Consumers expectations from food manufacturers and grocery stores are rapidly growing. It's one of the reasons why the FDA is finally requiring food chains and restaurants with 20 or more locations to display calorie counts. The millennial generation is one of the loudest voices leading this change. We are going to look at four ways millennials are changing the way we consume food.
Easy meals
According to the International Food Information Council, when it comes to buying food, millennials are looking for convenience. A report by Alliance Bernstein discovered that around two-thirds buy prepared foods every week from some type of service. Most grocery stores are now trying to attract millennial customers by jumping on the trend and partnering with brands like Barilla, Campbell's, and Ro-Tel to offer prepared, easy meals.
Healthy eating
Compared to previous generations, millennials are much more health conscious, and this reflects in their meals. But what they consider healthy often differs from that of past generations. Low-cal, low-fat, and low-carb are not the things they care about. Instead, you will notice they are more interested in foods that are natural, locally sourced, organic, or sustainable. Which brings us to the next point...
Transparency
In the last decade, consumers have been louder in expressing their expectations to food manufacturers, and what they want more of is transparency. There is a growing demand from millennials for manufacturers to list the exact sources and ingredients that make up our food by providing food labels that are more informative.
A study from Label Insight found that 37% are willing to switch brands if another brand shared more detailed product information they seek. Intelligent brands who realize the value of building a relationship with the millennial generation are focusing more on food transparency.
Pick up or delivery?
With the addition of Uber Eats and other delivery services, more and more millennials are either spending less on groceries or completely skipping traditional grocery stores. The big grocery chains are taking notice and are evolving their services in an attempt to gain more business from millennials. Walmart and Kroger are just some of the big store chains that are now offering customers the option of ordering their groceries online and picking them up at their convenience. When you take advantage of this service, you don't even have to get out of your car, store workers will load up your groceries for you.
