Can I Re-embrace the “Forgotten” Connection?
October 28, 2024New Wave
November 17, 2024How Convenience has impacted Millennials in their lifestyle, eating habits, and daily functions?
Lee Hui Ling, Faith
Convenience has become one of the crucial factors driving consumer behaviour, particularly among Millennials. It serves as a primary motivator for their everyday actions, whether at work, socialising, or in personal life. Convenience provides solutions to their needs and problems in today’s fast-paced, modern world. So why is this the case, and how did it come to be?
“Millennials are known to be Digital Natives” (Moran, 2016). This label frequently appears in articles that highlight Millennials for their proficiency with technology and adaptability to new media trends. As the first generation to grow up with the internet, Millennials have experienced significant behavioural influences. Through blogging (Robinson, 2020), video sharing, and social media. Millennials learnt to leverage technology for connecting and socialising, as well as using it as a tool for work and daily lives — streamlining tasks and improving efficiency.
In Singapore, 4.4% of the workforce comprises Millennials who are either Singaporean citizens or Permanent Residents (Mom.gov.sg, 2024). In today’s context, Millennials constantly juggle work demands, economic challenges, family pressures, and societal expectations. Some even bear the additional burden of managerial responsibilities (James Lim, 2018). Despite these challenges, they continue to pursue personal aspirations, often sacrificing personal time, which leads them to be ensnared in this never-ending cycle of ‘busy trap’ as they attempt to balance competing priorities.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people were forced to quarantine, resulting in an increased demand for food deliveries. This number has spiked to nearly 3 million in 2022 (R. Hirschmann, 2024). Even after the pandemic, Millennials remain using food delivery platforms for their daily lives, with about 7 in 10 ordering food online at least once a week (Service Club, 2022). Convenience and ease of access through mobile phones are the main reasons behind this trend.
Figure 1: Kiosks and QR code spotted at Crave and Guzman y Gomez (GYG), both located in Guoco Tower, Tanjong Pagar
An observation study was done at Guoco Tower and International Plaza in Tanjong Pagar, a densely populated corporate area, to observe the environmental factors of Millennials’ eating habits during lunch hours. The majority of food stalls included kiosks or QR codes for payment methods. Posters with QR codes sometimes displayed messages like “skip the queue” to notion the intent for a quick and seamless ordering process during peak hours.
Figure 2: Shops selling customisable food bowls located in International Plaza, Tanjong Pagar
Another notable observation was the type of food vendors. There were at least seven stalls selling customisable food bowls, allowing consumers to choose ingredients, often associated with healthier options — from bases, proteins, toppings and dressings. These ‘all-in-one’ meals cater to all meal times, including breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even desserts such as açai at affordable prices. With Millennials’ hustle and bustling lifestyle, customisable food bowls offer the perfect meal solution.
One may assume that if Millennials prioritised convenience, they would consume more fast food. While convenience remains a high priority, Millennials are less inclined to consume fast food due to its negative health connotations. According to The Halo Group, 8 out of 10 Millennials recognise the importance of healthy eating (www.dbs.com, n.d.).
A case study of McDonald failed to attract the Millennials (Ashley Lutz, 2014).
Research has shown that visits from this age group, specifically 22-37 years old, have stagnated. Although the chain has attempted to introduce healthier options like the McWrap, the sales results were significantly disappointing. After the failed attempt, the chain offered to produce customisable burgers, influenced to do something similar to their competitors.
Convenience has become a fundamental tool to meet Millennials’ needs. Amidst the quick and easy accessibility, Millennials also prioritise personal curation and customisation, as observed in the research findings (Cumbul, 2023). With consumerism driven heavily by convenience, physical stores have shifted towards online platforms for greater profitability (www.ghostretail.com, n.d.). The most significant change in this shift would be the 24/7 accessibility. Other benefits include a broader product selection, personalised shopping experiences using algorithms, and delivery options. Millennials are increasingly switching platforms from laptops to mobile phones for online shopping, and social media platforms now include shopping features, adopting an ‘all-in-one’ approach (Girish, 2018).
Figure 3: Survey of 19 Millennials on what preferred categories of products they purchase online
The above survey of Millennials has revealed a shopping preference for personal, household, and essential items online. The figure also showed categories that were popular among Millennials when shopping on online platforms. However, the sample does not fully represent the demographic, as 78.9% of respondents were female. However as seen from the bar chart, there is a wide variety of options that are shopped online by this group.
From the research study, it is a fact that the world’s rapid advancements have shaped Millennials to favour convenience-based options. However, while convenience caters to Millennials’ immediate needs, it is also important to be mindful and consider the long-term consequences for future generations. In conclusion, convenience has brought ease and accessibility to Millennials and will likely continue to evolve to address future challenges in the ever-changing world.
Reference
Moran, K. (2016) Millennials as Digital Natives: Myths & Realities [online] Nielsen Norman Group. Available at: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/millennials-digital-natives/
Robinson, R. (2020) History of Blogging: How Blogging Has Evolved (1993 to 2020) [online] RyRob.com: A Blog by Ryan Robinson | Learn How to Blog and Make Money on the Internet. Available at: https://www.ryrob.com/history-of-blogging/
Mom.gov.sg. (2024) Available at: https://stats.mom.gov.sg/iMAS_Tables1/Time-Series-Table/mrsd_6_Res_emp_by_age_sex.xlsx [Accessed 14 Nov. 2024]
James Lim (2018) How much do you know about millennial leaders? [online] Available at: https://www.ntu.edu.sg/business/news-events/news/story-detail/how-much-do-you-know-about-millennial-leaders
R. Hirschmann (2024) Singapore: favorite food delivery apps 2020. [online] Statista Available at: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1149590/singapore-favorite-food-delivery-apps/
Service Club (2022) Why do millennials love food delivery so much? [online] LinkedIn
Available at: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-do-millennials-love-food-delivery-so-much-serviceclubdelivery/
www.dbs.com (n.d.) How millennials are changing what and how we eat | DBS Global Indians. [online] Available at: https://www.dbs.com/internationalbanking/global_indians/lifestyle/how_millennials_are_changing_what_and_how_we_eat.html
Ashley Lutz (2014) Millennials Are Becoming McDonald’s Biggest Threat. [online] Business Insider. Available at: https://www.businessinsider.com/millennials-eating-less-fast-food-2014-8
Cumbul, D. (2023) What do millennials expect while shopping online? – Storyly [online] www.storyly.io. Available at: https://www.storyly.io/post/what-do-millennials-expect-while-shopping-online
www.ghostretail.com (n.d.) Inside the Minds of Millennials: Unveiling Online Shopping Habits and Trends [online] Available at: https://www.ghostretail.com/post/millennial-online-shopping-trends
Girish R. (2018) Why are Businesses Shifting to Mobile Apps in 2018 | Fingent Blog [online] Available at: https://www.fingent.com/blog/businesses-shifting-mobile-apps-2018/
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