I had the pleasure of having a cup of coffee with a GenXer
yesterday.
She told me about the struggle she’s going through. Back “before having the kids” she had a
very successful career. She worked
in marketing and sales.
But then along came the kids.
Now before readers relate to her frustration because of
being female… put a hold on it.
Over the last fifteen or more years, both she and her
husband placed top value on raising those kids.
He made sacrifices too. In fact, they ended up moving just to get the kids in better
public schools.
And instead of taking a nice “get-away” vacation trips, both she and
her husband channelled the dollars instead to refinishing the basement so that
they and the kids could have more quality time.
In 2015, the leading edge of GenXers hits the magic moment
of turning 50. Yes. 50 years old.
And the trailing edge will turn 39.
You really don’t hear too much hoopla about it.
In fact, outside of kids, kids, kids and kids… you really
hear little about Generation X.
Fact is… there’s really not as many of them as there are
Boomers and Millennials.
In fact, you add those two population groups together and
the GenXers barely represent about a third of the size.
I’ve written blogs about the GenXers in the past. Close to half growing up with divorced
parents. Vowing adamantly that
they would not get a divorce and instead preserve family values that their
parents seemed to ignore.
Sidelight… left-side media has it ingrained in their
headsets that “family values” is all driven by a disdain for gay folks when
instead, “family values” is largely driven by GenXers and their dedication to
avoid following in the foot steps of their parents.
GenXers are not known for being trendsetters and change
agents.
However, this past week, there was an article in the Wall
Street Journal about a new trend hitting the movie theaters that actually we
can all thank the GenXers for driving.
Really. Not
making this up.
Before I tell you what the movie theaters are doing, let me
share a couple of interesting snippets about the GenXers.
In all the house and home work we do, we have not only gone
out on the streets and talked with GenXers – or the family market segment, but
we’ve shopped with them, toured their homes, joined the search online and with
agents, sat with them and their interior designs and even baby sat the kids
while the parents got out their paint brushes to make the bedroom a “teen
retreat.”
My one observation is simple. GenXers care more about the time cocooning than they do
about the look, feel and style of the cocoon.
GenXers are famous for buying the house with the unfinished
basement and carving out space for their “family” media room.
Down here in the ATL, there’s a furniture chain called
“Rooms-To-Go.” The retailer
caters to GenXers by stocking “functional” furniture at very affordable
prices.
Where IKEA might have an edge of style and design. Rooms-To-Go has an edge on durability
and function.
While Lay-Z-Boy has sorta been successful in repositioning
their furniture line as being more stylish, Rooms-To-Go gave recliners new
meaning with their classic GenXer signature piece… the sofa with the built-in
food rests, declining back cushions and the built-in beer-can or Pepsi-can
holders.
Remember... GenXers are not all professional and white collar. There's a diverse generational scope that embodies the blue-collar working family too.
Those blue collar GenXers might not have a Rooms-To-Go in their small town, but there were "close-out" says featuring those faux leather theater seat sets being sold off the pack of the moving truck... for sure!
Since the trend of the family media room hit, the Smiths,
the Jones, the Kamdars, the Fohfamas, the Perez and the Chengs… all have
purchased the large 84” flat screens, Best Buy sound systems and recliner sofas
to stock the GenXer version of the family room.
The Wall Street Journal article bears the
title: “Coming to a Theater Near
You: Recliners”
Yes… recliners.
Gone will be the flip down theater seats. Gone will also be the larger number of
seats.
Welcome the Lay-Z-Boy look along with the premium ticket
cost that offsets the decline in the number of seats.
AMC Entertainment is leading the charge… By the way, now
owned by a China-based Dalian Wanda Group.
The GenXer basement home theaters are soon to premiere in a mall parking lot near you!
The next time you hear a GenXer co-worker, friend, PTA
community leader or your GenXer significant other talk about how the Boomers
and Millennials are stealing their stage… tell them to go catch the latest
movie at the neighborhood AMC Theater.
And you can even add… “... and it will feel just like home.”
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