan
  • Figure 5: Mortgage affordability and smaller subsequent generations are now affecting Seniors
  • Figure 6: Seniors have traded up less than Young Adults in 2008
  • Figure 7: Seniors have been particularly slow to trade up in the on-trade in 2008
  • Figure 8: All consumers, including Seniors, have been keener to trade up when drinking at home in 2008
  • Figure 9: Personal care has been one of the markets that has most commonly experienced up-trading in 2008, but Seniors have lagged behind
  • Figure 10: Seniors felt less concerned by economic downturn in the first half of 2008
  • Figure 11: Ready meals are under-consumed by Seniors
  • Figure 12: Canned food is most popular among in the mixed Pre-Senior and Early Senior group
  • Figure 13: Frozen food is universally popular among Seniors
  • Figure 14: Seniors have done less to seek out food and drink products that combine health and convenience than younger adults in 2008
  • Figure 15: Heart health is the dietary health concern to which seniors pay the greatest amount of attention
  • Figure 16: Oils and fats are used sparingly by Seniors aged above 55
  • Figure 17: Fat consumption is a concern for Seniors
  • Figure 18: Protein consumption is a less important dietary consideration for Seniors
  • Figure 19: Seniors show low level concern for the types of protein in their diet
  • Figure 20: Meat, fish and poultry consumption is strong among Seniors in Western Europe
  • Figure 21: The perceived importance of salt in the diet increases with age
  • Figure 22: Salt has been an important Senior dietary issue for some years
  • Figure 23: A small proportion of Seniors has reduced salt and sodium consumption in 2008
  • Figure 24: Seniors 'over-consume' savory snacks in relatively few countries or Senior age groups
  • Figure 25: Seniors care about the amount and types of sugar they consume
  • Figure 26: Interest in the glycemic index remains low among Seniors
  • Figure 27: Seniors are slightly more likely to have reduced sugar intake in 2008 compared to younger age groups
  • Figure 28: Carbonates are not popular with Seniors
  • Figure 29: Confectionery consumption by Seniors is highest in Europe and the US and among younger Seniors
  • Figure 30: Dietary fiber is an important issue for older Seniors in particular
  • Figure 31: Increases in dietary fiber intake are spread across age groups including later lifestage Seniors
  • Figure 32: Wholegrain is a key health trend innovation in food and drink
  • Figure 33: Consumption of wholegrains is popular with Seniors
  • Figure 34: Seniors have incorporated more wholegrains into their diet in 2008 but younger age groups have shown greater interest
  • Figure 35: Bakery and cereals consumption is high in the established markets of Western Europe
  • Figure 36: Seniors show a low take-up rate of fortified food and drinks in 2008
  • Figure 37: Seniors appear to be less interested in anti-oxidant-rich food and drinks
  • Figure 38: Omega oils are more compelling additions to their diet for Seniors than other added ingredients
  • Figure 39: Bone health becomes a more important issue with age
  • Figure 40: Dairy food consumption is high among Seniors in many nations
  • Figure 41: Immune system is something of great importance to Seniors
  • Figure 42: Seniors show little interest in products touted as 'immune system boosting'
  • Figure 43: Staying hydrated is key for Seniors
  • Figure 44: Bottled water consumption s low among Seniors
  • Figure 45: Seniors over-consume juices slightly in Western Europe
  • Figure 46: Coffee consumption by Seniors is particularly high in Japan
  • Figure 47: Tea is still a Seniors' favorite
  • Figure 48: Other hot drinks are also popular with Seniors
  • Figure 49: Seniors are moderately interested in controlling portion size
  • Figure 50: Seniors are less likely to have increased their usage of nutrition labels in 2008
  • Figure 51: Novelty and excitement are more important to Young Adults than Seniors
  • Figure 52: Trying new things is less appealing in relation to food and drinks for consumers of all ages
  • Figure 53: Products marketed as traditional appeal to all, not just Seniors
  • Figure 54: Choice profusion is less of a problem for Seniors
  • Figure 55: Seniors are least likely to actively look for new products when grocery shopping
  • Figure 56: Seniors look for new drinks products even less than new foods
  • Figure 57: Added fiber is an important selling point in many categories and for many Seniors
  • Figure 58: Campbell's V8 actively targets the over 50 consumer
  • Figure 59: Convenient aids to digestive transit have high practical value
  • Figure 60: Enhanced fiber-rich products are appearing in a wide variety of product categories
  • Figure 61: Premium products are now excluding trans fats
  • Figure 62: Dairy products are well-placed to help maintain Senior bone health
  • Figure 63: Many products have already reduced sodium content in response to public health concerns
  • Figure 64: Convenience and indulgence products can use natural flavoring other than sugar to boost flavor
  • Figure 65: Brain enhancing product may rise to prominence
  • Figure 66: Numerous suitable hydration alternatives are available for Seniors