Why Over 65s Don't Like Supermarket Offers for the Elderly

HERE ARE THE SEVEN FACTORS THIS CLIENTELE LOOKS FOR, ACCORDING TO RESEARCH BY THE ACTIVE AGING SILVER MARKETING LAB AT CERMES

The process of population ageing is seen mostly as a problem. The Active Ageing Silver Marketing Lab of the Centre for Research on Marketing & Services of Bocconi University (Cermes) would like to turn it into an opportunity.
 
“Unlike Japan, in Italy the golden age is a cultural taboo”, says Luca Buccoliero, who is in charge of the lab. “No large scale retailer, for instance, wants to be perceived as a place for older consumers only”. That may not be so bad, given the low appreciation expressed by Over 65 consumers with regard to these formats.
 
This is what you can learn from a CERMES study conducted by Luca Buccoliero, Enrico Valdani and Elena Bellio. It was designed to identify the value drivers expected by older consumers during shopping in the stores of large scale retail brands. These customers see supermarkets and malls not only as shopping spots, but also as places to enjoy themselves and meet people.
 
Older customers pay attention to seven drivers: accessibility of the retail outlet; environment (type of lighting, chill-out areas, restrooms); assortment of goods; display of goods; service; offers and promotions; staff availability and competence. A mystery shopping trip was used to analyze the positioning of the main large scale retailers in Milan in relation to these drivers. The brands studied were Auchan, Carrefour, Conad, Coop, Finiper, Panorama, Selex and Sigma groups. None of them scored more than 60 out of 100. How could they improve their score?
 
“They could launch sales promotion campaigns, not in the form of senior discounts, though. A dynamic pricing strategy is better suited to the senior clientele. They could create service centers and improve the customer experience by organizing events and setting up places for relaxation. They could also design websites with senior-friendly content. People over the age of 65 browse the web more often than you think. If they do not like to shop online is just because they do not want to give up a chance for socializing”.

Read more about this topic:
Good News: We Will Grow Old. By Francesco Billari
Demographic Trends Suggest that Interest Rates Will Increase
Retirement Flexibility: Not Just for Workers, But Also for Companies
Long Term Care in Italy Involves Ten Million People and Will Double
How to Help Generations Coexist at Work and Save Pensions
 

by Claudio Todesco