Lard, condensed milk and sauerkraut are popular with older consumers, but younger people hardly buy them. A study shows which foods could become marginal in a few years.
Lard, sauerkraut, condensed milk, coffee filters – according to a study, some products in the supermarket could become significantly less important in the next few years. The reason for this is changing eating habits – and the fact that the generation of reconstructors born before 1952 is slowly dying out. This is stated in a report by the Consumer Panel Services GfK, which belongs to Yougov.
It lists various examples, such as animal fats such as lard. This is still popular with older consumers, but is rarely bought by younger people. 41 percent of lard sales are accounted for by rebuilders, more than 36 percent by baby boomers (57 to 71) and just under 17 percent by Generation X (42 to 56). Only 6 percent of sales come from millennials (27 to 41) and the even younger iBrains (12 to 26). Due to the trend towards plant-based diets and the age of the corresponding consumer group, lard will continue to lose importance, predicts retail expert and study author Robert Kecskes.
In 2024, the reconstructionists’ share of sales for everyday goods was 14 percent. The two younger generations – Millennials and iBrains – together account for 29 percent. They are much more likely to choose plant-based alternatives for drinking milk and milk drinks, cream products, yogurt, quark and desserts. People under 42 years of age account for almost half of sales for these products, while baby boomers account for just 6 percent.
Items such as condensed milk and coffee creamer as well as coffee filter bags could also have a hard time in the future. Two thirds of sales are accounted for by rebuilders and baby boomers, but only a good 10 percent by millennials and iBrains. According to the study, filter coffee is brewed much less frequently in younger households. Canned sauerkraut and red cabbage are also in little demand, with only a little more than 15 percent of sales coming from millennials and iBrains.
The food products could “run the risk of becoming obsolete models of our grandparents’ culinary heritage,” said Kecskes. With the decline in the proportion of rebuilders, it is to be expected that some categories and brands will come under further pressure in the coming years.
Source: Stern
