As the baby boom generation has aged, it has given rise to a new demographic group, the "empty-nesters." These are couples who have successfully raised their baby boom children and who now are in the latter parts of their careers, or retired, and who have no children or other dependents living at home. This research examines the type of products and services which are of interest to this group, and considers a single product and the best way of marketing it to the empty-nesters.
Empty-nesters are typically couples in their 50s and older who have raised children currently out on their own ("Feathering" 8). For purposes of this report, empty-nesters who are in the middle class and who live in suburban communities are considered. These couples have considerable amounts of disposable income, making them an attractive target for marketers who can identify appropriate products and services. Generally, these individuals own their own homes, and have considerable amounts of leisure time since their time is no longer taken up with the concerns of caring for their children.
In many cases, the parents may be directly involved in the lives of their children; this is the situation when the adult children have located in the same community and have begun families of their own. However, many adult children have moved outside of the community or have not yet begun their own families, with the result that some families ties are not as strong as they will be eventually when the empty-nesters become grandparents.
These demographics lead to a number of new products and services for this market, along with a mixture of new uses for existing products and services. For example, the travel industry targets these individuals for package tours recognizing the combination of leisure time and disposable income that the couples have. In addition, the relative good health of the individuals makes them prime candidates for travel. Not having to arr...