US consumers ages 18-30 feel that buying local more important to them than to previous generations, according to new study; origin matters relative to health, environment and economics

Nevin Barich

January 31, 2014 (press release) – Free report and video by MindSwarms lending insight to the complexities of food origin marketing with the youngest segment of food purchasers: Millennials.

What do Millennials think about where their food comes from? A recent MindSwarms study asked a national sample of consumers aged 18 to 30 about the origins of food and heard back clearly:

1. Origin matters relative to health, environment, and economics

2. Millennials feel that buying local is more important to them than to previous generations

“Food marketers often think about local food sources within a context of freshness and quality but we wanted to hear more from the Millennial segment about the trending local food movement,” says Chris Van Fossen, Operations Manager at MindSwarms. “We found Millennials realize much deeper benefits from their local purchases, even beyond individual health. They see direct impact of their purchases on their local economy and the environment.”

Millennials are linking dollars spent on local food to enabling greater prosperity for local farmers, a smaller ecological footprint, more sustainable crops, and lower energy consumption.
They are proud of their conscientious purchasing decisions in comparison to their parents’ generation, which they typically describe as motivated by convenience and cost.
Implications:

Millennials feel that they are carving out their own approach to selecting and purchasing foods in a different manner than their parent’s generation

Although the definition of “local foods” is not consistent across the segment, Millennials feel that their consistent “buying local” behaviors have far-reaching impacts

Impacts go beyond individual health to local economies and the environment

Whole Foods and Trader Joe's resonate with Millennials whose brand values align with their desire to purchase locally

Traditional food retailers have the opportunity to improve on the implementation and execution of local sourcing for a more relevant relationship with Millennials

Given Millennials' economic realities, retailers must be aware of cost sensitivities when it comes to the premium pricing of locally sourced foods

About MindSwarms

MindSwarms is a disruptive digital market research platform for gathering video insights whereby consumers get paid to answer questions via smartphone/tablet camera or webcam. MindSwarms is a dynamic startup based in San Francisco conducting research studies all over the world, including the US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Japan, India, China and Brazil. Clients include Nike, Sonos, Skullcandy, Virgin, Intel, Pitney-Bowes and Google, to name a few. The platform allows researchers to get video feedback from consumers in their home, store, gym, workplace -- anywhere -- fast. See more at blog.mindswarms.com or email sales(at)mindswarms(dot)com.

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