The Customer Acquisition Generation Gap Redux

For any given retailer, there are three possible roads to take when considering the necessary changes for addressing the generation gap:

1. Stick with baby boomers because they're a loyal base, and that's who is most likely to continue shopping with you.
2. Move to millennials. This requires a solid base to start and can't be done by hiring some kids and creating a Facebook page. Much like viral videos, just exactly what constitutes "cool" is nebulous and constantly in flux. If you're not there now, this isn't really an option.
3. Chase both markets. This is the best answer for most, but also the most complex. It will require doing many things twice (e.g., paper coupons and Facebook coupons), while refining the process each week.

The typical retailer will be best served by observing its core shopper base and learning what they respond to, regardless of the generation they hail from. That's one thing that's not new, and if nothing else should offer some level of comfort to those sleepless marketers.