Overview 1
Catalyst 1
Summary 1
Table of Contents 2
Table of figures 3
Table of tables 4
THE FUTURE DECODED 5
INTRODUCTION: Health is an important purchase criterion in food and drinks categories for all consumers 5
TREND: The population aged 50 plus is expected to continue expanding 7
Seniors are an important group due to their sheer number 7
Seniors account for a large proportion of US and European society 7
Growth in the Seniors population in Asia Pacific and other emerging markets is commercially appealing 8
Rising median age confirms the aging of society 10
Rising life expectancy, declining mortality rate and decreasing fertility rate are the main contributors 10
The number of Seniors and their market potential cannot be ignored 11
Key takeouts and implications: the world population is getting older. 13
TREND: The Senior population grouping consists of several different sub-cohorts 13
The US: differences among the GI generation, silent generation and baby boomers need to be recognized 13
Baby boomers entering the 50-plus cohort could bring fundamental change to how 'aging' is defined 14
Japan: the dankai generation are re-defining the meaning of otona (adult) 16
Beyond demographic groups: understanding where the generations are from is the key to communication 18
Key takeouts and implications: consumers in the 50-plus cohort are not all the same. 18
TREND: Seniors' financial status heavily influences their purchasing behavior 18
Seniors are well attuned to the premiumization philosophy of 'less but better' 18
Aging population and the impact on wealth: grow old and rich, or old and poor? 19
The financial status of the 50-plus cohort is affected by their family stage 20
The recessionary environment is a cause for concern among the 50-plus population 20
The profitability of the Senior consumer is now a key issue 21
The housing market downturn is problematic for Seniors 21
Seniors have cut the frequency with which they trade up in food and drinks 22
The alcoholic drinks market has seen little premiumization in 2008 with Seniors greatly affected 23
Seniors' up-trading is reasonably robust in personal care categories 25
Seniors may change certain aspects of their lifestyles less than younger adults in the current economic environment 26
Key takeouts and implications: the purchasing power of the 50-plus age cohort is varied. 27
INSIGHT: Convenience matters to Seniors, but less so than to younger adults 28
Seniors can be described as time maximizers 28
Ready meals are more popular with younger adult consumers 30
Seniors are more likely to cook using both convenient and slow-cooking methods 32
Canned food offers long shelf-life convenience but consumption is low among Seniors 33
Frozen food is one of the most consumed convenience food types among Senior consumers 35
Seniors' adherence to traditional mealtimes limits the extent of their convenience needs 36
Seniors seek a balance between health and convenience needs 38
Key takeouts and implications: meeting Seniors' convenience needs is a complex and difficult task 39
INSIGHT: Heart health is a major concern for Senior consumers 40
Seniors use oils and fats more extensively in the US and Europe, but sparingly in Asia Pacific 41
Seniors care about both the amount and types of fat they consume 42
Seniors can benefit from 'good' fats in other ways 44
Key takeouts and implications: Heart health is a major concern for Seniors as the prevalence of coronary disease increases with age. 44
INSIGHT: Meat and protein intake is a moderately important issue for Seniors 44
Senior consumption of meat protein is mixed across regions of the world 46
Key takeouts and implications: Seniors' traditional approach to meat, as a part of, but not the dominant component of a meal, may be responsible for great longevity in many countries, as several studies have highlighted 47
INSIGHT: Salt is an issue for all consumers, especially so for Seniors 48
Attention to dietary salt levels increases with age 48
Younger consumers are becoming more pro-active in addressing the issue of salt intake 50
Seniors currently have a low consumption of savory snacks 51
Key takeouts and implications: salt is a hot topic for Senior consumers in their quest to protect their health 52
INSIGHT: Sugar consumption is a high level concern for Seniors 53
Health threats more common in later life make sugar intake one of the greatest dietary concerns for older consumers 53
The Glycemic Index appears of little interest to Seniors, or consumers of any age 55
Senior's say they have done the most to reduce sugar in their diet in 2008 56
Seniors' reduction in sugar intake will affect the carbonates and confectionery categories most 56
Confectionery is the product category most reliant on sugar but has low consumption among Seniors 57
Key takeouts and implications: sugar content is an issue for many consumers, as many of its negative aspects related to over-consumption are visibly affecting consumers' health 58
INSIGHT: Fiber intake can be of benefit to Seniors digestive and general health 59
Wholegrains are the latest buzzword in nutrition 60
Seniors in Western Europe consume high amounts of bakery and cereal products 62
Key takeouts and implications: dietary fiber appears to be returning towards the top of the dietary agenda for consumers and producers alike 63
INSIGHT: Added fortifying ingredients appear to have little appeal for Seniors 64
Seniors are more likely to have included Omega oils in their diet than other added ingredients 65
Key takeouts and implications: Seniors seem to prefer naturally healthy foods rather than fortified versions 66
INSIGHT: Bone health has a major impact on personal mobility for Seniors 66
Dietary changes may help Seniors, but to some degree may be a case of 'too little, too late' 67
Key takeouts and implications: Bone health has practical implications for Seniors' personal mobility 69
INSIGHT: Immune system function is vital for Seniors to maintain a healthy lifestyle 69
Key takeouts and implications: Immune system function gets attention but motivates little action 71
INSIGHT: Hydration has many benefits for Seniors 71
Relative consumption of bottled water is low among Seniors 72
Fruit juices are popular with many Seniors 73
Hot drinks are popular beverages among many Seniors 74
Key takeouts and implications: hydration can have many beneficial effects for Seniors. 77
INSIGHT: Portion control is an issue of interest for some Seniors 78
Seniors appear to have less use for nutritional labels 79
Key takeouts and implications: portion control still matters to health-conscious Seniors 80
INSIGHT: Trying new things matters less to Seniors 80
Half of Seniors attribute importance to trying new things but they lag behind younger adults 80
Seniors show a much greater attitude-behavior gap in putting their interests in experimentation into practice 82
Exotic flavors appeal less to Seniors despite the need for heightened taste sensation with age 82
Marketplace clutter is less of an issue to Seniors 84
Key takeouts and implications: encouraging Seniors to try new things is problematic 87
ACTION POINTS 88
ACTION: Increase fiber content to aid digestion and combat other health concerns 88
Seek to exploit opportunities in the field of aiding Seniors' digestion 90
Add soluble fiber to help protect against other health concerns 91
ACTION: Reduce and remove 'bad' fats 92
ACTION: Help Seniors to protect their bones 93
ACTION: Reduce salt while maintaining taste 94
ACTION: Use natural flavoring to reduce added sugar 95
ACTION: Cater for Seniors' mental as well as physical health 96
ACTION: Provide viable healthy hydration alternatives to water 97
APPENDIX 99
Definitions 99
Methodology 100
Further reading and references 100
Ask the analyst 101
Datamonitor consulting 101
Disclaimer 101
List of Tables
Table 1: Senior population (m) by country, US & Europe, 2002-2012 8
Table 2: Senior population (m) by country, Asia Pacific and emerging markets, 2002-2012 9
Table 3: Median age of world population across countries, 2002-2012 10
Table 4: Life expectancy, mortality rate and fertility rate across 18 countries in Europe, the Americas and Asia Pacific, 1990-2006 11
Table 5: Consumer survey: frequency of cooking an evening meal at home from scratch, by age group, Global, 2008 29
Table 6: Consumer survey: frequency of preparing a main meal at home that predominantly involves microwaving, by age group, Global, 2008 32
Table 7: Consumer survey: frequency of preparing a main meal at home involving roast or slow cooking, global, 2008 33
Table 8: Number of skipped breakfast occasions per capita, by age group, Europe, US, Australia, and New Zealand, 2007 37
Table 9: Number of skipped lunch occasions per capita, by age group, Europe, US, Australia, and New Zealand, 2007 37
Table 10: Number of skipped dinner occasions per capita, by age group, Europe, US, Australia and New Zealand, 2007 38
Table 11: Consumer survey: the degree of attention paid to heart health, in 15 countries across Europe, Asia Pacific, South America and the US, by age 40
List of Figures
Figure 1: Datamonitor Consumer Survey 2008: Senior consumers are more likely to believe that diet and nutrition is a more important driver of wellness than physical exercise 5
Figure 2: Baby boomers' lack of technophobia has contributed to the success of home entertainment technologies 15
Figure 3: Apple's iPod is also popular among baby boomers 16
Figure 4: Media, including websites and magazines, have turned their attention to the dankai generation and senior population in Japan 17
Figure 5: Mortgage affordability and smaller subsequent generations are now affecting Seniors 22
Figure 6: Seniors have traded up less than Young Adults in 2008 23
Figure 7: Seniors have been particularly slow to trade up in the on-trade in 2008 24
Figure 8: All consumers, including Seniors, have been keener to trade up when drinking at home in 2008 25
Figure 9: Personal care has been one of the markets that has most commonly experienced up-trading in 2008, but Seniors have lagged behind 26
Figure 10: Seniors felt less concerned by economic downturn in the first half of 2008 27
Figure 11: Ready meals are under-consumed by Seniors 31
Figure 12: Canned food is most popular among in the mixed Pre-Senior and Early Senior group 34
Figure 13: Frozen food is universally popular among Seniors 35
Figure 14: Seniors have done less to seek out food and drink products that combine health and convenience than younger adults in 2008 39
Figure 15: Heart health is the dietary health concern to which seniors pay the greatest amount of attention. 41
Figure 16: Oils and fats are used sparingly by Seniors aged above 55 42
Figure 17: Fat consumption is a concern for Seniors 43
Figure 18: Protein consumption is a less important dietary consideration for Seniors 45
Figure 19: Seniors show low level concern for the types of protein in their diet 46
Figure 20: Meat, fish and poultry consumption is strong among Seniors in Western Europe 47
Figure 21: The perceived importance of salt in the diet increases with age 49
Figure 22: Salt has been an important Senior dietary issue for some years 49
Figure 23: A small proportion of Seniors has reduced salt and sodium consumption in 2008 50
Figure 24: Seniors 'over-consume' savory snacks in relatively few countries or Senior age groups 52
Figure 25: Seniors care about the amount and types of sugar they consume 54
Figure 26: Interest in the glycemic index remains low among Seniors 55
Figure 27: Seniors are slightly more likely to have reduced sugar intake in 2008 compared to younger age groups 56
Figure 28: Carbonates are not popular with Seniors 57
Figure 29: Confectionery consumption by Seniors is highest in Europe and the US and among younger Seniors 58
Figure 30: Dietary fiber is an important issue for older Seniors in particular 59
Figure 31: Increases in dietary fiber intake are spread across age groups including later lifestage Seniors 60
Figure 32: Wholegrain is a key health trend innovation in food and drink 61
Figure 33: Consumption of wholegrains is popular with Seniors 61
Figure 34: Seniors have incorporated more wholegrains into their diet in 2008 but younger age groups have shown greater interest 62
Figure 35: Bakery and cereals consumption is high in the established markets of Western Europe 63
Figure 36: Seniors show a low take-up rate of fortified food and drinks in 2008 64
Figure 37: Seniors appear to be less interested in anti-oxidant-rich food and drinks 65
Figure 38: Omega oils are more compelling additions to their diet for Seniors than other added ingredients 66
Figure 39: Bone health becomes a more important issue with age 67
Figure 40: Dairy food consumption is high among Seniors in many nations 68
Figure 41: Immune system is something of great importance to Seniors 69
Figure 42: Seniors show little interest in products touted as 'immune system boosting' 70
Figure 43: Staying hydrated is key for Seniors 71
Figure 44: Bottled water consumption s low among Seniors 72
Figure 45: Seniors over-consume juices slightly in Western Europe 74
Figure 46: Coffee consumption by Seniors is particularly high in Japan 75
Figure 47: Tea is still a Seniors' favorite 76
Figure 48: Other hot drinks are also popular with Seniors 77
Figure 49: Seniors are moderately interested in controlling portion size 78
Figure 50: Seniors are less likely to have increased their usage of nutrition labels in 2008 79
Figure 51: Novelty and excitement are more important to Young Adults than Seniors 81
Figure 52: Trying new things is less appealing in relation to food and drinks for consumers of all ages 83
Figure 53: Products marketed as traditional appeal to all, not just Seniors 84
Figure 54: Choice profusion is less of a problem for Seniors 85
Figure 55: Seniors are least likely to actively look for new products when grocery shopping 86
Figure 56: Seniors look for new drinks products even less than new foods 86
Figure 57: Added fiber is an important selling point in many categories and for many Seniors 89
Figure 58: Campbell's V8 actively targets the over 50 consumer 90
Figure 59: Convenient aids to digestive transit have high practical value 91
Figure 60: Enhanced fiber-rich products are appearing in a wide variety of product categories 92
Figure 61: Premium products are now excluding trans fats 93
Figure 62: Dairy products are well-placed to help maintain Senior bone health 94
Figure 63: Many products have already reduced sodium content in response to public health concerns 95
Figure 64: Convenience and indulgence products can use natural flavoring other than sugar to boost flavor 96
Figure 65: Brain enhancing product may rise to prominence 97
Figure 66: Numerous suitable hydration alternatives are available for Seniors 98
