The kids these days aren’t drinking as much as they used to.
They’re doingsober datingandalcohol-free game nightsand whateverzebra stripingis.
But you know who is still boozing it up?
Their parents and grandparents.
Many baby boomers are turning into baby boozers.
The youngs are backing off of the hard stuff; baby boomers aren’t following suit.
Older drinkers are also drinking more frequently.
Overall, older people still drink less than younger people, but the generations are moving in opposite directions.
Baby boomers are raising more glasses while their kids and grandkids are laying off.
So what’s going on here?
“They’re just kind of in this prime time where buying nice stuff sounds good.”
Younger adults have their bank accounts pulled in different directions.
They’retrying to buy homesor aresaddled with mortgages.
They’ve gotcar paymentsandchildcare costsandstudent debt.
They’ve reaped the benefits of rising home prices and a booming stock market.
As Gen Z and millennials are aging into more financial obligations, baby boomers are aging out of them.
“The older consumer often will stick with what they know,” he told me.
Baby boomers may not be who we think of as the typical alcohol consumer.
We don’t see them much in alcohol ads or in the media.
But that doesn’t mean that they’re not excited about exploring alcohol and brands are starting to notice.
For the alcohol industry, the boomer boozer represents an under-the-radar market to serve.
According to Sightlines, baby boomers account for 40% of all alcohol spending in the US.
This is an issue for wine, in particular.
“Doing nothing won’t change our present situation.”
Baby boomers aren’t getting sloshed every night in theirretirement communities or at least most of them aren’t.
So, they’re seizing the opportunity.
“It really boils down to where they are with their life stages,” Wadford said.
“The baby boomers are just enjoying some well-earned downtime.”
Emily Stewartis a senior correspondent at Business Insider, writing about business and the economy.
