It’s almost an article of faith among marketers that each generation of consumers is different from the next. But how different are we, really?

To get at this question, we created a survey about shopping habits and asked them of five generations of our readers — most of whom are marketers. We received more than 750 responses, led by Generation X (48.2%), Baby Boomers (31.6%), Millennials (17.3%) and the Silent Generation (2.8%). The Greatest Generation did not respond. :(

With the exception of the Silents, a majority said they “very much” identified with their generation. Meanwhile, 68 percent of Silents said they felt they understood the other generations “very well,” as did 55 percent of Boomers, 51 percent of Gen Xers, and 49 percent of Millennials.

This suggests that “generation gaps” may be smaller than conventional wisdom would have it. However, some Gen Xers made clear their disdain for Millennials, with the adjective “entitled” showing up repeatedly in their comments.

“I don’t understand Millennials at all,” commented one Gen Xer. “I’m married to a Gen Xer … but that doesn’t mean I understand her,” a Boomer wrote. “I endeavor to learn as much as possible about other generations,” a Millennial offered. “I really don’t care too much for old people,” said a Silent.

All four generations also said they thought they shopped differently than members of other generational groups, but guess what? In most cases, there were arguably more similarities than differences.

An overwhelming majority of all four groups said they use a loyalty or retailer charge card at their favorite supermarket. They were a bit more mixed when it comes to the importance of price, with 67 percent of Millennials rating price “very important,” compared to 54 percent of Gen Xers, 45 percent of Boomers and, surprisingly, only 36 percent of Silents.

All four cohorts are relatively similar in their purchase of store brands, with Silents (50%); Boomers (42%); Gen Xers (36%) and Millennials (44%), saying they bought retailer brands “frequently.”

When it comes to organic food, the generations are basically in agreement that it’s only “somewhat important.” Same thing with local products.

In terms of their use of mobile phones for shopping, the differences were relatively marginal — with the exception of the Silents, and, to a lesser degree, the Baby Boomers. The overall consensus is that mobiles are only “somewhat important” at this point. The web, on the other hand, was rated “very important” as a shopping tool by overwhelming majorities across the board.

Most members of the four generations say they think that marketers understand their needs, but the percentages varied significantly. From the bottom up, only 44 percent of Boomers think marketers understand them; 52 percent of Silents; 59 percent of Gen Xers and a whopping 72 percent of Millennials.

We also asked respondents to name the brand or retailer that best represents the values of their generation. While a few objected to the very premise of the question, a handful of companies spanned the generations: Apple, Nike, Target and Whole Foods, in particular.

Harley Davidson is especially popular among Boomers, while Xers seem to be extra keen on Target, and Google is way more admired by Millennials than any other group. Amazon and Zappos also received more mentions among the younger generations, especially the Millennials.

If there is broad agreement on one issue, it’s that 63 percent of Silents, 60 percent of Boomers, 52 percent of Gen Xers and 66 percent of Millennials had never heard of Esperanza Spalding prior to the Grammy Awards.

And, in terms of their view of the future, 67 percent of Millennials say they are optimistic, compared to 56 percent of Gen Xers, 57 percent of Boomers and 42 percent of Silents. What a drag it is getting old.