Baby boomlets will taper off, so now is the time for companies to stake out the market when customers are young and impressionable. In 1992, the teen population will start growing again. Between 1986 and 1995 the estimated increase of children age 5-13 is 4 million. This is something that I think needs to be taken into consideration when developing and marketing a food product to youths. Many mothers today will buy just about whatever their kids want.
Parents are busier and feel guiltier so they are softer when it comes to children's requests.
Parents are concerned with health and buying healthy foods, but buy their children what they want. With the average U.S. Household now consisting of two working parents, children either are left at home or they are out in malls for longer periods of time, making buying decisions their parents used to make. The kids' market is attractive because money is there and if young consumers buy the brand now and become loyal it sets a course for predictable sales growth in the future. Companies can't just satisfy kids' needs now, but need to develop them as users of the product so they'll buy as adults also. While the teenage market has been declining for more than 10 years, total spending for this group has been rising.