28% of them earn more than $100,000 a year! Baby boomers are the main force of online shopping in the United States

From 2020 to 2021, retailers have been paying attention to the trends and characteristics of Americans' online shopping . Previously, although nearly 70% of American consumers said they would be more willing to return to stores to shop after the epidemic , this did not seem to be the case for baby boomers .

Baby boomers are 14% less likely than other Americans to return to in-store shopping after the pandemic , according to new analysis from the Resonate Ignite consumer intelligence platform.

Furthermore, the data shows that in the next 90 days, Baby Boomers are 9% more likely to increase their online grocery orders , 73% more likely to start a new virtual gym subscription , and 14% more likely to purchase products online .

Strong spending power, 28% of households have an annual income of more than $100,000

They skew female, Resonate Ignite data shows, with 57% of them aged 55-64 and 43% over 65. They are 190% more likely to be retired than the average American adult , and 86% have no children under 18 at home.

In addition , 28% of households have an annual income of more than $100,000, and 80% have received college or higher education. In their spare time, this group enjoys healthy eating, living a life based on religion and gardening. Among those who are not retired, they are 621% more likely to work remotely than other ordinary Americans .

From a values ​​perspective, baby boomers value responsibility, which includes obeying the law and fulfilling obligations, a value that is likely to influence their decisions when shopping online . In addition, they value safety in their community and country, as well as being reliable and trustworthy.

And baby boomers are in slightly better financial shape than many other Americans, being 7% more likely to say they are currently living comfortably , defined as having enough savings to cover necessities, and 5% more likely not to be concerned about their current personal financial situation .

Coupons and online experiences become opportunities for e-commerce development

Today, Baby Boomers say they are the primary shoppers in their household, 19% more than the general consumer . So where are they shopping and what are they buying online?

The data shows that compared with other consumers, baby boomers have the following consumption habits and possibilities.

1. 41% of people have placed an order on Wegman’s website in the past three months

2. 32% more likely to order from Harris-Teeter in the past three months

3. 5% of people are likely to have ordered from Whole Foods in the past six months

4. 9% more likely to order from Amazon Fresh

5.8% of people buy household goods online

6.6% of people buy pet supplies online

7. People are 34% more likely to buy coffee online

8.122% of people buy wine, beer and other alcohol online

In other retail, they are 57% more likely to shop at True Value Hardware and 28% more likely to shop at CVS. Additionally, in apparel, they are 200% more likely to shop at Talbots, 146% more likely to shop at Lands' End and 102% more likely to shop at J.Crew.

Likewise, baby boomer online shoppers are more likely to shop at mass merchandisers and warehouse clubs for groceries and other goods and are more likely to make impulse purchases, meaning retailers should consider how to recreate the in-store experience online .

On top of that, baby boomer shoppers are about 20% more likely to use coupons and pre-written shopping lists . Therefore, e-commerce retailers can reach this audience by creating features on their websites and apps that allow these shoppers to store shopping lists and apply virtual coupons .

Plus, this group is 20% more likely to shop online and pick up in-store , so retailers shouldn’t neglect making the curbside pickup experience more accessible.

The power of the baby boomers is enormous for retailers, so it is important for online retailers to capture this consumer group.

Baby Boomers

USA

Online shopping main force