Compared to older generations, Millennials exhibit a unique set of behaviors regarding their eating and food shopping habits. They prioritize health and freshness, have a foodie mentality at home and away, and shop for food across a variety of retail channels. Additionally, Millennials distrust large food manufacturers, citing a need for greater transparency about how foods are produced, as well as a desire for brands to communicate with them directly and authentically. It remains important for retailers and manufacturers to recognize the impact Millennial behavior has on their businesses.

This report is the first of its kind from Mintel and builds on the analysis presented in Marketing to Millennials - US, February 2015. Readers of this report may also be interested in Black Millennials – US, February 2015, Hispanic Millennials – US, February 2015, and Millennials and Finance – US, April 2015.

For the purposes of this report, Mintel has used the following definitions:

Millennials are defined as the generation born between 1977 and 1994. In 2015, Millennials are aged 21-38.

In reference to the consumer survey findings, Millennials are defined as:

• Younger Millennials are between the ages of 21 and 28.

• Older Millennials are between the ages of 29 and 38.

Please note throughout this report, Younger Millennials and Older Millennials age groups differ slightly based on data source (see Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations).

Mintel also has discovered important sub-groups of Millennials and explores them throughout this report. Each group is color coded throughout the report as indicated below. For exploration of the key components of each sub-group and what makes each unique, see Millennial Sub-Group Profiles.

For a more detailed exploration of Millennials, Mintel has created three unique segments of Millennials based on their attitudes toward food. Mintel named the segments according to their particular characteristics.

• Foodie Skeptics: Evenly split between males and females, higher household income and the majority are parents. They value food that is fun, energizing and similar to restaurant foods. They are drawn to online and specialty retailers and are very mobile savvy. They are the least trusting of food manufacturers.

• Health-Conscious Independents: Skew female and include an even split of Younger and Older Millennials. Nearly half in this segment earn less than $50K annually and value food that is fresh, nutritious and affordable.

• Brand Loyal Eaters: Just more than half are female, and most are Older Millennials. They are more likely to have larger households with children, are brand loyal and prefer to shop where they have a rewards program.

For more, see Consumer Segmentation.