E-COMMERCE:
GONE are the days when technology was embraced by young people only. A study by an online shopping website has found that about 17% of website visitors are over 50. Kirby Gordon, brand & communication head at Kalahari.com, says this market segment is “growing at a slightly faster rate than that of our younger shoppers”.
Not only do the “silver-haired” visit the Kalahari website more than before, they’re also quick to decide on purchases. “Our older shoppers get their business done in around 95% of the time it takes our average 25-34-year-old,” says Gordon in a statement. Statistics also show older shoppers know what they want when they come to visit and tend to find it and check out fast.
“It’s often assumed it’s only young people who are shopping online but we know this just isn’t true. There’s a very important market out there in our older generations,” he says.
Among the products oldies buy are mobile phones, home furnishings, appliances, fashion accessories and books. Young customers are also in the market for similar things.
According to the research, older customers also shop using their mobile phones, their favourite being the iPhone. Apple’s devices are also popular among younger Kalahari shoppers.
The study says women over 50 are also more active on the site than men of the same age, the split being 60/40 skewed towards females.
Source: [financialmail]
