Boomers Are More Earth-Friendly

San Jose Mercury News:

Older is greener.

That was the finding of a recent report that says businesses should rethink how they pitch environmentally friendly products, because the over-50 generation may be their best customers.

A number of businesses have already tapped into the desire of older residents for green products to increase their customer base.

Researchers at ICOM Information and Communications L.P., a Toronto-based firm that specializes in studying the spending habits of U.S. consumers, found that Americans older than 50 are the most likely purchasers of “green” products.

Women older than 50 had the highest percentage using green items — 75 percent — while women 18-20 had the lowest percentage — 19 percent.

The findings ran counter to the common perception that younger consumers are more likely to choose environmentally friendly products, the researchers said.

“The surprise for us was the difference between the very young and the older age groups,” Peter Meyers, vice president of ICOM, said in a telephone interview this week. Older shoppers were “less cynical” about the value of eco-friendly products and “less price-sensitive,” he said.

ICOM findings, however, did not surprise baby boomer Shelley Freydont of Midland Park, N.J. She said she’s been trying to make environmentally conscious decisions since the green revolution of the 1960s and 1970s. Her generation, she said, is greener “because we’ve always been like that — we had our own gardens, we composted, we recycled everything.”

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