Older and Fitter: Raising the older person’s agenda: issues for consideration for supermarkets and food retailers

The number of older people is growing globally and therefore there are increasing implications in terms of products and services required to facilitate access, for this group, to nutritious food, considered fundamental for maintaining health and independence. Historically, older consumers have been unattractive to marketers, however improved finances and lifestyles, in old age, indicate the grey pound has the potential to become lucrative. This exploratory research seeks to identify the current expectation of older consumers in relation to the products and services available in the supermarket. Questionnaires were distributed to participants aged over 50 years in Scotland to voice their opinion in relation to shopping experience and product availability. The results support previous research indicating the improved lifestyles of older consumers, demonstrating that previous perceptions of older people as impoverished and immobile are not representative of the sample. Therefore, the research concludes that supermarkets could improve access to both products and services to meet the demand from this growing segment of society, through better understanding of their requirements. Further, this research determines the requirement for subsequent qualitative research to explore older consumers’ assessments of the diversity of this segment and how this is reflected by available supermarket products and services