How much older people shop online
It's been a number of years since e-commerce became part of everyday life in Denmark. For many years, it was more or less reserved for those who followed technology and were quick to adapt to the digital world. Those days are over. Our older members of society no longer want to shop in a more traditional way - they want to shop online.
According to new figures from Statistics Denmark, the biggest increase in the number of online shoppers is in the 75-89 age group, with 65 % more people shopping online in 2020 compared to 2016. The second largest increase is in the 65-74 age group, where the share of online shoppers has increased by 25 %:
Source: www.statistikbanken.dk/bebrit07.
So the image you might have of your grandparents holding a Nokia 3310 might need a refresh. Online shopping is no longer just for the younger generation. The older generation is learning how easy it is to shop online and the many benefits that come with it.
E-commerce during COVID-19
COVID-19 has obviously had an impact on Danes' online shopping, with many physical stores experiencing a drop in revenue or being forced to close temporarily or permanently. As a result, shoppers of all ages have had to become familiar with online shopping.
Seniors are likely to continue to shop more online for two simple reasons; it's easy and convenient to shop online and it reduces the risk of being exposed to COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.
All things being equal, it can be said that older people are spending more money online than ever before. Therefore, it is of course also interesting to look at what they spend the most money on online. This can be seen in the following data from Statistics Denmark, which shows that in the age group 60-74 years:
- 47 % bought clothing, sports and leisure equipment online in the last year
- 37 % bought furniture and household items online in the last year
- 29 % bought medication online within the last year
- 25 % bought books and newspapers online in the last year
- 23 % bought food online within the last year
- 14 % bought groceries online within the last year
- 9 % bought music and movies online within the last year.
The desire to buy increases
After more Danes chose to have their frozen holiday pay paid out, consumer confidence rose again. Consumer confidence is an expression of the population's view of the current and future economic situation. In September it was minus 7.5, while in October it was minus 6.2.
The modest increase is proof that the Danish population's willingness to buy is on the rise, which is good news for business owners across the country:
Source: www.statistikbanken.dk/forv1.
Take advantage of this knowledge
As a marketer, it's important to keep your finger on the pulse of society. With the older generation increasingly using e-commerce and consumer confidence on the rise, you need to use this knowledge to evaluate your marketing efforts.
How can you target your marketing to the +65 target group and what products are they looking for? This requires you to take a step back and look at the immediate opportunities you have to reach the older target group. Here are a few examples:
SEO
It may go without saying, but there is often a difference between how an 18-year-old and a 65-year-old act on Google. That's why it's a good idea to explore opportunities to work with the keywords used by the older generation so that you also appear in the search results when they are looking for what you offer.
You can read more about finding keywords in our post about keyword analysis. Unfortunately, there are no tools that can provide reliable information about age demographic keyword usage. Therefore, my recommendation is that you map keywords within topic areas and product areas that you know appeal to an older audience.
There are likely to be areas that appeal to both a younger and an older audience. In this case, you can choose to limit the analysis by only examining product-related keywords that contain, for example, "for older people". This can be beneficial if you have a limited SEO budget and want to focus your efforts. However, it's usually more appropriate to target broad keywords, knowing that they are used by different audiences.
Google Ads
The keyword research from your SEO efforts can be used as the foundation for your Google Ads ads. Audiences, ads and sales messages in Google Ads can be adapted to the keywords you have identified in the keyword research.
Your demographic targeting in Google Ads is a point you should pay special attention to, as you may mistakenly exclude the gray gold if you are not aware that they may be part of your target audience.
Don't feel too safe!
Perhaps your target audience has always been the willing-to-buy +65-year-olds who loyally return to your physical store. You have positioned your business in the market over the years and therefore feel that customers are loyal to your business. It's not necessarily true - The statistics show that the traditional target group is no longer satisfied with buying their products physically.
Older people research the market online and compare products as well as prices. This means that your target audience may not be as loyal as you might think. Technology has become part of their everyday lives, and if your business doesn't keep up with the trend, you risk losing customers to your competitors over time.
