Echo Boomers-or Generation -is a savvy group with tremendous purchasing power & strong beliefs: An examination of buying patterns & preferences on college campuses is provided.

As the National Association of College & University Food Services (NACUFS) notes, the Echo Boomers (also called Generation Y) comprise 24% of the U.S. population. This 70 million strong group of individuals between the ages of 10 & 28 represents $625 billion in annual purchasing power; it is the most diverse generation in terms of preferences, culture & ethnic backgrounds. They are well-informed & avoid the notion of trial: if everyone else is doing it, they go straight to adoption. The group, as a whole, is described as individualistic, distrustful & cynical of overt promotion, because they have been branded since birth.

Over 10% of the group goes to gourmet coffee shops one time a week or more, according to the Economic survey. Averaging 4.6 cups per day, Generation Y is the fastest-growing specialty coffee consumer segment, largely helping to propel blended coffees in to a $1 billion industry.

In terms of food spending, this generation may well be the foodservice industry best mate. Generation Y Americans eat out an average of 24 times a month, according to a Economic survey, spending $1,152 yearly on restaurant food purchases. They select fast food restaurants over 80% of the time; however, that is not to say that their purchases are necessarily unhealthy: their consumption of salads is on the increase.

As Janet Paul Rice, associate director of dining services at Concordia College, finds, College students are spending money now, developing habits. They are forming opinions, in the event that they already, about brands & companies. Their concerns & questions are more prevalent now, & they are much better informed, be it from parents or through media or their learning technique. They are better informed about nutrition & food ingredients. Things like allergies are much more known.