Insights for Engaging with Retail’s Most Valuable Generation
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“Gen X really is the forgotten generation. These poor middle-agers, former latchkey kids raised on MTV, are now toiling in the shadows, upstaged by the splashier generations on either side of them.”
—James Rodriguez, Business Insider
Despite being a powerful and influential group, Generation X is often underestimated and overlooked. They currently represent just under 20% of the U.S. population — roughly 65 million consumers between 45 and 60 years old who are at the peak of their professional careers.
Retailers and product marketers literally can’t afford to forget about them: Gen Xers will spend $15.2 trillion worldwide in 2025 — more than both Millennials ($14.7 trillion) and Boomers ($13.5 trillion).* And they’ll continue to lead U.S. consumer spending through 2036.
They’re also about as omnichannel as you can get: 65% use their mobile devices inside stores to get more information about products, and 63% rely on their smartphones for help making purchase decisions.
The Strategic Planning team at Mars United certainly hasn’t forgotten about them. In this report, we’ll use insights gathered from eight 75-minute focus groups held with 61 Gen Xers — along with a wealth of other sources — to present a deeper, clearer understanding of Generation X and the factors driving their behavior as both consumers and shoppers across four key topics:
- Finances (page 9)
- Health & Wellness (page 22)
- Food & Beverage (page 36)
- Shopping (page 51)
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