Baby boomers \u2014 generally defined as those born between 1946 and 1964 \u2014 are particularly frustrated by many of today’s grocery-store features, according to The Takeout<\/a>. Technology-driven shopping is among their biggest complaints, along with several other modern grocery-store changes.<\/p>\n TRADER JOE’S WORKERS SHUT DOWN LONG-RUNNING CHECKOUT LINE RUMOR: ‘OVER-THE-TOP FRIENDLINESS’<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n No. 1: Self-checkout<\/p>\n When asked to choose between self\u2011checkout and cashier\u2011assisted checkout \u2014 each with equal lines \u2014 62% of respondents to a YouGov survey<\/a> aged 65-plus said they preferred cashier-assisted checkout, compared to 34% who said they like self-checkout.<\/p>\n Fifty percent of respondents aged 45-64 said they preferred checking out with a cashier, while 44% said they would choose self-checkout. In the 18-29-year-old demographic, meanwhile, 52% said they prefer self-checkout, while 26% said they would prefer cashier-assisted checkout.<\/p>\n The major hangups boomers have with self-checkout is weighting produce, the lack of human interaction and the feeling they\u2019re doing free labor, The Takeout reported.<\/p>\n Cleanliness and organization are what Baby boomers prioritize in grocery stores and report preferring traditional supermarkets over discount stores. (iStock)<\/p>\n No. 2: Bargain grocery stores<\/p>\n Cleanliness and organization are what baby boomers prioritize in grocery stores, a 2024 survey published by the Feedback Group found.<\/a><\/p>\n Boomers have a strong preference for supermarkets (32%), the survey found, while Walmart (28%) was their second choice for grocery shopping. Gen X shoppers preferred Walmart (28%), followed by supermarkets (25%), while Gen Z opted for Walmart (23%), Aldi<\/a> (20%), dollar stores (17%) and club stores (15%). Traditional supermarkets ranked last among Gen Z shoppers, with only 11% reporting this as their go-to store.<\/p>\n No. 3: Searching for products<\/p>\n Grocery stores carefully arrange products to encourage shoppers to spend more time in the store and buy more items.<\/p>\n TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Frequent product relocations were another common complaint in the social-media responses highlighted by The Takeout.<\/p>\n No. 4: Digital coupons<\/p>\n The share of people aged 65 and older who are tech-users grew in the last decade, a 2022 Pew Research Center poll<\/a> found. Despite this trend, many baby boomers say digital-only coupons put shoppers without smartphones at a disadvantage.<\/p>\n Trader Joe\u2019s<\/a> is an outlier, The Takeout noted, since the grocery-store chain doesn\u2019t offer discounts or sales.<\/p>\n No. 5: Neglected shopping carts<\/p>\n Shopping carts offer a “tactical maneuver” for some older adults who rely on them for mobility and stability purposes and as a rest aid, according to The Takeout.<\/p>\n Some baby boomers expressed frustration at having to bag their own groceries, since many modern supermarkets lack a dedicated bagger. (iStock)<\/p>\n Several baby boomers reacted to a Facebook post asking about their grocery-shopping experience to say they value shopping carts with wheels that swivel easily and are easy to push.<\/p>\n No. 6: Generic groceries<\/p>\n While younger generations are more likely to shop at budget grocery stores and buy off-brand products, a sizable number of baby boomers always go for name brands.<\/p>\n More than one in four (26%) baby boomers “rarely or almost never consider switching from their favorite brand,” a Numerator survey<\/a> on consumer trends found.<\/p>\n CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE NEWS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n A Reddit forum featured many commenters expressing frustration with the older generation for spending more money for a comparable, generic product, The Takeout reported.<\/p>\n No. 7: Sold-out products<\/p>\n Many Americans grew accustomed to encountering out-of-stock items when the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the supply chain. But baby boomers aren\u2019t as accepting of the reality as others, according to social-media posts on the subject.<\/p>\n Many retirees live on fixed incomes and rely on sale-priced products to help stretch their grocery budgets, meaning unavailable items can have a greater financial impact on older adults.<\/p>\n Retirees on a fixed income who rely on sale items can be disproportionately affected when grocery items are out of stock. (iStock)<\/p>\n No. 8: Understaffing<\/p>\n Food retailers have faced recruitment and retention challenges in recent years, and it\u2019s a pattern keenly felt by baby boomers.<\/p>\n Social-media comments summarized by The Takeout suggest many boomers associate understaffing with longer checkout lines, slower service and fewer opportunities for personal interaction with employees.<\/p>\n No. 9: No grocery baggers<\/p>\n Going hand-in-hand with frustrations over self-checkout and understaffed stores, many baby boomers also dislike the growing absence of dedicated grocery baggers.<\/p>\n CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Plenty of boomers complain on social media about this modern grocery-store, expressing frustration at doing their own labor, according to The Takeout.<\/p>\n No. 10: Convenience foods<\/p>\n Millennials, those born between 1981 and 1996, comprise the generation most likely to spend money on prepared grocery meals<\/a>, a U.S. Department of Agriculture survey found.<\/a> Prepared meals often cost significantly more than cooking from raw ingredients because shoppers pay for the added convenience.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/c2ffeed1-boomers_grocery.jpg\")
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