Contrary to conventional wisdom, U.S. consumers age 65 and older are most likely to shop online (77%). Consumers ages 45-64 and ages 30-44 follow at 71% with those ages 18-29 at 70%, a new report finds. And when it comes to gathering information online, which can include researching products, 67% of baby boomers (45-64) and gen Xers (30-44) are on the hunt while 65% of matures (65+) and 55% of millennials (18-29) are collecting information.
The report, “Life Stages & Life Styles: Turning Generational Differences Into Media Opportunities,” from the Cable and Telecommunications Association for Marketing, surveyed 1,513 American consumers across generations.
The report says millennials indeed are tech-savvy and important to advertisers—this is nothing new. However, other generational groups such as boomers and matures provide opportunities that marketers and advertisers can’t ignore—boomers and matures are exposed to more technology and media than ever before and are adopting it, according to the new report.
And not only are older generations increasingly tech-savvy, they have the money to spend. The report finds that matures have the highest discretionary income, on average, out of all generational groups (approximately $800 a month) and boomers spend an estimated $2 trillion annually.
On the mobile front, mobile phone ownership is very high in today’s society, even among matures (80%). However, the type of mobile phone and use of mobile phone features differ. Boomers and matures are most likely to have flip-phones, while millennials and gen Xers are most likely to have smartphones with full keyboards and/or touch-screens, the report says. And texting on mobile phones is big, even among boomers (48%); however, younger generations are still more likely to text—millennials at 92% and gen Xers at 76%.
Retailers in mobile commerce should take note: Because smartphones provide richer mobile web and app experiences than conventional flip-phones, it may be that merchants should be targeting consumers ages 18-44. But smartphone adoption is soaring among all age groups, recent studies show.
In the social realm, boomers and matures are moving to social media now that they see its staying power and personal benefits. While millennials (73%) followed by gen Xers (58%) are most likely to participate in online networking, about four in ten boomers (39%) have embraced this type of activity, which includes networking activities such as visiting online communities and social networking sites, reading or posting on forums or message boards, and visiting chat rooms. 31% of matures engage in online networking activities.
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