Children Between 5 & 14 Influence 78% of Total Grocery Purchases.

Children in the United States hold massive consumer power in the food and beverage industry. According to The U.S. Market for Kids Foods and Beverages, a newly published Packaged Facts report available at MarketResearch.com, kids between the ages of 5 and 14 will directly control $10 billion in food and beverage spending this year, and will influence the vast majority of purchases made in this category.

Marketers have long been aware of the need to influence these powerful young consumers, and the shelves of grocery stores, lined with cartoon-emblazoned boxes and multi-colored condiments, reflect the attempts of manufacturers to capture the attention and desire of children. By establishing a link with children, food and beverage marketers are able to leverage an in-house “nag-factor” that very often drives parents to purchase.

“Character licensing has turned the shopping experience into a relationship building exercise for children,” said Don Montuori, Acquisitions Editor for Packaged Facts. “As soon as a child sees Elmo or Blue on a box they are clued into the fact that this product has something to do with them, and that they should have a say in its purchase. Marketers are counting on kids to sell the product to parents – and they do.”

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