There are many ways in which Millennials are different from older generations. Having grown up in the Internet age, they are not only more tech savvy, more entrepreneurial, and more informed than their parents, they are also more concerned about environmental and health issues. A recent study showed that Millennials tend to be more
At the same time, Millennials are also by far the most plugged-in generation, and tend to favour convenient delivery options driven by the Internet much more than the generations that came before them. This combination of technology savvy, environmental and health awareness, and interest in the convenience that comes with delivery services is driving major shifts in the food industry. Where delivery was once synonymous with fast foods like pizza, the 21st century has seen an explosion of options for people who want quality, sustainable food delivered to their door.
This interest in delivery is not limited to pre-cooked foods, either; many younger shoppers understand that one of the best ways to guarantee a healthy diet is to cook fresh ingredients from scratch, and this has spurred a market for meal boxes and grocery delivery plans. In particular, there has been a resurgent interest in bespoke delivery options specializing in high quality local, artisanal ingredients. Services like truLOCAL, which delivers sustainably raised beef, pork, chicken, buffalo and wild-caught fish have become extremely popular with a generation of shoppers who care about quality as much as they care about convenience. These services are simply the tip of a burgeoning industry dedicated to helping shoppers find high quality local foods and providing flexible, responsive delivery options.
Because these kinds of custom services allow anyone to easily order quality meat online and have it automatically delivered straight to their house, office, or apartment building, they encourage people to more frequently cook food at home. Fresh meat delivery options can be set up to repeat on a bi-weekly or monthly basis, which means a ready supply of fresh, healthy options is always on hand. This
As of next year, Millennials will constitute the largest living adult generation, which means that their preferences and tastes will set the tone for the domestic market as a whole. As Millennials radically embrace healthier lifestyles, more artisanal relationships to food and cooking, and the convenience of online shopping, it is likely that the balance of the entire food industry will shift in that direction as well. If this happens, it is likely that options like