A few months ago, I wrote a blogpost about what Generation Z expect from retail, which you can read here. In short, Gen Z want to see immersive shopping spaces with ‘instagrammable’ features and tend to be swayed by the opinions of their friends and social media influencers. A few weeks later, Katya Postlethwaite wrote a blogpost regarding Millennials’ shopping habits. Millennials like short, convenient customer journeys. ‘The quicker we can get out of the shop, the better!… All Millennials want is a way of getting their products via a no fuss, smooth and easy to use mechanism, regardless of location.’ More recently, Alan Morris penned his thoughts on how he shops as a Gen X. ‘For me, the ideal shopping experience is something that is tuned into exactly what I want at a given moment in time, based upon the many dynamic and contrasting variables that come into play.’
Now, it’s the Baby Boomers’ turn. You might be aware that I am not a Baby Boomer, but I happen to know one quite well. Before writing this blogpost, I didn’t think that my dad was what I would consider a typical Baby Boomer to be. However, I could not have been more wrong. Yes, he has all forms of mainstream social media and loves a selfie, but his underlying traits and age box him firmly in the Baby Boomer generation, born between 1946-1964. Baby Boomers are said to value relationships, be goal-centric, self-assured and resourceful. All of these traits influence their shopping habits and ideals.
How do Baby Boomers shop?
In continuing our series of generational shoppers, I interviewed my dad to understand the ways in which he, as a Baby Boomer, shops and why. When asked if he enjoys shopping, he answered that it depends on what he’s shopping for. If he’s following his family around a supermarket or clothes shop, then simply put; no. But if he’s shopping for something in particular or a product he already has in mind such as electronics, furniture or tools then yes. This suggests that Baby Boomers don’t often make a day of going out shopping, they only do it when it’s a necessity.
Baby Boomers are also incredibly practical shoppers. They shop both online and offline, again depending on what they are intending on purchasing. Dad stated that when he’s shopping for clothes, he’d rather go to a traditional bricks-and-mortar store as he wants to make sure he likes the style, fit and quality of clothing. If he is buying an electronic item, he’s more comfortable making decisions based off of reviews and buying them online. According to my dad, online shopping also makes it easier for him to find bargains, suggesting that Baby Boomers can be savvy shoppers and look for cheaper alternatives where possible, as long as the price doesn’t compromise quality.
When asked if he shops more online or offline, my dad answered that nowadays, he shops more online – mainly down to COVID lockdowns. Restrictions have changed many Baby Boomers shopping habits over the last 14 months, particularly those who preferred to shop in physical retail stores. Location can also have an impact on whether a Baby Boomer prefers to shop online or offline. For example, my dad lives in a small town and must travel further to go shopping at big stores and retail parks. For this reason, he makes the most out of his Amazon Prime subscription, again implying that ease and convenience are big determining factors for Baby Boomers when shopping.
What do Baby Boomers like and dislike?
I also asked my dad which his favourite stores are to visit when he goes shopping. Obviously, this would differ if I asked another Baby Boomer the same question, but it gives an idea to the type of shopping Baby Boomers enjoy the most. For example, Generation Z enjoy immersive shopping experiences, whereas Millennials enjoy a more ‘no-fuss’ approach. It’s clear from my dad’s answers that he most enjoys shopping at big stores like B&Q for non-fashion related products, and John Lewis or M&S for clothing, due to the wide variety of products and the easy customer journey. Dad likes shopping trips to be very quick and convenient, and often does a bit of research online to ensure he can get the product he’s looking for without complications. In this instance, Baby Boomers seem to enjoy a similar shopping experience to Millennials.
Interestingly, Dad doesn’t subscribe to any loyalty schemes or marketing emails from retailers, despite the fact that he actively looks for bargains and discount codes. He also stated that email marketing would be unlikely to persuade him to purchase anything. Instead, as touched upon above, he prefers to form opinions based on his own experience or via unbiased reviews.
Maybe for that reason, when shopping for more expensive items, he prefers to shop with big retailers rather than independent high street stores. This is due to the reviews he can find online as well as the fact that he’d feel at ease knowing they tend to be well-versed in handling any issues if they arise.
The impact of the internet
In summary, it’s clear that Baby Boomers enjoy a quick and easy shopping experience with little-to-no bells and whistles attached. Baby Boomers also shop in a more modern way than one might first expect. The rapid rise of technology will have influenced this, as well as the impact of social media sites such as Facebook, which is popular amongst the Baby Boomer generation. Moreover, Baby Boomers demonstrated the largest shift to e-commerce since the start of the pandemic, with an increase from 25% to 37%.
We now know that Generation Z like a well-considered, experiential customer journey, Millennials prefer a no-fuss approach, Generation X enjoy a personal experience and Baby Boomers carefully take their time and consider all options before making purchases. How do you shop? Do you fit into a certain category or enjoy shopping in many different ways via many different channels? We’d love to hear your thoughts.