Consumers over the age of 50 have a huge spending power, already spending £319 billion a year (excluding housing costs), equivalent to roughly 54% of total household consumer spending (ILC UK, 2019).
Despite this, products that are designed to support the needs of over 50s consumers remain an overlooked, and at best niche market for retailers, with too many older consumers still feeling that retailers of home products don’t understand their needs or care about their age group.
This agenda is even more significant given the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, with people spending more time than ever before in their homes and looking for ways that they can remain living independently for as long as possible.
With half of all UK adults expected to be over 50 by mid-2030 (ONS, 2014), it is likely that demand for inclusive homes, products and spaces will only increase as more people move into their sixties, seventies and eighties. It is vital that we know how to address the needs of this growing demographic.
This webinar explored our research and how we can each work towards better meeting the needs of adults over 50 through inclusive design. This includes retailers and others responsible for the design, development, marketing and management of homes and home products.
