Boomers love their wine

A new study by Nielsen on consumer shopping habits has some interesting insights into wine buying across the generations. The survey found that Boomers (those 45 to 63 years old) led all age groups, spending on average $125 per household on wine last year. Boomer households spent more per year only on pet food ($211) and carbonated beverages ($140) among the categories in the  survey.  They were followed closely in wine spending by the “Greatest Generation” (64+) at $124. There was dramatically lower spending on wine by Gen X (33-44) at $78 per year and Millenials (15-32) at $61.

Beyond wine, Nielsen notes that Boomers comprise more than one-third of the Internet population and “are big online shoppers, comfortable using email and messaging to stay in touch.” And Twitter, it notes, is a huge untapped outlet for reaching Boomers, who increased utilization 469% during 2009.”

Some observations on spending in general: “The Greatest Generation members, shaped by the Great Depression and World War II frugality, are the most frequent shoppers and more deal prone than other age segments. High-earning Boomers have the largest annual dollar spend per household of any group, followed by GenX. Millennials don’t like to waste time in-store, shopping less often than other age cohorts but buying more per trip as a result.”

BuzzNet Tags: Edward Deitch,Boomers,Wine buying,Nielsen,Buying habits