Marketing experts spend vast amounts of time and effort selling to specific age brackets. The 18-26 and 27-35 demographics are usually the ones that attract the most attention from advertisers who want to maximize profit margins. Those in these categories spend a lot of money on high-markup goods like fast food, tech devices, and sporting equipment. But the 65-and-over grouping is finally getting its due.
As baby boomers age and the retired age bracket continues to grow larger, retailers are discovering that retired adults spend plenty of cash on products of all kinds. Besides personal security devices, oldsters are more than willing to pay for casino gaming apps, huge plasma TVs, wearable medical monitors, residential elevators, and more. The best sellers’ list changes frequently, but there are few items that always seem to place in or near the top ten favorites among retirees.
Here’s a rundown of the latest consumer trends based on what people over the age of 65 are buying this year.
Personal Security Devices
Crime is one of the great constants of modern society. The unfortunate truth of unsafe neighborhoods and social gathering places has buoyed demand for personal security products among oldsters. Besides air horns that deliver eardrum shattering sound waves at attackers, retirees are buying pepper spray, defensive canes, tasers, hunting knives, brass knuckles, and dozens of other inexpensive goods that can deter and disable perpetrators.
High-tech electrical tasers are currently the hottest sellers due to their accessible price points and overall effectiveness. Pepper spray is a perennial favorite among senior citizens who prefer to instantly disable anyone who attempts to assault or rob them in a public place.
Residential Elevators
Installing an elevator in your home is a lifestyle choice that has a profound impact on personal comfort, safety, and the overall look of the residence. Some individuals who have difficulty getting around purchase residential elevators for movement between floors, while others are drawn to the elegant appearance of the sleek, quiet units.
Whatever the reason behind a person’s desire to purchase an elevator for their home, the benefits are hard to deny. Not only do the units have the ability to boost the resale value of the property, but they help retired adults get around more easily without the need to use stairs or steep ramps. As the 65-plus age bracket grows, it’s a good bet that residential elevator sales will continue to keep pace with an expanding market.
Online Apps
Who would have predicted the demand for casino gaming apps among retirees? Apparently, the growth of legalized gambling and popular online casino games in the US has spawned a new hobby for grandma and grandpa. Formerly confined to cities like Las Vegas and Atlantic City, gaming has exploded in popularity since online casinos made their debut a decade ago.
Along with huge plasma televisions and wearable medical devices, gaming apps are among the top sellers for the elder demographic. Leading the way in medical tech are products like blood pressure monitors, portable EKG (electro-cardiogram) units, posture belts that use electrical stimulation pulses, and blood oxygenation cuffs. All offer wearers or users the chance to keep tabs on their hearts, lungs, and other physical states of health.
