On a personal level, I’ve found myself somewhat shocked (albeit simultaneously impressed) my 60-something parents are about to embark on the 215-mile John Muir Trail—a fantastic living case study of the boomer generation’s tendency to buck preconceived notions of, shall we say, mature age.

However, while boomers redefine granny prototypes, one tradition holds steady: They will remain a powerful buying force. Grandparents are currently expected to spend some $2 trillion on consumer goods this year alone according to a report by Peter Francese, founder of American Demographics Magazine. This number will increase significantly in the near future with one in five U.S. residents members of the senior population by 2030 reports The Associated Press.

So what are the implications for marketers? How will these boomer grandparents redefine marketing practices?

Enter New Insights Into Today’s Grandparents, a worthwhile read for anyone wanting a glimpse into baby boomer’ purchasing preferences. Authored by Dr. Leslie Harris, baby boomer expert and founder of Mature Marketing & Research, this impressive body of knowledge examines the economic power of today’s 70 million and growing grandparents. Case studies by leading corporate executives intensively analyze the affect of the grandparent population’s growth on the U.S. economy— specifically the demographics’ buying behavior and impact on new technologies, the travel and leisure industry, banking and mutual fund companies, personal health, housing, fashion/retailing and retirement communities.

This book further elaborates other important findings with implications for future marketing practices including the facts that:

• Some 55 percent of grandparent homeowners do not have mortgages

• Grandparents remain in the workforce longer now than ever before so many of their households are in peak earning years

• Since 2000, spending by grandparent households increased at a compound annual growth rate of 8.3 percent, which was well above the rate of overall consumer spending, according to the same Francese report referenced above.

*Data supplied by Grandparents.com’sThe Grandparent Economy

Dr. Harris is additionally seeking collaborators for New Insights Into Today’s Grandparents, anticipated to hit stands in 2010. He can be contacted directly via e-mail at mmrharris@aol.com.

About Dr. Leslie Harris
Dr. Leslie Harris, baby boomer expert and founder of Mature Marketing & Research, an organization examining the changing needs of the mature market, has edited two prior books including, After Fifty – Marketing Strategies and After Sixty – Marketing to Baby Boomers Reaching Their BIG Transition Years. Summaries of both can be found on Mature Marketing & Research’s Web site www.maturemarketing.com