Baby Boomers’ Shopping Habits: What Do They Want From Brands?

Baby boomers — those born between 1946 and 1964 — are the second-largest generation. They’re the predecessors to Generation X (Gen X), millennials, Generation Z (Gen Z), and Generation Alpha (Gen Alpha). 

Their perceived resistance to technological, generational, and cultural changes has led to the dismissive phrase “OK, boomer” — but folks in this generation are more hip than they get credit for.

Baby boomer shopping habits are undergoing an interesting change as technology becomes an increasingly integral part of commerce.

Baby Boomers’ Values, Interests, and Shopping Habits 

Here’s a nuanced breakdown of how baby boomers’ values and interests affect their shopping habits — with tips for adjusting your strategy to meet their evolving needs. 

Baby Boomers Value Brand Loyalty 

Unlike millennials, Gen Z, and Gen Alphas, who favor deals over brands, baby boomers are staunch brand loyalists.

Trust is a critical factor in building brand loyalty — and it pays off. According to Salsify’s “2026 Consumer Research” report, 68% of respondents will spend more on a product if they trust the brand, and 67% say that product quality and value influence their brand loyalty. 

If you want to foster brand loyalty with your baby boomer customers, you need to reinforce your brand’s trustworthiness by:

• Being transparent about pricing and manufacturing costs.
• Maintaining data accuracy with a product experience management (PXM) solution.
• Offering a loyalty program that provides discounts, deals, and free shipping, if possible. 

While millennial, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha shoppers don’t carry the same brand loyalty gene, baby boomers’ allegiances can trickle down in different ways. 

For example, a Gen Z customer could purchase the same laundry detergent as their baby boomer grandparents because the spring smell reminds them of their childhood. A millennial could purchase the same pie crust that their parents always used for holiday desserts. Gen Alpha could ask for their own copy of a board game that they play with their grandparents. 

Gaining new customer loyalty isn’t always easy, but strengthening relationships with your already loyal customers will fortify your foundation. 

Baby Boomers Are Expanding Their Interest in Ecommerce 

Baby boomers’ offspring may be familiar with SOS calls asking how to change passwords or reboot devices, but boomers are making unprecedented technological strides.

According to Salsify consumer research, online marketplaces like Amazon are the top discovery channel for 60% of baby boomers, and 76% view pricing and availability as the most important product page elements for completing a purchase. 

Forty-eight percent of baby boomers are willing to pay more for a product because they trust the brand — trust that’s gained through high-quality product content. 

Boomers say that the following influences their opinions on product quality and value: 

• Durability and longevity (60%)
• Brand reputation and history (56%)

If you want to attract baby boomers to your product pages, make sure you’re emphasizing your product quality, building trust, and meeting them where they are. 

Baby Boomers Aren’t Too Keen on AI 

While some generations (mostly millennials and Gen Z) are more interested in AI, baby boomers are much more resistant. 

According to Salsify consumer research, 55% of millennials don’t use AI shopping tools, while 20% of millennials trust and use them regularly. (It’s no surprise that these generations are on opposite ends of the AI adoption spectrum.) 

Additionally, only 5% of baby boomers have expressed interest in agentic commerce, which essentially means letting an AI shopping agent take over the buying journey. 

However, brands can overcome the AI trust gap with detailed product descriptions and specifications (31%) and personalized explanations for why the product fits shoppers’ needs (25%). 

Baby Boomers’ Shopping Habits

Baby boomers have spent the majority of their lives shopping in stores. Now that they’re dipping their toes into ecommerce waters, they expect the same high-quality shopping experience. 

The takeaway? You must offer them the best possible product page experience, or you’ll lose their business.

Here are some product detail page (PDP) features that customers are looking for: 

• Beautiful lifestyle images
• Accurate, detailed descriptions
• Featured customer testimonials
• Dimensions and sizes
• Materials
  

According to CGI-powered product visuals company Nfinite, only 14% of baby boomers are happy with product imagery, compared to 19% of the general population. 

The company notes that angles are an important selling factor, as 76% of boomers are more likely to purchase an item of furniture if there are pictures of it from all angles. Additionally, they’re far more drawn to lifestyle images than packshots. 

Nfinite reports that boomers have $2.6 trillion in purchasing power, which far outweighs that of their predecessors. Tweak your strategy to capture their attention online — or you’ll lose out on a big piece of the purchasing pie.

Marketing to Baby Boomers Requires a Delicate Touch 

It would be a shame to miss out on the burgeoning opportunity that baby boomers pose for ecommerce.

As you adjust your marketing to baby boomers, consider their evolving shopping habits and how you can gently guide them down this new path to purchase.