Millennials Too Lazy To Eat Cereal, Survey Reveals

It’s a sad day in America when the New York Times reports that a key reason why cereal sales have declined drastically over the past decade is because millennials are too lazy to eat it.

Apparently, cleaning a bowl is just too much work for those harried days. Millennials want grab-and-go options like breakfast sandwiches and protein bars. And when they are willing to be inconvenienced with clean up, they prefer more healthy options like yogurt, smoothies and hot cereals.

The news comes from an August 2015 survey conducted by market research firm Mintel. The cereal industry, along with several other industries, pay to access survey data collected by firms like Mintel to provide them with consumer trends. Multinational companies hope that by understanding consumer preferences they will avoid a major downturn in sales and give customers more of what they want.

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Yet the need for survey data like Mintel’s points to a bigger issue for small and medium sized businesses. While large brands pay for “big data” from market research firms, many business owners simply can’t afford to buy that data and must find their own means of polling current and potential customers to remain competitive.

How else is a small cereal company like 18 Rabbits supposed to learn why no one aged 18-35 is buying their granola? By the time they wait for media to report on a millennial consumer trend that General Mills learned about a year earlier it’s likely too late, and sales have already taken a dive.

The same goes for retail store owners that sell an array of products and can’t understand why certain items are not leaving the shelves. Is it because they are stocking the wrong brand for their clientele? Or perhaps it wouldn’t matter what brand they stock, and maybe their customers are simply not interested in that particular product?

Related: Marketers cash in on millennials love of organic coffee, craft beer

As a survey company, we feel compelled to plug our product here. Our award-winning survey tool is an amazing way to poll current and potential customers and get a pulse on customer sentiment. In a certain sense, QuickTapSurvey can be seen as the little guy’s tool for market research.

If you need further convincing of how crucial “big data” is to small business success, take a look at a Washington Post article about the millennials and cereal study. The article cites several other studies showing a consumer preference for convenience over quality, such as the popularity of single-serve coffee pods over coffee beans that require grinding.

A key takeaway from the article is that “big data” — often in the form of surveys — is a huge driver behind any successful business, no matter the size. And the sooner a business is able to collect that data, the faster it will see returns.