Australia’s millennial generation is fast gaining a reputation as a cohort that is demanding more from society, government and itself. Managing director of bakery supplier Bakers Maison Pascal Chaneliere says the food industry has to take notice.
There is some conjecture about the exact years the millennial generation spans, but most agree it includes people born from the early 1980s to early 2000s, who are currently aged from 18 to late 30s. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, this cohort of the Australian population is expected to grow by 17 per cent over the next 10 years, from 7.2 million people in 2016 to 8.3 million people in 2026.
This is a generation that is bringing change to the way Australians eat and interact and those of us in the food industry need to be paying attention.
Research shows that millennials are motivated by causes in both their work and in their personal lives. If a product or service concerns them in some way, they will take to social media to express their displeasure. They also value experiences and want to be challenged and are open to new experiences.
According to a new report by global research company the NPD Group, millennials are now the largest ‘healthy-eating’ consumer group in Australia, with an unprecedented 32 per cent claiming to be focused on healthy food.
The report suggests that requirements for health-motivated meals, ‘clean’ eating and transparency around ingredients have dramatically increased and online ordering of healthy food using mobile-phone apps is also now at an all-time high. The latter is said to be one of the defining factors behind the rise in healthy-eating statistics.
