Cars, beer and other stuff that Gen Y won't buy

Does bad weather correlate with less drinking? Well, perhaps it does with certain kinds of drinking. Unseasonably cold weather in Brazil, Europe, and the U.S. is being blamed as one of the reasons sales are down in early 2013 for Bud Light, Miller Lite, Heineken, and other mass-produced brews favored at picnics and tailgates. As more drinkers turn to craft beer, spirits, and wine, they’ve been snubbing the ubiquitous brews that have been featured in TV ads for decades.

The recent news that America has one of the highest rates of youth unemployment in the developed world may be horribly discouraging, but it's hardly surprising.

Marketers are always trying to woo younger consumers. They may not have as much money as older folks, but they bring a sense of hipness and desirability to anything they buy. Youths are also sought after as customers because consumption habits are often ingrained at a young age—and because they will be money-spending consumers for many, many years to come.

Marketers are always trying to woo younger consumers. They may not have as much money as older folks, but they bring a sense of hipness and desirability to anything they buy. Youths are also sought after as customers because consumption habits are often ingrained at a young age—and because they will be money-spending consumers for many, many years to come.

By John Hall:This year's Deloitte s Annual Generation Y Automotive Survey has mixed results for the EV market. The good news is that this crucial group of consumers overwhelmingly prefers alternative power to traditional gas-only vehicles - by a margin of 59% to 37%. That should help keep automakers focused on fuel efficiency.

When you're trying to secure a business deal and your client is in another location, you have to be ready to jump on a plane at a moment's notice to finalize the deal. A new study from Expedia Media Solutions found that 69 percent of business travelers book their flights and hotels — usually luxury 5-star properties — less than three days before they travel.

According to a recent survey, people who belong to the Generation X and Generation Y demographics haven’t been deterred by the housing market downturn at all.

As more and more Chinese buy cars, automakers say consumer tastes in the Asian nation have a growing influence on vehicle design the world over.China emerged as the world's top car market in 2009, and though the sector stalled last year, with sales rising just 2.5 percent to 18.51 million, carmakers are convinced it is where the industry's future lies.