Bridge Millennials Have Become Restaurants’ Digital Diners

As consumers across the board slowly increase their engagement with restaurants’ eCommerce options, bridge millennials — those between their mid-thirties and mid-forties — are leading the pack by a long shot, PYMNTS research shows.

By the Numbers

According to supplemental research from the survey of nearly 2,500 U.S. consumers behind PYMNTS’ study last month, the “ConnectedEconomy Monthly Report: The Urban-Rural Health Divide Edition,” restaurant customers across the board are stepping up their eCommerce habits, increasing their digital participation by 6.7%.

Bridge millennials, however, were way ahead of all other generations, boosting their participation by twice the population-wide rate — a 12.8% increase.

The Data in Context

Restaurants are certainly trying to reach consumers online. Many are stepping up their loyalty program efforts in a bid to draw customers into the digital fold and keep them coming back.

Quick-service restaurant (QSR) giant Yum Brands, parent company of KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and the Habit Burger Grill, announced earlier this month that it is partnering with analytics platform Treasure Data to boost personalization, which will, among other things, enable the restaurants to be more targeted with their rewards program offers and messaging.

“This is the latest advancement in our strategy to drive toward enhanced digital experiences and deliver exceptional value to our customers, as the company remains focused on our vision to have 100% of sales powered by digital,” Yum Brands Chief Data Officer Cameron Davies said in a statement.

Plus, a few weeks ago, Denny’s, a full-service diner chain with nearly 1,600 locations around the world, announced the debut of an updated loyalty program, leveraging the rewards-and-challenges model to motivate behaviors based on data about consumers’ purchasing history.

“Denny’s provides an incredible bang for your buck, and now our rewards challenges take value to a whole new level,” Denny’s President John Dillon said in a statement. “At a time when guests place a premium on value, we are excited about this game-changing summer launch.”