The Mid‐Youth Market: : Baby Boomers in Their Peak Earning and Spending Years

Citation

Miller, A.R. (1998), "The Mid‐Youth Market: : Baby Boomers in Their Peak Earning and Spending Years", Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol. 15 No. 3, pp. 302-303. https://doi.org/10.1108/jcm.1998.15.3.302.4

This book is a book of tables regarding the baby‐boomer generation who are now between the ages of 32 and 50. This mid‐youth market accounts for 40 percent of 18+ years old Americans. When these 78 million baby boomers were under the age of 35, it appeared that they were the big spenders in the USA. The author points out that their numbers inflated market share controlled by young adults. Now, 20 years later, both the numbers and the spending power are in the 35‐54 age group.

The book begins with an introduction on why boomers matter. This is followed by eight chapters as follows:

(1) Population

(2) Families and Households

(3) Income

(4) Wealth and Spending

(5) Labor Force

(6) Health and Fitness

(7) Education

(8) Attitudes and Behavior

Each chapter contains between four and 29 tables. For example, the chapter on Health and Fitness contains the following tables:

• Self Assessment of Health

• Health Insurance Coverage by Sex, 1994

• Births by Age of Mother, 1993

• Number of Children Ever Born, 1992

• Healthy Eating Habits, 1994

• Sports and Fitness Participation, 1995

• Participation by Sports and Fitness Activity, 1995

• Acute Health Conditions, 1994

• Chronic Health Conditions, 1994

• Years of Health and Total Life Remaining

• Causes of Death, 1993

A summary of the key points of each table and the implications of the data is presented.

This is a good reference book for marketing managers and instructions of consumer behavior as a detailed picture of the mid‐youth is presented.