Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/725016
Age groups noted throughout this research are defined as follows: iGeneration: 21 and under Millennials: 22-39 Generation X: 40-51 Baby Boomers: 52-70 Swing Generation: +71 TODAY'S SPECIALTY FOOD CONSUMER THE CORE SPECIALTY FOOD CONSUMER: K E Y D E M O G R A P H I C S GENERATION KEY PACIFIC: 71% INCOME $150K+ 85% $100K–$149.9K 74% $75K–$99.9K 67% GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS NEW ENGLAND: 61% MID ATLANTIC 62% MOUNTAIN: 66% MIDWEST: 52% SOUTH: 57% GENDER SPECIALTY FOODS ARE GROWING in both awareness and purchases, with nearly 60 percent of consumers saying they have bought a special- ty food or beverage in the past six months, according to this year's "Today's Specialty Food Consumer" report, compiled by the Specialty Food Association and Mintel. That number is up considerably from 47 percent in 2015. More consumers said this year that they are aware of the term specialty food itself and more reported understanding what the term means, two factors that are likely driving the increase in purchases. Though specialty foods are sold in many different kinds of retail channels, nearly half of specialty food consum- ers say they'd like to see greater availability of these products in the stores they frequent, a desire which bodes well for the industry. Younger consumers remain the core specialty food customer. Those between the ages of 25 and 44 are the most likely purchasers of specialty food, followed closely by even younger custom- ers ages 18 to 24. The millennial generation comprises the bulk of this group, in addition to the emerging Generation Z or iGeneration, those born between 1995 and 2007 and who are just beginning to come of age. Gen Xers and baby boomers (ages 40 to 70) are also engaged specialty food consumers and some of the differences in their purchasing habits and attitudes are examined on the following pages. This research is based on an online questionnaire conducted by Mintel to explore consumption of and attitudes and behaviors toward specialty foods. Mintel and the Specialty Food Association were responsible for the survey design, data analysis, and reporting. Fieldwork was conducted in July among a sample of 2,155 adults aged 18+ with internet access. Mintel selects survey respondents to be proportionally balanced to the U.S. adult population based on key demographics of gender, age, household income, and region. ABOUT THE RESEARCH WOMEN 58% MEN 62% AGES 25Ð44 Illustrations: Peter and Maria Hoey C2 TODAY'S SPECIALTY FOOD CONSUMER 2016