Nils-Gerrit Wunsch
Research expert covering foods trends in North America, Europe, and the global food system
U.S. Generation X's grocery shopping behavior - statistics & facts
Generation X includes individuals born between 1965 and 1980. The name is commonly abbreviated as Gen X and sometimes more loosely defined as encompassing the time frame from the early sixties to early eighties. The generation follows the Baby Boomers and precedes the Millennials. In the U.S. there were roughly 65 million members of Generation X before the beginning of the pandemic. The last members of the generation turned 18 in 1998 and the generation is slowly shrinking in terms of numbers.
Grocery shopping behavior
The grocery market of the United States is a massive juggernaut worth over 680 billion U.S. dollars. While the Silent Generation is about to completely vanish from the shopping landscape, Generation X makes up over a third of all grocery store food buyers that contribute to this market. This makes the Gen Xers the second largest contributor after their younger counterparts. Online shopping is increasingly important to Generation X as a growing number of them have already used an online-only grocery retailer to order food.Eating behaviors
Three-quarters of Generation X would agree that meat is a part of the American identity. Their thinking on the matter is indistinguishable from older generations, while younger generations, especially Generation Z, see this somewhat differently. However, more than half of Gen Xers have tried plant-based meat alternatives. They are only slightly more willing than older generations to pay more for food products that do not harm the environment. Their children, of which many can be found in Generation Z, are much more willing to pay this price.
