PROFILING ELDERLY SHOPPERS : A STUDY OF FOOD AND GROCERY SHOPPING MOTIVATIONS

Abstract

This study aims to cover four critical areas in the elderly food and grocery shopping behaviour; (1) to determine the various factors of food and grocery shopping motivations, (2) to rank the factors of the motivations, (3) to profile the elderly shoppers based on the motivations and (4) to highlight the differences in rating the shopping motivations across socio-economic variables.

The factors showed eight factors singled out as shopping motivations and these include: “role shopping”, “sensory stimulation shopping”, “value-oriented shopping”, “communicating with others having similar interest”, “gratification-seeking shopping”, “task-oriented shopping”, “recreational shopping” and “social shopping”. In rating the factors, the top three factors are “task-oriented shopping”, “social shopping” and “role shopping”. This meant that while food and grocery shopping is seen as a routine, the elderly also consider a shopping trip as a chance to socialise and interact with others outside the home. Next, the elderly shoppers can be categorized into seven clusters with majority of them falling into the “role-performing shopper” cluster. It can be inferred that elderly usually embark on food and grocery shopping trips related to role-fulfilment and in particular, on the behalf of family and friends. Lastly, it must be pointed out that certain factors received a higher rating amongst the socio-economic variables such as elderly in the 70 to 75 age group who view food and grocery shopping as a part of recreation.

The findings would prove useful to retailers and for the management of shopping malls. This includes meeting the unique needs and wants of the elderly, the provision of the correct types and reasonable prices of food and groceries and also the development of suitable and conducive environment to cater to an increasing ageing population.