Retail chains up focus on elderly

Major retailers in Thailand are catering to the country’s ageing population with the allocation of more goods and services that are appropriate for senior shoppers. 

Like many other countries all over the world, Thailand’s population has been ‘greying’ for a number of years. 

Statistics show that the proportion of citizens aged over 60 years in the Kingdom now accounts for 13 per cent of the population. In the next 20 years, the figure is expected to rise to 25 per cent.

Tesco Lotus corporate affairs director Salinla Seehaphan said the demand for products for seniors was growing as the country increasing became an ageing society. 

“Tesco Lotus has added products suitable for this group of customers, such as adult diapers, for which we see growing sales volume. In addition, we see more demand for products to prevent [the effects of] ageing and for staying healthy, such as anti-wrinkle cosmetics and healthy food products,” she said.

“Apart from adding new products suitable for senior customers, we have arranged facilities to ease their shopping, such as dedicated parking lots,” she added.

Kudatara Nagaviroj, executive adviser for corporate affairs at Big C Supercentre, said: “As of now, the number of Thai senior citizens is increasing by 500,000 a year. The baby boomers have already started to retire and are keen to spend their disposable income taking care of themselves. 

“The senior-citizen population will reach 15 per cent of the total population within 2020. By 2015, Thailand will be a full-fledged senior society with 14 million people, or approximately 20 per cent of the country’s population, aged over 60.” 

With such a demographic trend, he said Big C Supercentre would be expanding product assortments for health-conscious consumers, enhancing in-store arrangements for increased ease of shopping, and strengthening its multi-format store network, including Pure Drugstore and Big C Shopping Online, and their services to satisfy the needs of baby boomers and senior citizens nationwide.

Piyawan Leelasompop, senior vice president – marketing, Central Department Store, said the company paid due attention to all customers, and especially elderly and disabled people. 

“Nowadays, the gender ratio of our customers is 30 per cent male, and 70 per cent female. Sixty per cent of our shoppers are in the age range of 24 to 45. With about 10 per cent of Central customers being elderly, we have prepared services to give them more independence and convenience,” she said.

Services provided to senior shoppers include wheelchair ramps, which also benefit people pushing strollers or shopping carts. Central Department Store also has wheelchairs available at all branches to serve elderly or infirm customers, free of charge.

“We have also a parking area allocated for handicapped people, making it easy to pull over and access our stores. Central also provides a restroom for disabled and elderly persons, with a clear floor space, good facilities and enough room to allow a wheelchair to make a 180-degree turn,” said Piyawan.

The department-store chain also provides a home and hotel delivery service for elderly shoppers who come alone to the store butr are not able to carry heavy bags, and offers a free porter service to help senior shoppers carry shopping bags to their vehicles, she added.

“Through the variety of products and services available to elderly clients, the elderly and disabled are motivated to go out and have a good attitude to use these services at our department stores. They are part of our intention to make elderly customers feel safe and happy about going shopping every time,” said the executive.

Mayuree Chaipromprasith, senior executive vice president – business promotion at Siam Piwat, which operates a range of malls, including Siam Paragon, Siam Centre, Siam Discovery and Paradise Park, said the company offered services for Thai customers and tourists that cover all genders and age ranges. 

All of the company’s shopping centres welcome large numbers of shoppers daily and, in terms of senior citizens, special parking is available at Siam Car Park and all its malls offer free wheelchair services for the elderly. 

Meanwhile, the Thai branches of Lawson 108, the Japanese convenience-store chain, sell many kinds of health food to serve elderly consumers. 

Notable among these offerings is the company’s Japanese sweet potato, a low-calorie food that not only helps satisfy the appetite, but has high nutritional value. 

Lawson 108’s sweet potatoes contain vitamins A, B and C, fibre, manganese, potassium and iron.