The Emergence of ‘Open-Face Sandwich’ Generation: A New Market Segment

Abstract

“Sandwich Generation” refers to individuals who experience significant pressure from multiple generations. This demographic typically manages care responsibilities for ageing parents while supporting their children and often grapples with challenges related to work-life balance. Beyond the overarching definition, the sandwich generation can be further categorized into three types: Traditional Sandwiches, Club (or Tripple-Decker), and Open- Face Sandwiches. This article aims to explore the growth of the Open-Face Sandwich generation as a new market segment in business with the relevant data and statistical analysis.

The Open-Face Sandwich category explicitly encompasses those childless individuals who focus solely on caregiving for their parents, ideally maintaining a balance in their professional lives. With the dynamic society on present days, particularly with an uptick in the preference for singlehood, the prevalence of the Open-Face Sandwich generation is expected to rise. Data indicate that the proportion of single individuals in the U.S. is projected to exceed 50% of the total population, with the predominant segment being never-married singles. In Canada, the incidence of single-person households has surged by over 200% in the last four decades. Meanwhile, in China, marriage rates have plummeted by more than 50% over the nine years from 2013 to 2022.

This trend towards single living correlates with declining birth rates in numerous countries, particularly in those with significant populations. A strong inverse correlation (r = -0.967) has been identified between the increasing percentage of singles and decreasing birth rates in the U.S. These demographic shifts have created market opportunities in sectors like elderly care services, pet products, and real estate, particularly for smaller, affordably priced living spaces that cater to the needs of this evolving demographic landscape.