the middle years: more than just food meabh quoirin, future foundation
TRANSCRIPT
Contents
Defining Middle Years
How tomorrow’s middle aged will differ from today’s
Food trends:
► Return to Maximising
► Occasion, experiences and cultural capital
► Ethics, environment and local sourcing
► Assault on Pleasure and managing anxieties
Source: European Social Survey/nVisionBase: 2,000 per country aged 15+, 2007
Middle age: perceived to be 43 to 65 in the UKAverage perceived ‘middle age’
Source: nVision ResearchBase: 1,200 respondents aged 15+, GB, 2009
Lifestage: children leaving home and retirement can mark the transition into old age
Source: nVision ResearchBase: 1,200 respondents aged 15+, GB, 2009
Paying off the mortgage during middle age
Source: nVision ResearchBase: 1,200 respondents aged 15+, GB, 2009
University degree: generational differences
Source: nVision ResearchBase: 1,200 respondents aged 15+, GB, 2009
"Tradition is important to him/her. He/she tries to follow the customs handed down by his/her religion or his/her family”
Source: nVision ResearchBase: 1,200 respondents aged 15+, GB, 2007
“Old people should not wear fashions designed for young people”
Source: nVision ResearchBase: 895 internet users aged 15+, GB
Social networking% who have communicated with someone via a social networking website in the past 6 months
Source: nVision ResearchBase: 1,200 respondents aged 15+, GB
People who need to own more thingsStrong or moderate need
Source: nVision ResearchBase: 1,200 respondents aged 15+, GB
“It’s more important to fit in than to be different from other people”% who agree or agree strongly
27251:
Source: Future Foundation / Kellogg’sBase: 1,023 respondents 16+, 2008
Men who claim to take responsibility for preparing most of the evening meals in your house
Middle years in 10 years
People born mid-fifties to mid-seventies
Technologically savvy
Adaptable to change
Non-materialistic, into experiences
Individualistic
Gender equal
Source: nVision ResearchBase: 1,200 respondents aged 16+, UK, 2009
The middle aged are now the most concerned about the recession’s effect on their finances
“How concerned are you about the effect the economic downturn is having on your personal financial situation?” (% who are quite or very concerned)
Source: nVision ResearchBase: 1,200 respondents aged 15+, GB, 2009
The 30-44 group are cutting back the most on out-of-home leisure
“Which of the following are you ALREADY DOING as a direct result of the economic downturn?”
Source: nVision ResearchBase: 1,200 respondents aged 15+, GB, 2009
"How concerned are you about the effect the economic downturn is having on your personal financial situation?"
The recession driving ‘Maximising’
Source: nVision ResearchBase: 1,200 respondents aged 15+, GB, 2009
89% of 55-54s are increasingly aware of prices"I am increasingly aware of the price of goods/services" (% who agree strongly/agree)
Source: nVision ResearchBase: 1,200 respondents aged 15+, GB, 2009
“I shop around extensively to get the best deals more than I did 6 months ago”
Source: nVision ResearchBase: 1,200 respondents aged 15+, GB, 2009
The middle aged are changing their supermarket shopping habits, though not as much as the 30-44s
“Which of the following are you ALREADY DOING as a direct result of the economic downturn?”
Source: nVision ResearchBase: 1,200 respondents aged 15+, GB, 2009
Whereas the middle aged are adopting a ‘Waste Not Want Not’ attitude
“Which of the following are you ALREADY DOING as a direct result of the economic downturn?”
“Thinking of the food you have eaten in the last 6 months, please indicate if you have done more or less of the following…”
Source: Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD)/nVisionBase: 1,002 respondents aged 18+, GB, 2008
Scratch cooking and meal planning
“Which of the following factors are important to you for a short break (1-3 nights)/ a longer holiday (4+ nights)? Consuming locally produced food or drink”
Source: nVision ResearchBase: 1,200 respondents aged 15+, GB, 2008
Gastro-holidaying: most popular with 45-54s
“I regularly eat food from other countries and cultures” – % who agree or agree strongly
Source: nVision ResearchBase: 1,200 respondents aged 15+, GB, 2009
Interest in foreign cuisines declines after 65
“How often do you cook for each of the following people/groups of people? Friends (other than people you live with)”
Source: Masterfoods/The Future Foundation/nVisionBase: 1,005 respondents aged 18+, UK, 2008
Sociable food: cooking for friends
Source: nVision ResearchBase: 1,200 respondents aged 15+, GB
Environmental concerns are resilient“I am concerned about what I personally can do to help protect the environment” (% who agree or agree strongly)
Middle years77%
Source: nVision ResearchBase: 1,200 respondents aged 15+, GB, 2009
55-64s are the most likely to buy Fairtrade“Which, if any, of the following have you done in the last 12 months… bought Fairtrade products?”
“I would be willing to pay as much as 10% more for grocery items if I could be sure that they would not harm the environment” – % who agree or agree strongly
Source: nVision ResearchBase: 1,200 respondents aged 15+, GB, 2009
However, willingness to pay a ‘green premium’ has softened since 2007
Middle years29%
Source: nVision ResearchBase: 1,200 respondents aged 15+, GB, 2009
The Assault on Pleasure"Head teachers should not allow pupils to eat sweets or drink carbonated drinks on school premises“ (% who agree or agree strongly)
Source: nVision ResearchBase: 350 parents with eldest child under 16, GB
Children’s say in choosing food, by age of parent
“Thinking about your eldest child who is aged under 16, how much say do they have in choosing the following things? The food they eat in the evening”
Summary
Middle years = 45 to 65
Very different to 65+
But not that different to younger age groups
No drastic change in middle years over the 10 years
Return to maximising – considered approach to finance for the middle aged
New food experiences remain vital
Middle years consumers are green aware
Assault on pleasure is here to stay. But middle years parents remain more democratic about food