Boomers affect on the Market.

The Boomers large numbers and the fact that they are inheriting more money from their parents than previous generations is affecting the market. Read the referring article Calgary Herald for all the details.

Evolution of market

The Generations coping with tuff economic times.

An article posted on the Examiner.com show us how the Boomers, Gen Y and Gen X are dealing with these hard economic times as illustrated in a report from Consumer Bankruptcy Project in cooperation with the AARP Public Policy Institute. The report’s findings in this article by Paul Briand – Baby Boomer Examiner, basically are saying that although the Boomer generation was the largest group filling for bankruptcy, it is now Gen X’ers in their late 30’s and 40’s who are the largest filing group now. Interesting reading! Let’s all hope and work to make this next decade one of better times…. for ALL of us!

Boomer or bust

Some information that restaurants should be aware of…

Technomic Industry Services, a company that provides information and insights to the food industry has published a report on the preferences of food that the 3 current generations consume. It seems that Generation Y (current ages of 16 – 31) are the largest users of natural and organic food, while Baby Boomers (ages 43 – 62) prefer more balanced meals of fruits and vegetables and lower fat and avoidance of trans fats. Gen Y’ers and X’ers (ages 32 – 42) prefer to dine in restaurants much more than Boomers, who still think of dining out as more of a special occasion thing.

Gen Y’ers are most fully embracing the ordering on-line of food for pick up or delivery than the other groups.

These are obviously generalizations but the study shows that it would be useful for restaurant owners to look into and be mindful of these types of trends to be prepared for changes during the next decade when the Boomer group retires and the others age as well.

Interesting Information!

Here is the article that I found with the information about the study:

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American research establishes generational differences in restaurant preferences

Obama a bridge to a gap between Boomers and Gen X’ers?

Photo: AP

I found an article that brings up an interesting aspect of this year’s election with today’s generation gap between the Baby Boomers (born from 1946-1964) and Generation X (born from 1965 – 1982). There were many positives brought about during the Boomer years, such as civil right struggles, opening of culture through rock music and the sexual revolution, but also negatives like drug abuse, poverty and AIDS. Barack Obama was born in 1961, which puts him at the tail end of the Boomers and the beginning of Gen X. This actually makes him what is termed in the Generation Jones, which leans more toward Gen X in ideals. Barack mentions some of the Boomer and Gen X conflicts in his book, “The Audacity of Hope.” This does bring to light that although it is true that this country has some 70 million Baby Boomers, the younger voters, who are coming of age in the political stage, will factor in Obama’s age heavily in choosing their President. The Gen X already has a distain for the Boomer generation and as most youth always has…a mistrust for older generations.

It will be interesting to see if this effects the 2008 election to a large degree or not.

Read this article below:

A generation rises with Obama

I guess it depends on who you’re asking…

I came accross this article about the various “named” generations and how they looked upon… (by who???). Polls and surveys can give reflections on their subject, but it always comes down to who is actually being asked the question. I know that whenever I see someone standing in a mall with a clipboard, I go to the other side and avoid them. I never answer the phone when the caller ID shows someone I don’t know… if it’s important, they can leave a message… and they don’t.

But the article is interesting….but who knows… really?

What’ll we call the generations?

Funny video…makes fun of us…guess it’s kinda true, but…

We won’t be around to see how badly the next generations mess up the world, but let them remember that you have kids too…. and maybe they’ll make some great funny videos about you too….

Hey, I admit… this is pretty funny…

Video spoof on Baby Boomers

Corporate Brain Drain???

Here is a an article speaking to the issue of increasing numbers of the current work force, being members of the large population group of the Baby Boomer Generation. As increasing numbers of these workers get close to retirement, how will this affect these companies? The article points out how some companies are concerned and trying to think of ways to be prepared for it and others may not be that concerned as they are facing cost cutting measures and outsourcing solutions anyway.

I think that both are true but one thing for sure is that companies can not ignore it occurring. If they do not prepare, they will face possibly insurmountable problems. As I worked for a large corporation for 22 years and am 56 years old, I am right in the middle of this issue. My job was eliminated and outsourced as a cost cutting measure and the company, as all others, is facing what they call, “lean growth times”. I won’t go into all my thoughts on that, except to say that as they lose more and more workers with vast amounts of experience, the work will suffer.

Another issue is technology. During my recent years at the company I worked for, I often spoke to management about preparing and increasing the current knowledge of new technologies. Companies toss around the word “innovation” constantly but I do not think they are actually paying enough attention to it in areas of technology. They are also getting bogged down with legality and validation to the point of slowing down their competitive edge.

I do not see enough being done right now by large numbers of companies to get ready for the cultural work force changes that are almost upon them.

Read this article and post your thoughts and comments.

As Boomers retire, will ‘brain drain’ leave companies wanting?

Here is an aricle from the Wall Street Journal’s Market Watch illustrating how companies are taking the Baby Boomer generation approaching retirement years seriously. General Electric is developing new product lines of products with a more diverse thought process. Currently, most household products are made in standard sizes to fit most houses. With the tremendous amount of growth of people moving into the retirement community, companies like G.E. are now making products to meet the many different needs of people.  They are actually talking to elderly and later Baby Boomers to see what needs would better meet their daily requirements. How about that… talking to the consumers before making the products, so they will really make people love the products that they had a voice in creating??? Who knew large corporations would be so clever???

Here is the link to the article:

GE Consumer & Industrial Universal Design Principles in New Appliance Development Will Aid Aging Baby Boomers and Consumers with Diverse Abilities

Wana move… wana downsize???…

Baby Boomer Retirement Living Solutions

According to an article in The Open Press, Boomers are using all of that buying power to move into their next living solution, independent living. The article is about For Rent Media Solutions, which is a leading resource for searching for apartments to rent and how they are looking to Florida and the Baby Boomer market with their “After 55 Housing and Resource Guide”. This is just one more showing of how companies are thinking about the vast amounts of people approaching the retirment years and how to provide solutions for them as well as insure they are moving in an excellent direction for growth of their company. It’s good thinking on their part as well as anyone looking to where their sales growth will be coming from in the next decade or so.

Here is a link to the article:

New Housing Publication Appeals to the Lifestyle of Today’s Baby Boomers

Baby Boomers Embracing Mobile Technology?

I found some data about how Boomers are catching on and beginning to use texting, but I have to say, I did not think this was embraced so much by Baby Boomers. Most of the people about my age my have heard about texting from their children, but don’t really use it. I thought it more of an exception than the rule.

Read the article and the data and post your comments about your thoughts or reactions.

Baby Boomers Embracing Mobile Technology