Things Millennials Are Killing vs. Boomer Use

Parent Cafe
1

This was discussed with interest on one of my podcasts. Items or services that millennials are not using, thus their popularity may be killed. Have you too embraced NOT using any of these items? Or do you see your kids following the path of NOT using these items???

In general ( deleted a few) this is the list:
Dining chains
Starter Homes
Paper napkins (in favor of paper towels)
Cereal
Golf
Motorcycles
Light yogurt
Bars of soap
Diamonds
Fabric Softener
Banks
Department Stores
Designer Handbags
Big Box Gyms
Big Box Home Improvement Stores

The article: http://www.businessinsider.com/millennials-are-killing-list-2017-8#gyms-17

I find that while we used to use these, we are no longer being consumer of some of these things including"
Dining chains (almost eat exclusively local places)
Napkins (I use cloth or paper towels)
Light yogurt
Department Stores

Of course some we never used - i.e. motorcycles!!! :slight_smile:

Do you see a trend with yourself or your millennials??

2

Our “starter” home is still our home. When we finally bought it was after years of moving from one town and apartment after another so we were happy just staying! Now we have gotten so used to single digits as a percentage of our income spent on housing costs that there is additional incentive to stay put.

But, to answer your question: Dining chains, fabric softener and Big-Box anything are off our list. Along with cable TV, SUVs and movie theaters.

3

Wait, how are they not using banks??

Ah, OK, just read it. That’s a little misleading, i.e., they just aren’t visiting local branches. I don’t either!

4

^^^ Yes, you might read the article to get some clarity on some of the items. :slight_smile:

5

not really a fair comparison. Boomers have stopped using some of those things too (hello, Amazon prime.).

OTOH, my boomer kids and their friends do partake in:

Starter Homes (called condos)
Paper napkins (or really, paper towels)
Cereal (so can pay the condo fee)
Golf (were on golf team in HS)
Motorcycles
Bars of soap
Diamonds
Banks (online works fine, but then I have not stepped into a retail branch in a few years either)
Department Stores
Designer Handbags
Big Box Home Improvement Stores (most local Hardware stores have gone out of badness)

6

Diet soda
Paper shopping lists

I still miss encyclopedias. I used to love reading them. Searching online is just not the same.

7

D just bought a ‘starter home’. Younger people who are Silicon Valley millionaires are leaving California because they can’t afford to buy a starter home. So no I don’t agree with that one.

Designer Handbags - yes. I think millennials are more sensible than some of their elders than to spend money on these.

Golf and diamonds - I don’t know a millennial who buys either of these. Again, too expensive.

8

TV.

My kids have not watched TV in several years. They consume their media on tablets, phone, computer.

I can not think of more than a handful of times in the last 3 years that we sat down as a family and watched something.

9

Newspapers, especially daily delivery.

I think boomers are giving this up, too. When I run in the morning, my house is pretty much the only one with a paper on the drive.

10

Me:
Dining chains
Golf
Light yogurt
Bars of soap
Diamonds

My kids:
TV in the conventional sense and thus cable - they do stream
Landline phones
Sliced bread from the bread aisle as opposed to artisan
frozen vegetables - frozen food in general except for ice cream :slight_smile:
store bought salad dressing

Dining chains
Starter Homes
Paper napkins (in favor of paper towels)
Golf
Light yogurt
Diamonds
Fabric Softener
Banks
Department Stores
Designer Handbags
Big Box Gyms
Big Box Home Improvement Stores

11

mine don’t do t.v., cable, newspapers, any soda, any napkins, dish rags, bars of soap, fabric softener, meat, gluten, anything designer, or dentists.

mine do organic veggies, soy and nut milks, pizza, liquid soap, fragrance free shampoos and detergents, swiffer wet jets, dogs, tennis, golf, swimming, running, biking, gluten-free recipes, video games, budget airlines (travel with backpacks), marriage and church.

12

Millennials seem to like ‘throwaway’ fashion and ‘throwaway furniture’. I was always taught to buy the best you can afford and keep it for years, for both fashion and furniture. Now millennials are buying the cheap clothes at H & M and Zara and throwing them away after a few months, since that is about as long as they will last.

Same with furniture. The high end furniture stores in our area have gone out of business. It’s the put it together yourself stuff at IKEA, made in China crap. I bought solid made in the USA things that I’ve kept for 30 years, moved from place to place. The millennials seem to buy cheap and throw it away or sell it off when they move.

13

“Millennials seem to like ‘throwaway’ fashion and ‘throwaway furniture’”

Mine actually like to shop consignment and thrift shops. Kind of the opposite of throwaway. They might be in the minority though as I know brands like H&M, Zara, and Ikea are popular.

+1 to soda. My kids never drink it. They give me a hard time if I do.

14

Dentists???

15

I agree that millennials like the second hand furniture. And there are some real buys on Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist.

16

Mine love Ikea and hate anything used.

They seem to think brushing their teeth and an occasional flossing are all that is needed. They will also try homeopathic remedies before going to a doctor.

17

I recently swapped out paper napkins for some cloth ones I bought. Paper towels are more expensive per use than paper napkins; maybe if millennials become a bit more penny pinching they will move to paper napkins. My kids seem unable to produce any kind of napkin (they do have paper towels) when I am at their places.

I also gave up paper newspapers when I moved to an apartment. I do pay for a couple online subscriptions, though. I read a lot of online news sources.

My millennials use banks (to a point — ATMs and online banking mostly, but brick & mortars are nearby). I find myself extremely annoyed this week, though — my bank is making me come to the branch to change the beneficiaries on my accounts. It feels so antiquated.

D1’s fiance is an avid golfer, but it has always been a bonding thing with his dad, so I think that is a big driver.

18

Most millennials I know are really into weddings - the big kind, with a bunch of bridesmaids and grooms. Very different from my generation/friends. And the women all have diamonds…

19

Interesting conversation but I hate that it is framed as “Millennials are killing”. So tired of everyone ranting about millennials and how they are ruining the world. I think our generation is doing our own share of ruining things! So I agree with the poster who said it’s not just millennials - times, they are a changing!

Our entire family has given up:
Soda
light yogurt (D has switched entirely to soy yogurt)
cereal (use to be a staple in our house)
bars of soap (the gals, not the guys or at least H, not sure about S)
fabric softener
diamonds
department stores (unless you count Kohl’s)
designer handbags

Starter homes are coveted in our neighborhood (great schools) and they sell very quickly. I didn’t read the article, so maybe their definition of “starter” is different than mine.

S age 24 plays golf regularly as his form of exercise. He has college buddies he plays with. None were on a team in HS or college (they’re baseball guys.) But they play public courses versus belonging to a club.

D age 20 and H and I go to a big box gym (Planet Fitness, very popular in our town. We call it the town country club.)

H and I have spent a lot of time in Home Depot recently due to a kitchen remodel. D and S currently have little need for that stuff, but S would definitely go to a big box when he does.

D does not have a local bank branch anywhere near her uni, so she does everything online. But in the summer when she is working at home (and making cash tips), she LOVES to walk into the bank to deposit. Will even do this instead of drive-through. For some reason, it gives her great pleasure!

D has given up beef. H and I have cut WAY back, but will still eat it.

We still use napkins every day at home! But then again, we still eat a sit-down dinner together most nights (H and I.) I’m sure neither kid buys them for their apartments.

S doesn’t like to watch much tv in the company of others, except certain sporting events. D loves to watch with mom and/or dad when we are all hanging around in the evening. We’ll pick a show or movie that appeals to all of us.

I have been nagging S to go to the dentist for months!!!
:((

20

I think diamonds are safe. It’s pearls that aren’t as popular.