NPD eyes opportunity to target breakfast-skipping Americans
The market research organization’s “Morning Mealscape 2011” study found that one in ten Americans skip breakfast, rising to a high of 28% of men aged 18-34.
Adults 55 and older were least likely to skip breakfast, at 11 percent for males, and 10 percent for females in this age group. For children, tendency to eat nothing prior to 11am increased as they entered adolescence.
Report author and director of product management at NPD Dori Hickey said: “With 31 million people skipping breakfast each day there is a significant opportunity for food and beverage marketers to reach these consumers. Marketing messages emphasizing the importance of having a morning meal should be age and gender specific in order to increase their effectiveness. To convert teens, a two-pronged approach may be necessary – one that appeals directly to teenagers; the other to provide strategies for parents of teens.”
The reasons cited for not eating breakfast included not feeling like eating or drinking, not having enough time, and being too busy. Women were more likely to skip breakfast due to time constraints, NPD said.
