Shopping and personal characteristics of the discontented elderly consumer

Abstract

Scope and Method of Study: The research is an exploratory study of the shopping characteristics of the elderly consumer as they relate to the elderly's attitude towards business. The data was collected through personal interviews with retired citizens randomly selected from the city of Stillwater, Oklahoma. A short version of the Consumer Discontent Scale, developed by Drs. Lundstrom and Lamont was used to measure the subjects' attitudes toward business.

Findings and Conclusions: Two shopping and five personal characteristics were found to be significant at the .15 level in a Chi Square Analysis. These characteristics were: transportation, monitor costs, age, sex, live alone, marital status, and household income. The elderly who walked for transportation related discontentment, as did those who monitored the cost of frequently purchased items. The male consumer was more discontented than the female, as were the senior citizens in the age range 66-75. A large majority of the respondents did not live alone, and a majority were married. These respondents showed a fairly consistent level of discontentment between the two variables. The household income levels all related a fair showing of discontented respondents. However the $6,001 - 9,000 and $9,001 - 12,000 categories were strongest in their responses. Hopefully, these results may be used in assisting to formulate data bases for future research on the elderly consumer.