Insight
Consumer Conversations 6: Empty Nesters Talk About Covid
As part of our ongoing Consumer Conversation series, we spoke with empty nesters (younger Baby Boomers) about Covid-19 earlier in the year and have circled back around with them now that most of the country is “open” to some degree.
Their biggest concerns still center around their kids. While they are glad they aren’t working at home while juggling toddlers and homeschooling, they are feeling very disconnected from their adult children, many of whom are scattered throughout the country. They have added responsibility for aging parents, often in care facilities that they can’t visit, adding to the sense of separation from family. They are dealing with that helpless feeling of having no control, something they typically enjoy.
Money is a worry for all except the most financially secure, knowing that they or their kids may be out of a job at some point. The apparent lack of concern over safe distancing and protocols in certain regions of the country is disturbing even to those who originally pushed back against shut downs. The increased number of cases in “hot spot” areas has turned their optimism into some anger and frustration. They more fully realize how long term this will be than they did at the onset of the pandemic.
They’ve embraced technology and home delivery, most notably grocery services, which they had never tried before. They need additional ways to stay connected and to feel more in charge of their situation. Our topline insights (below) give a glimpse of how they feel and what might help them as they navigate their particular challenges.
Reach out to us at contact@glgrowthworks.com for more information on our conversations with empty nesters, or to discuss any other target consumers with whom you’d like to connect.
