95% of people over 55 shop online regularly, and middle-aged and elderly people have become the main force of e-commerce growth

According to a new study , 95 % of people over 55 in the UK now shop online.

Good Rebels ' latest research , which interviewed 1,500 older shoppers in three countries - the UK , Spain and Mexico - found that 86% of people aged 55 and over have no difficulty shopping online, with 76% finding it easy to shop online.

Nearly half ( 45%) of those aged 55+ said they shop mostly online for fashion, while 38% said they mostly shop online . While 72 % said they like the convenience of online shopping, the data shows shoppers continue to buy the same brands online as they do in-store.

It is reported that due to the impact of the epidemic and many aspects, consumer spending habits have gradually undergone tremendous changes, and the growth of e-commerce will be mainly driven by people over 65 years old.

According to the latest research from Mintel , based on data from a survey of 2,000 internet users , 43% of those aged 65 or over are shopping online more often, compared to just 16% in May 2019. Isolation and lockdown have forced many older customers to get used to online shopping, where they might have otherwise opted for more familiar offline shopping before the pandemic .

Among those aged over 65, 56% said they were "worried" or "extremely worried" about contracting the virus and would avoid busy stores if possible . Conversely, younger shoppers aged 16 to 34 will shop less online as they are hit harder financially by the economic impact of COVID-19 . The study showed that among those aged under 35, 38% would cut back on non-essential online shopping in the short to medium term.

“Many older consumers have been forced into online retail because they are more vulnerable to the pandemic ,” said Francesco Salau , research analyst at Mintel . “While Gen Z and millennial consumers are likely to continue to be the driving force of the market as the leading online shoppers, they are also more likely to cut back on non-essential consumption compared to older groups. As a result, online retailers, and indeed delivery services, are more likely to rely on new business from older consumers in the short to medium term. ”

The epidemic has changed the consumption habits of many people. Although Generation Z and Millennials are still the driving force of the market, the consumption potential of middle-aged and elderly people cannot be underestimated. Sellers can also pay more attention to middle-aged and elderly consumers and provide them with more targeted and better services.