Thursday 11 December 2008

Over-50s Could Spend Millions More Online


The over-50s hold the key to continued growth in online food and grocery shopping, according to new consumer research from international food and grocery expert IGD. The report, called the Golden Generation predicts that the value of online food and grocery shopping will nearly double in size by 2013 to be worth £6.2bn (up from £3.2bn in 2008). It suggests that older people today remain open to new ideas and experiences and many enjoy shopping online. However, food and grocery is lagging behind certain other categories and there are some barriers to overcome.

The key issues are delivery charges; ease and security of ordering; and product reliability.

In a survey of just over 1,200 older shoppers (50+) conducted in the autumn, 27% said that they would start shopping for food and grocery online in certain circumstances.

  • Nearly half (48%) of those considering online food and grocery shopping would do so if various price issues were dealt with - eg, scale of delivery charges for small orders, guaranteed same prices as in store, and the same promotions available
  • More efficient and secure ordering was mentioned by 46% - including greater security against ID fraud, better view of products on the web site and a quicker ordering process
  • Two fifths (39%) were unsure about the reliability of product quality and delivery - suspecting, for example, that they would receive products with a short shelf life.
The 'Grey Pound' is proving very attractive and the recession is likely to enhance that attractiveness.

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