Older people who report using the Internet regularly can benefit greatly from the convenience of online shopping. It's not just kids and teens spending all their time online these days; older people and older adults also spend much of their day connected to the Internet, and 66% of people over 65 say they use the Internet regularly. Like many of us, much of the time that older people spend online is spent on Google, YouTube, and other video hosting and social media sites. However, older people say they spend around 57% of their time shopping online, and 45% of their time looking for deals and discounts.
There are a variety of reasons why an older person cannot go to a store or mall in person. Maybe they can't drive anymore. Maybe they have poor mobility and can't go out on their own and don't want to bother a family member. Perhaps the crowds and long lines are too much for them at this time.
Whatever the reason, the ability to browse virtual shelves and shop from the comfort of their sofas can be a great convenience for many older people. The popularity of online shopping among older people is not surprising. By shopping online, seniors can save time and money from the comfort of their homes. By contrast, brick-and-mortar stores have long payment lines, crowded aisles, and crowded parking lots, three things most older people can easily live without.
Shopping online gives seniors more independence, time savings and better health. Seniors save money online by taking advantage of discounts and the power of comparison shopping. Resources for older people to acquire basic computer and web browsing skills are available to help them get started with online shopping. Cybersecurity guidelines that will keep the personal data of older people out of the reach of cyberthieves should also be taken into consideration.
Some older people don't like the hectic environment of stores. Others don't have a reliable way to reach them. For older people living in assisted living facilities, the weekly bus to the mall may not be enough or may conflict with other plans. Physical stores can be noisy and confusing places for older people.
Stores are also using more high-tech every year, with self-checkout lines, product scanners and chip readers changing a once-familiar payment process. Narrow hallways and high shelves are particularly annoying for older people who need wheelchairs or walkers. Online shopping can help older people stay more independent by allowing them to shop in their spare time in the comfort and safety of their home. No more wasted hours driving to the store, looking for a parking spot and searching the miles of aisles. Once an older person creates an account at their favorite online store, they can easily search for products, add them to their online shopping cart, review their order, and pay with their desktop computer or mobile device.
Online shopping saves most of the time for items that older people buy regularly, such as food, pet food, and medicines. Seniors can easily order their groceries online, and many major stores such as Walmart, Target, and Safeway offer online grocery shopping with delivery or pickup services. Shoppers can also save their shopping lists online, making it easier and faster to place the same weekly or monthly orders. Customers who shop at local grocery stores or at stores that don't deliver can also use third-party delivery services, such as Instacart. Online shopping can help older people stay healthy by relieving the stress of shopping in the store and keeping their orders for drugs, food, and services consistent. Online pharmacies, such as Walgreens, allow older people to set up their drug refills to be automatically reordered and shipped before they run out.
Automatic refills ensure that scheduled medications are not lost or forgotten. In addition to a tight food budget, many older people also have dietary restrictions. Reducing the consumption of salt and sugar is more difficult when the sense of taste has diminished; too much of either is a health hazard for people with hypertension and diabetes. Online shopping provides seniors with easy access to local and national meal delivery services that can ensure they are constantly meeting daily prescribed dietary needs. Like automatic prescription drug refills, home meal plans can keep your dietary needs under control.
In addition, most meal plans are more affordable than eating out and more convenient than preparing meals at home. There are a limited number of physical stores an older person can visit in a day realistically; however, the number of online stores they can shop at is endless. Seniors can compare the quality and price of similar products from dozens of online sellers until they find what they are looking for. Comparative shopping leads to lower prices for seniors, and all those stores are competing for their businesses. In addition, e-commerce stores such as Amazon or Thrive Market lower their prices by acting as wholesalers and shipping directly to the customer. Older shoppers in particular can save even more by taking advantage of online discounts for seniors.
Many companies in the travel, entertainment and service industries have special discounts for seniors; saving money is the easy part; the hardest part is finding and organizing all the discounts for seniors. Travel is an important part of the retirement plan for many older people; luckily for them most major airlines bus train and car rental companies offer discounts for seniors; here are some things you'll want to remember when planning your next trip; entertainment venues such as resorts theme parks museums offer discounts for seniors on one-day passes admission fees; The government has a National Park senior pass for UU. UU. The pass gives holders free admission to any national park and to most federal recreational facilities; here are some other ways to save on entertainment; Older people support service industry much more than their advertisers.
