The grandparents and/or great-grandparents of the millennial generation fought in and survived through the era of the Second World War, with all the post-war effects of rations and changes in human rights and prejudice opinions, as well as the start of the massive scale globalization we are seeing today. The parents of millennials are the baby-boomers, becoming adults in the revolutionary decades of the 60s and 70s, where the changes that were planted by the generation before them started to produce the fruit of freedom, of looking for alternatives to the establishment.
Generational Differences
And today, the millennials, the generation of young adults today, are taking those fruits of freedom and liberated thinking into even newer territory; millennials don’t do things because that is how they’ve always been done. Here are 30 industries, products, and institutions, millennials are changing the face of forever.
Beer
The previous generation had a soft spot for beer, knocking ‘cold ones’ back left, right, and center, and if Budweiser or Coors had their way, millennials would be following that trend. But it seems millennials are drinking less and less beer. Is it because they are drinking less alcohol altogether?
Beer
It doesn’t seem to be the case that millennials are drinking less alcohol than previous generations, and it is difficult to identify exactly what is the cause of this generation’s lower consumption of beer is, but the industry estimates that it has lost roughly 10% of their market to other alcoholic beverages. It could be that craft cocktails have been booming since shows like Sex and the City came about, making them seem cool and sophisticated, particularly compared to the traditionally macho image presented by beer companies.
Oil
It is true, that over the past at least 50 years, we have based our lifestyles around the never-ending withdrawal of oil, petroleum. Millennials are a big part of those bringing change to our consciousness around the use of this substance, and are looking to replace this lethal and dirty fuel with… well, basically anything that won’t be as deadly for our planet.
Oil
The oil industry is in big trouble as a result, as well as there being an aging workforce in the industry which is becoming harder to replace as younger people are increasingly taking the moral high-ground when it comes to this business, with millennials finding the industry’s toxic, capitalistic legacy harder to accept.
Football
In America, for so many people, football is not just a sport but a way of life. All the way from the Pop Warner Leagues up to the NFL, football has been considered for many previous generations part of the American way of life.
Football
However, it turns out that not so for many millennials. They can imagine an American Life without the sport, and that has gotten a lot of people worrying. Football is often a dangerous sport, and has been known to cause serious and even permanent injuries, brain damage included! So turns out that millennial parents are not as eager to sign their children up for the sport, just as the kids are requesting it less too.
Marriage
It’s no newsflash that millennials are less keen on ‘tying the knot’. According to a 2016 Gallup poll, only four out of ten millennials say ‘I do’. Some research suggests that the millennial generation is putting off marriage so that they can prioritize their careers, particularly as more women are able to do so than in the past, while another reason suggested is that more millennials spend their time and money traveling rather than the ‘white picket fence’ dream.
Marriage
The biggest reason really though, seems to be millennials are delaying making wedding vows until they feel financially secure, and many have more financial worries than in the past, with student loan debts, stagnant wages, insecure career paths, all part of the concerns. Religion being less central also probably contributes to this trend. It isn’t that millennials are giving up on marriage or relationships, they are just redefining them somewhat.
J.Crew
Longtime retailer, J.Crew, really seemed to be on a rollback in 2012 when they hit upon the magical combo of genuine inspired style and savvy marketing. Led by creative director Jenna Lyons, who had a great personal style that she combined with luxe materials in a creative way, gave the retailer its quirky and unique look, which immediately became the signature style of J.Crew.
J.Crew
A few years later, the once fashion hit is in a bit of a pickle. The transition of consumers from malls to online commerce has been rough for J.Crew. An increasing number of millennials are making their purchases online, and with fashion trends moving fast, just as quickly as Lyons’ highly recognizable visual is in one day, it is out the next. The trend of eco-conscious fashion is also more and more important to this generation, and even though J.Crew tried to capitalize on it, it didn’t really work for them.
Running
Running had nearly two decades worth of being the hit trend, but today it is dying out pretty surely. In 2013 there was an all-time high of 19 million runners taking part in competitive races, but in 2015 there was a noticeable decline in numbers that has continued since then. Why has the trend suddenly reversed?
Running
Well, there are a few reasons really. Millennials seem to be choosing much more non-competitive fitness activities than the baby-boomer generation, focusing on getting their core strong and good alignment through yoga practice more than they are on winning races. There are also countless boutique-style studios everywhere nowadays which offer more of a variety of fitness options and personalized services which seem to be more hype than just grabbing a pair of running shoes and going it alone.
Golf
Participation in the long preferred pastime of the rich and powerful have been seen to decrease across the board in the US. New studies have shown that millennials are just not connecting with Golf, and golf-related sales have gone down by millions of dollars, giving the industry concerns as to what the future may hold.
Golf
It isn’t difficult to get why millennials are not stepping up to the tee. First off, golf is quite an expensive sport to play with all the equipment one needs just to play, as well as the extortionate club memberships most golf-courses require. Then, there is the well-documented issue of golf being a good old boys club sport, where a sexist attitude towards women is no secret. All these are reasons why a whole generation has just said “Thanks, but we’re good…” to golf.
Cereal
If you were growing up in the era where there were still two Berlins, East and West, most probably you will have warm memories of beginning your mornings with a bowl of some seriously sugary cereal that would start off crunchy and get soggy halfway before the end of it. Nowadays, a large proportion of a generation are choosing other breakfast foods to begin their day with, and the billion-dollar industry is starting to notice.
Cereal
Although some research suggests other reasons too, the majority of research suggests that millennials are giving breakfast cereals the cold shoulder as they are so much more concerned and aware of healthy eating habits, and as it has been drilled into their heads continuously over so many years that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, they put more intention into having nutritious breakfasts than their parents or grandparents ever did, so it makes sense that they are replacing their sugary carb-heavy cereals for fiber- and protein-rich meals to start the day.
Gyms
Have you ever gone into a smelly sweaty gym, and think, “there must be a better way than spending my time here?!”. Well, it seems that millennials have. And as millennials do – they find what that better way is and make that a reality. The traditional gyms like New York Sports Club and Planet Fitness have seen their membership drop, while millennials are fitter and healthier than ever. So what is this health-conscious generation doing to stay fit if they are not joining the traditional gyms?
Gyms
It seems that millennials are choosing pricey boutique-style studios that offer personalized attention, over the big box atmosphere, with places like Barry’s Bootcamp and SoulCycle redefining the fitness industry. A huge amount of free fitness videos available to stream are also another trend that millennials have totally gone with. The regular gym memberships are also expensive, and if you don’t go regularly enough can seem like a waste of money, so the pay-as-you-go and á la carte studio options have become a lot more attractive.
DVRs
DVRs were once the cutting edge technology of television, but now they feel as outdated as VCRs or LaserDisc players, in large part due to millennials’ swift adoption of streaming players and on-demand services. DVR sales have been on the decline for years now, demonstrating a clear change in the viewing habits of a generation. Millennials are much more likely to opt for streaming services like Amazon Prime, Hulu, and Netflix.
DVRs
The unofficial motto of Silicon Valley is “move fast and break stuff”, and it is clear that DVRs are what’s being broken by a new generation of consumers who prefer variety, ease-of-use, and easy access, over having no commercials (you could say that they are basically built-in breaks for some social media time!).
Razors
Close your eyes, and without thinking, picture a man in his late 20s to early 30s. We bet he has a beard. That is the reason the razor industry is feeling pretty defeated at the moment. As more and more men are skipping a shave at least once a week, and usually more, sales went down by over five percent in 2018 alone, giving traditional manufacturers like Gillette the need to fight to be relevant again.
Razors
For the previous generation, skipping a shave or even actively growing a beard in many circles, was thought to be lazy, disrespectful, or even rebellious, but for millennials, it is either just an expression of being yourself or a hipster fashion statement. Today it is not all that important to be clean-shaven but there is more of a trend of grooming facial hair, whether it is a beard, a goatee, or a cool mustache – meaning that the industry isn’t completely dead just changing to meet consumer demands.
Mayonnaise
The prerequisite to potato salad, BLTs and a (controversial) accompaniment to French fries, mayonnaise sales have fallen in recent years, leaving legendary companies like Heinz and Hellman’s looking for new ways to appeal to younger consumers.
Mayonnaise
It seems that millennials’ lack of fondness for regular mayo may be associated with the texture of the condiment, as well as the heath-consciousness and ethical concerns of the generation, where veganism is on the rise, all leading to many consumers opting for vegan mayo instead. The companies have also tried to introduce different kinds of combinations and flavors to appeal to millennials, with the hope that it will catch a break on social media and go viral… no such luck so far though.
McMansions
Homeownership has always been a main part of the American dream, and since the 1990s there has been a growing trend of the bigger the house – the better. But today most people under 40 can barely dream of owning any kind of home, no matter how small or big, so one that requires a small maintenance army is even more unattainable for most.
McMansions
The fact that baby-boomers wanted to show off their wealth and demonstrate power with huge homes and gardens and millennials are too busy paying off student loan debt to even think about buying such massive so-called McMansions is the perfect visual metaphor for the gulf between the cultures of these two generations. This also represents a developing crisis for aging boomers, who as they look to downsize before retirement are having an ever more difficult time finding buyers for their McMansions.
The 9-to-5 Workday
Millennials have decided that the workweek need not consist of the traditional 9-5 workday Monday to Friday. It has been shown that the typical millennial changes jobs around every three years, so they are not doing what the previous generation did, spending 25 years working for the same company. There is a rise in free-lancing with the “gig economy” and other forms of self-employment, illustrating the premium millennials are putting on flexibility and independence – creating a struggle for the corporate world.
The 9 To 5 Workday
By finding new ways to make a living that allow flexibility and independence, millennials are challenging decades-long assumptions about the role of work in their lives. At a time when the generational shift in power is making a turn in millennial’s favor, it is no wonder that things like remote work and freelancing are dominating the conversation around office-culture. The only thing that can be said for certain is that the future of work is changing from what we have ever seen before.
Applebee’s
Applebee’s is just another one of the corporate chain restaurants that is blaming their falling profits and slow growth on picky millennials.
Applebee S
Millennials just seem to be a lot less excited about eating out at a casual dining chain restaurant. It seems that individuality and new menus are the names of the game here, with people feeling like eating out is becoming more and more of a luxury it might as well be a more unique experience.
Motorcycles
The motorcycle industry is in crisis at the moment (Harley-Davidson, in particular) with far less millennials buying motorcycles than the generations before them.
Motorcycles
It isn’t just the high price tag, but also the matter of where would one store a motorcycle when you are still living at home with your parents or in a high rise building in the middle of the city? Millennials would seem to view motorcycles more as a form of transportation than as an expensive hobby.
Lottery Tickets
It is a well-known fact that millennials spend hours playing games on their phones, so much so that the mobile game industry is extremely lucrative. This has given state lottery commissions reason to worry as they see they are at risk of losing a generation of potential customers who, instead of playing Candy Crush, could be buying lottery tickets instead.
Lottery Tickets
The temptation of playing the lottery is that you could be in for winning big money, but millennials don’t seem to want to go through the hassle of buying a ticket for the tiny chance of a small payout. So even though state lotteries are making attempts to draw in new players with innovative games and strategies, we will have to wait and see if younger players will take the bait.
Vacations
Just as with other traditions of the conventional workplace, the idea of taking vacations has a very different meaning for millennials. Although they seem to like more flexibility and independence this also seems to result in them being somewhat more work-centered and stressed than the previous generations, resulting in them taking fewer vacations.
Vacations
So why the aversion to vacation time? Younger people in the workforce tend to forgo taking time off so as to demonstrate how much they are investing in their careers and are ready to take on new responsibilities.
Napkins
Not even the lowly napkin seems safe from millennials. The humble staple of the well-laid table is becoming forgotten or overlooked by the eco-conscious and cash-strapped millennial.
Napkins
This, as well as the trend of eating out or ordering in, has led to the demise of napkin buying by millennials. Ordering in from GrubHub or Seamless and you will get what seems like handfuls of napkins with every order, which is why so many millennials have a drawer in their kitchen full of scrunched up unused napkins, sachets of hot sauce, and plastic utensils.
Credit Cards
A growing number of millennials have become wary of getting credit cards and taking debt after they saw the economy crash in 2008. Other than student loans (which many felt they had no choice but to take), many millennials are shifting towards using debit cards, leaving credit card companies feeling it. This is because credit card companies don’t make as much profit from debit card fees as they do on credit card fees.
Credit Cards
The credit increase of the 1980s and 1990s, fueled by the baby boomers, is over. Not only are millennials opting for debit cards over credit cards but these younger generations of consumers are also more likely than their predecessors to use pre-paid credit cards, and also going back to using cash in many circumstances.
Starter Homes
The idea of starter homes, you know the type, cute little one or two bedrooms within the $200,000 to $300,000 range, is fizzling out. Millennials are skipping the phase of this once thriving market of buying a place that is only meant to be lived in for a few years before upscaling to a dream home.
Starter Homes
Millennials are more likely than any other age group to pay higher rent for a longer period of time or live at home with their parents for longer, The money they spend on rent eats into the income they could be saving towards a down payment on a house. Millennials are buying houses much later than previous generations, particularly as it is so expensive to buy nowadays, but also because so many millennials still don’t know where they see themselves in the coming years.
Grocery Stores
Another loss probably caused by the Internet. Millennials’ clear preference for online shopping is interpreted in the decline in grocery stores sales, which may signal what is to come. There are food delivery services such as Seamless and GrubHub which offer millennials more options and variety than ever before. So why even go through the hassle of learning to cook Pad Thai when the best in town can be delivered right to your front door within the hour?
Grocery Stores
Millennials are also replacing the traditional grocery shopping business with at-home meal prep kits, and with dining out more. It is possible that this generation just has less time and/or energy for things like planning a menu, shopping, cooking, not to mention the cleaning up afterward.
American Cheese
Americans have loved American cheese for decades now, making it a staple of so many of their meals. But the bright orange, plastic-wrapped, and somewhat plastic-flavored, slices of cheese are quickly becoming less and less popular with millennials as they are looking for more nutritious and tasty options instead. Sales fell 1.6% for producers like Kraft and Velveeta in 2018, giving a reason for manufacturers and industry insiders to worry.
American Cheese
Can you really blame millennials for turning their backs of this byproduct of World War I, with its highly processed ingredients which are entirely out of line with the more stripped-back, natural ingredients millennials are demanding in restaurants and grocery stores.
Retirement
Millennials and retirement is not really a conversation; ask a millennial what their plans are for retirement and most probably the answer will be something like, “What retirement?” The old tradition of having a long career over 25 years, and then having a nice relaxing retirement, is seen more and more by millennials as a luxury that they won’t ever be able to afford.
Retirement
Retirement necessarily requires the ability to save money – not millennials strong point, a generation that hardly has one month’s rent in their savings accounts. Paying off student loan debt and affording health insurance are seen as the main priorities for this generation rather than thinking 30 or 40 years down the line, which may mean this generation may be the first to work well into their golden years.
Diamonds
Remember the movie Blood Diamond, starring Leonardo DiCaprio? Well, that was probably the film that really brought to light the terrible, destructive, and inhumane mining practices of the diamond industry. It wasn’t exactly a secret before then, but that put it out in the open in a way that popular culture couldn’t completely ignore. Still, most are willing to turn a blind eye to the cruel reality, but millennials seem less so.
Diamonds
Millennials, who are already looking at tons of student loans to pay off as well as insecure job stability, are not too keen on parting with thousands of dollars in return for a small shiny jewel that comes with dark cultural baggage. A major shift in the diamond industry has been the growth in lab-grown gemstones, which look remarkably like the real thing.
Cars
Americans have always loved cars, and they still do it seems. In 2018, over 17.3 million vehicles were sold in America. Millennials, however, seem to be one fragment of the consumer market that are not buying into the gas-guzzling part of the American dream. Recent studies have shown that although young people are still buying cars, they have a markedly different relationship with automobiles than older generations.
Cars
The younger generation seems to have less of an emotional connection to their cars than older generations, and are much more likely to use public transport or share cars. The environmental issue of the impact of carbon emissions is also a major factor driving these changes, as well as the high cost of maintaining a car.
Department Stores
Sears is a publicly-traded company that began in 1906, and other mall anchor stores, such as J.C. Penney and Macy’s have a similarly long and well-documented history. But for a number of reasons – corporate mismanagement, the 2008 financial crash, and shifting consumer trends – these classic department stores seem to be on the way out, or at least in serious trouble. The final blow being the current generation of online shoppers.
Department Stores
Not all that long ago, department stores were the only place for millions of Americans to do their shopping, but the 21st century has not been good for them. With the full on the trend of online shopping that just keeps growing in popularity in recent years, traditional non-virtual stores are struggling to compete and in order to avoid bankruptcy, many of them are closing more and more branches across the U.S.
Movie Theaters
Even though recent years have seen record-breaking box office profits and double-digit growth, Hollywood has a major theatre-going problem. A report in the New York Post in 2015 claimed that the share of movie tickets purchased by those between the ages of 18 and 24 fell by a third in only three years.
Movie Theaters
It seems that the real reasons millennials are avoiding the movie-theater experience is because of… well, the actual experience. The cost of tickets has gone up and is now quite expensive, combine that with people shamelessly texting throughout the movie, and movie theatres that have not been renovated for years on end, and millennials seem to be making the choice to stay home and watch Netflix.
Canned Tuna
Companies like Starkist, Bumble Bee, and Chicken of the Sea, are blaming millennials for the dramatic decline in sales of canned tuna. Big Tuna is certainly feeling the heat after seeing their sales decline by 40% over the last few decades. Is the reason for this that since we have become used to easy-open cans, millennials don’t own can openers nor know how to use this once kitchen staple?
Canned Tuna
Actually, the real reason why these young adults are becoming less and less inclined to buy canned tuna is more because of the well-documented destructive practices of the industry on the sea and marine life, as well as the high mercury levels canned food is more inclined to have. The dramatic fall in sales has already had an effect on the industry, encouraging many smaller companies to invest in more sustainable fishing practices. Will millennials take the bait?
Hooters
In 1983, when Hooters was founded by six businessmen from Florida, Hooters was considered a wild concept at the time. Skimpily dressed women serving American fast-food, burgers and wings, to happily paying customers, was not expected to last long, even by its owners. It lasted quite a while, but a few decades later their suspicions have been realized, and the future of this all-American “breastaurant” is not looking too hot.
Hooters
Generation X powered the chain to success during the 1990s and early 2000s, but millennials have turned their backs on the wings ‘n’ cleavage combination in favor of delivery services, local casual dining, and at-home meal kits. Even though falling sales impelled Hooters to remodel its restaurants and update the menu, millennials are unlikely to go more, probably for many reasons to do with the initial sexist starting point of the chain.