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To p Story 28 SeaFood Business April 2014 Visit us online at www.seafoodbusiness.com foil cooking bags that allow consumers to put the un- cooked meal in the bag, in their ovens or grills). Let's say the wife likes fresh dill and lemon favor on her salmon, and the husband likes Cajun seasoning. Both could be cooked simultane- ously," Johnson says. Because boomers are in- terested in healthful, premi- um and convenient foods, they tend to purchase more crabmeat, sauces/marinades, dips and spreads and pre- pared fsh and shellfsh. "Both groups are looking to create restaurant-quality meals at home and are in- terested in unique, globally inspired favor profles. A simple lemon-pepper favor- ing isn't going to be exciting for these groups," Nielsen's Frey says. But how do retailers and restaurants combine these key attributes into their seafood meals? Executives at grocery chains and res- taurant chains are working overtime to fgure out the right formula. Fast-food chains have improved oferings geared toward both millennials and boomers with items such as fsh or shrimp wraps, fsh or shrimp tacos, fsh sticks and fsh sandwiches. "We have developed some more afordable and portable oferings, such as Dippin' Fish Strips. Te Fish Strips are made from Alaska pol- lock and come in a cup that sits in cars' cup holders," LJS's St. Clair says. "Tose types of products have a strong appeal to those younger consum- ers, but are equally appeal- ing to the vital Generation X consumers." LJS' boomer, millennial and Gen X customers are also seeking healthful items, leading the chain to feature more non-fried items, such fsh markets to develop more freshly prepared sea- food items. Millennials are extremely important to the prepared-foods category, with 78 percent bring- ing home prepared foods in January, according to Acosta Sales and Market- ing's Te Why? Behind the Buy study. At grocery stores, millen- nials tend to buy more sea- food meals, appetizers, suri- mi seafood, shrimp, clams, crab, tilapia and seasonings/ spices/breadings for sea- food, according to Nielsen. Millennials were also the biggest users of restaurants' pick-up/carry-out services in January: 78 percent of them picked up food from restaurants, versus 72 per- cent of Gen X customers and 58 percent of baby boomers. Millennials are attracted to healthier foods such as seafood, but are unfamiliar with how to prepare seafood, says Steven Johnson, grocer- ant guru at foodservice and hospitality consulting frm Foodservice Solutions. More supermarkets and fsh markets should be of- fering convenient, health- ful seafood meals that are customized to each family member, to appeal to both millennials and boomers, Johnson suggests. "You could stick two pieces of salmon in two diferent packages, using packaging such as the Q Bag (aluminum Photo courtesy of Studio Vercammen Both boomers and millennials are engaged with the seafood department Seafood household penetration Millennials are less likely to purchase premium seafood options Household penetration, by sub-category 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% Total Shoppers Boomers Millennials Other seafood Prepared seafood Fresh seafood 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% Tilapia Scallops Salmon Lobster Boomers Millennials Total Shoppers RETAIL Source: Nielsen Perishables Group FreshFacts ® Continued on page 50 24_28TopStory_50jump.indd 28 3/25/14 2:28 PM