Hungry Teens Spend Most on Food

What categories reap the benefits of teen spending? In its April 2014 “Taking Stock with Teens” survey—the 27th semiannual edition—Piper Jaffray found that food grabbed the most dollars from this young demographic, beating out clothing for the first time in the history of the survey (20.8% vs. 20.7%). This change led Piper Jaffray to refer to the group as the “experience-seeking generation,” indicating a shift in teen spending away from tangible items.

Teens in general tend to have limited budgets. As a result, quick-service restaurants (QSRs)—that is, fast food joints—were their dining locations of choice (43% of respondents). However, more than one-third preferred casual sit-down restaurants, suggesting that teens may like to treat themselves every now and then. Fast-casual establishments, which are similar to QSRs in that they do not offer full table service but different because they tend to have higher-quality food and higher prices, were not nearly as popular, cited by just 16%.

Restaurants looking to connect with teens via digital channels may want to take a look at social networks, as Piper Jaffray found that just 5% of respondents didn’t use any social platform. The No. 1 choice? Instagram, cited by 30%. It looks like it’s time for restaurants to snap, filter and share.

Courtesy of eMarketer

 

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