Senior citizens’ consumption patterns

Over the last 10 years, online consumption has grown steadily, sometimes profoundly challenging the weight and development of traditional retail channels, such as those used by brands. Faced with this structural change, has consumer behaviour changed among senior citizens? This Observatoire Cetelem 2026 shows that in the space of a decade, they have diversified their consumption outlets and have not been left by the digital wayside – quite the opposite. Furthermore, their consumption is going digital, particularly when it comes to the leisure activities they enjoy so much.

OLDER AGE, LOWER SPENDING

When we look at consumption across generations, we see a bell-shaped curve, also known mathematically as a Gaussian curve. In all the countries covered by this Observatoire Cetelem for 2016, consumption takes this shape, with the under-30s and senior citizens at opposite ends of the spectrum.

For the former, their income is not yet sufficient for them to adopt a sustained consumerist attitude. For the latter, many of their needs have been met, so there is no longer any need for them to frequently untie their purse strings. In the UK and Poland, senior citizens even spend less than the under-30s.

PRICE AND QUALITY FIRST

All the surveys carried out by L’Observatoire Cetelem show that price is consumers’ main concern. This year’s edition, dedicated to senior citizens, is no exception. For 8 out of 10 of seniors, it is the primary factor when purchasing durable goods. Differences between countries are relatively slight.

It is worth noting that the Germans were the most likely to pay attention to price, a further sign of significant economic anxiety. The quality of products attracts the attention of senior consumers in slightly lower proportions, with 74% mentioning importance to functionality.

EVEN MORE RESPONSIBLE OVER TIME

Age is often associated with responsibility, or even wisdom. This survey bears witness to this in its own way, noting that more responsible consumption patterns have been strengthening among senior citizens over the last 10 years.

More than 1 in 3 senior citizens would rather have a product repaired than buy a new one. Second-hand and reconditioned products also appeal to more than a quarter of over-60s. Spain stands out for its marked change in behaviour, while Belgium, the UK and Germany have yet to display it.

GOING TO THE HEART OF THE MATTER

A breakdown of the various consumer items reveals a structural breakdown common to all countries, but also significant differences between them, depending on the items considered. In all countries, spending on housing was the highest, rising steadily as a result of higher prices per square metre and higher energy costs. Food purchases were the second largest item of expenditure, with much greater differences between countries.

They were particularly high in Poland and Romania. This is a logical result given Engel’s law, which states that the share of income allocated to food expenditure falls as income rises. Household-related expenditure came third, with consistent results across all nations. The same applies to health, with the notable exception of France where public medical cover no doubt reduces the burden. Leisure activities are in fifth place.

LEISURE ACTIVITIES FOR PLEASURE

Often retired and free from the worry of bringing up their children, senior citizens have plenty of time to devote to their hobbies. “Silver economy” is therefore often synonymous with “leisure economy”.

Leisure is the top priority for seniors in all the countries surveyed, with 7 out of 10 clearly showing their attachment to it. While the Germans and Portuguese were the most likely to engage in leisure activities, the British, Poles and Romanians were relatively less likely to do so. While this type of activity was very much a part of their present lives, senior citizens intended to devote more time to it in the future, with Italians and Romanians particularly keen to do so.

More specifically with regard to holidays and weekend breaks, over the last 10 years there has been a decline in getaways taken by seniors, with a 10-point rise in the percentage travel was particularly noticeable among people from neighbouring Germany and Poland.

SLOWER CONSUMPTION ON SERVICE PLATFORMS

Still in terms of leisure activities, senior citizens were far less keen on subscriptions than the under-60s. This is particularly true in the fields of music and video. Sweden, the country of origin of the streaming giant Spotify, is the country most attracted by this indoor leisure consumption. This can no doubt be explained by its climate.