Everyone needs to eat, but not everyone has enough mental energy to devote to food. Therefore, considering a consumer’s mental load demonstrates empathy and could influence purchasing decisions.
For two years, 84.51°, the retail data science, insights, and media company helping Kroger and its partners create customer-centric shopper journeys, researched whether consumers lack the mental energy to address food.
Younger generations were more likely to report insufficient mental energy than older cohorts. This could be due to Gen Z and younger millennials having less free time and less experience with food preparation. In contrast, baby boomers have well-established routines and go-to foods, which require less mental effort to prepare.
A generational breakdown of the results revealed notable insights and implications for brand marketers.
Why Mental Load Matters
Consumers today are bombarded with overwhelming choices and information on top of responsibilities, concerns, and distractions, leading to decision fatigue and stress.
Considering a consumer’s mental load—and understanding that levels of mental strain can vary—demonstrates empathy and could impact purchasing decisions and the overall brand experience.
Among the Key Takeaways:
- Consumers are bombarded with overwhelming choices, information, responsibilities, and distractions. Considering a consumer’s mental load demonstrates empathy and could impact purchasing decisions.
- The overall trend shows an increasing sense of “insufficient mental energy,” particularly for Generation Z. Younger generations were more likely to report insufficient mental energy than older cohorts.
- Baby boomers reported low difficulties in finding enough mental energy to address food, i.e., plan and prepare meals, ranging from 5% to 7% over the observed periods. This demographic likely has stable routines and preferences.
- Generation X reported some fluctuations, with percentages ranging from 9% to 14%. This group may be balancing multiple responsibilities, leading to variable mental energy.
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- Millennials showed high fluctuations, with older millennials with a low of 8% in Q4 2022 before peaking at 21% in Q1 2023. This could be due to life transitions. Younger millennials exhibited even more dramatic changes, with a high of 26% in Q1 2022 and a low of 7% in Q4 2022.
- Generation Z struggled the most in finding the mental energy to plan and prepare meals, peaking at 30% in Q3 2023. The results pointed to a general trending increase in mental energy strain.
- Convenience and mental wellness are key. Gen Z is more likely to purchase food items that require minimal preparation, such as snacks like crackers and popcorn, and less likely to purchase seafood, eggs, and ground beef. Highly convenient, healthy, ready-to-eat options or easy-to-prepare meal kits will likely resonate.
Given the increasing mental energy strain, especially among younger consumers, brands that also incorporate messaging around mental health and wellness for products that reduce stress and simplify meal planning will likely be well received.