PLMA Survey: Fresh, Healthy and Prepared Foods Top Millennials' Shopping Lists

Millennials love food but want food done their way, according to a nationwide survey by the Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA). More than 1,800 shoppers age 20-29 were surveyed, and PLMA found that fresh and healthy foods are at the top of Millennials' shopping lists, while prepared and other portable foods are also very popular. 

For Millennials, eating is largely unscheduled. They incorporate food consumption—whether meals, snacks or bites—into a range of activities, including work and play to exercise and commuting, according to the research in PLMA's latest report How America's Eating Habits Are Changing. 

The study found that three-quarters of shoppers buy deli items in the supermarket where they do their regular grocery shopping, 77 percent buy dairy items and 59 percent buy bakery items. One third "always or frequently" purchase heat-and-eat food from the supermarket, 29 percent pick up prepared or ready-to-eat food, and 27 percent buy grab-and-go prepared food items from a source such as a supermarket or convenience store. In-store sampling and demonstrations are popular among this generation of nibblers and experimenters. 

Fresh appeals to Millennials—home or away, meal or snacks. On occasions when they eat at home, including meals and snacks, 57 percent of them "always or frequently" opt for fresh fruits, 35 percent for fresh baked bread products, 30 percent for fresh prepared meals, and 30 percent for fresh and chilled deli salads. 

The PLMA study found that this generation is more loyal to their favorite stores than their parents. Nine of 10 do their regular grocery shopping in only one or two stores, which represents a dramatic departure from recent PLMA studies that saw consumers spreading their shopping among a multiplicity of stores. 

This loyalty has important implications for store brands. As they select products, Millennials are well informed about brands, including store brands, and where foods come from. Nine of 10 say they are aware of the ingredients in the food products they eat, and three of four read the nutritional labels on products. Millennials' awareness of store brands and national brands is virtually the same at 84 percent versus 86 percent. 

"Store brands remain the retailer's most potent weapon in developing strategies for this age group," says Brian Sharoff, president of PLMA. "It offers flexibility and opportunities to be creative with product assortment and concept without waiting for national brands. But it requires an understanding of what this age group likes and will buy."