Need advice for people of age 60+ demographic

44 replies
I want to start an online shop and i want to focus on people 60+, what are the product this kind of people like, i ask friends and some old folks and they say things like "companionship", and im trying to think about a product to sell, companionship over the web is not a real thing. advice please!
#advice #niche #people
  • Profile picture of the author Jeff Schuman
    I am 55 , but I feel like I am over 60 most days so here goes....

    - blood pressure medicine

    - metamucil

    - directions to the closest Wal-Mart

    - bird feeders

    - life alert

    - hearing aids

    - viagra

    - denture adhesive

    - rocking chairs

    - fishing rods

    - Depends

    - pre-paid funeral plans

    - Furrs cafeteria gift card

    and many more.....
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  • Profile picture of the author ChrisDouthit
    Dont forget:

    -Ben Gay

    -Ensure

    -Prune Juice
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    • Profile picture of the author bswooden
      i am not trying to say this is a bad niche, but does this target demographic actively purchase from the Internet?
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      • Profile picture of the author Tanzila
        Originally Posted by bswooden View Post

        i am not trying to say this is a bad niche, but does this target demographic actively purchase from the Internet?
        yes, doing online purchases is not a taboo anymore.
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  • Profile picture of the author PerformanceMan
    They all want more sex!
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    • Profile picture of the author Frank Donovan
      If you want to sell to them, you should get your terminology correct.

      These days, nobody under 75 would consider themselves old people.
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    • Profile picture of the author ErinWalsh
      The boomers I know with extra income to blow love to travel. So here is what I am thinking travel size of all the items that everyone else has listed.

      Cheers!
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  • Profile picture of the author Don Schenk
    Originally Posted by Ken_Caudill View Post

    They like the same things you do.

    They're just a little more discerning.
    And have more money to spend on fun.



    I'll be 66 in a few weeks, and I always want to know about:
    high-performance downhill ski equipment
    Custom molded ski boots
    Lift ticket bargains
    Sunscreen
    Hiking boots
    Travel
    Computers and computer parts
    Digital musical audio recording equipment and software
    Guitars, keyboards, basses, microphones
    Home exercise equipment
    More guitar, bass, and keyboard playing techniques - YouTube is great

    :-Don
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    • Profile picture of the author Greg guitar
      Originally Posted by Don Schenk View Post

      And have more money to spend on fun.



      I'll be 66 in a few weeks, and I always want to know about:
      high-performance downhill ski equipment
      Custom molded ski boots
      Lift ticket bargains
      Sunscreen
      Hiking boots
      Travel
      Computers and computer parts
      Digital musical audio recording equipment and software
      Guitars, keyboards, basses, microphones
      Home exercise equipment
      More guitar, bass, and keyboard playing techniques - YouTube is great

      :-Don
      Well stated; the "old people niche 60+" isn't that old, and it isn't a niche.

      Therefore my advice on how to approach it, is forget about it, start all over from scratch and find yourself a real niche.
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  • Profile picture of the author netlexis
    Grandchildren! Toys, electronics, clothes!
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  • Profile picture of the author LilBlackDress
    Originally Posted by Tanzila View Post

    I want to start an online shop and i want to focus on people 60+, what are the product this kind of people like, i ask friends and some old folks and they say things like "companionship", and im trying to think about a product to sell, companionship over the web is not a real thing. advice please!
    Gosh, seems like you should know your market before you jump into starting a site.

    And the first thing you need to learn is no one wants to be called "old people" - geez.
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    • Profile picture of the author Michael Shook
      This is the generation of people who invented sex, drugs and rock n' roll. For better or worse they broke the molds of regular society, demonstrated against the man way before anyone heard of Occupy Wall Street.

      They invented the internet, so my guess is you could sell almost anything.
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      • Profile picture of the author Jill Carpenter
        Originally Posted by bswooden View Post

        i am not trying to say this is a bad niche, but does this target demographic actively purchase from the Internet?
        Originally Posted by Tanzila View Post

        yes, doing online purchases is not a taboo anymore.
        I know a TON of people over 50 who still won't touch the web. That's not to say there aren't any out there - but many are still hesitant to provide their financial information on the web.
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        • Profile picture of the author Karen Blundell
          holy crap - talk about pegging us like we are really old at 60! - I will be 60 in June but I do not need any of those old people products mentioned in post #2 -
          Even though I sit on my butt most days in front of this computer - I am a lot healthier than most and for that I am immensely grateful - I am also young at heart - very much so.

          Maybe I am different but here are products I would buy:

          organic foods,
          natural herbal remedies
          natural vitamins
          cookbooks
          anything to do with travel
          computer software
          computer hardware
          theater tickets
          festival tickets
          concert tickets
          gardening supplies
          artwork
          music

          ps: why have metamucil when you can eat apples, or dates, or any kind of fibre that tastes way better than that awful stuff ? bleh
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        • Profile picture of the author Michael Shook
          Originally Posted by Jill Carpenter View Post

          I know a TON of people over 50 who still won't touch the web. That's not to say there aren't any out there - but many are still hesitant to provide their financial information on the web.
          Not surprising I guess, seeing as how so many places get hacked. The Federal Reserve has been electronic for a really long time, credit cards often have a zero liability policy for fradulent purchases, and your phone sends you coupons when you walk by a store.

          It's the illusion of privacy that people relish, and it is hard to disavow them from their beliefs, but there are so many people in that demographic group, it has the possibility to be a great market.
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      • Profile picture of the author Karen Blundell
        Originally Posted by Michael Shook View Post

        This is the generation of people who invented sex, drugs and rock n' roll. For better or worse they broke the molds of regular society, demonstrated against the man way before anyone heard of Occupy Wall Street.

        They invented the internet, so my guess is you could sell almost anything.
        thank you! I resemble that remark
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      • Profile picture of the author Greg guitar
        Originally Posted by Michael Shook View Post

        This is the generation of people who invented sex, drugs and rock n' roll. For better or worse they broke the molds of regular society, demonstrated against the man way before anyone heard of Occupy Wall Street.

        They invented the internet, so my guess is you could sell almost anything.
        Sounds great, but sex and drugs were both discovered by animals before any people were around, and then discovered by the latecomers long before we learned to write down our own history.

        It may well be that the first human drug use was a result of watching animals, or it may have been an accident, but hardly an "invention" anyone or any generation can take credit for. Even newish synthetic drugs like LSD were more discovered than invented, and have nothing on the astounding variety and power of drugs found in nature, many with long established shamanic traditions to go with them.

        The term "rock n' roll" was coined by someone in the 40s who is likely now dead, and the popular phrase "sex drugs and rock n' roll" was probably coined in the 60s, so if popular phrases count as "inventions", so be it, but the music was evolved by many people over time, as is common with so called "inventions" and "revolutions" in music, and it's roots go back as far as the 1920s. People will credit their early favs, with "inventing" the genre, like Chuck Berry, or Bo Diddly, or whites such as Jerry Lee Lewis or Elvis, but they're all wrong.

        The 60s were a time of great positive changes brought on by many courageous activists, such as the SNCC activists who risked life and limb to confront the regime of white terror that ruled the southern US at the time.

        But as great as some of their achievements were, it was nothing new, except in the particulars. As long as there has been oppression, ("the man"), there have been brave souls willing to confront it, often alone or with a few companions against far more powerful enemies. The US has a long proud history of resistance to coercive powers, but most of it is virtually unknown, which is a shame if we don't wish to start all over again.
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        • Profile picture of the author Frank Donovan
          Originally Posted by Greg guitar View Post

          Sounds great, but sex and drugs were both discovered by animals before any people were around, and then discovered by the latecomers long before we learned to write down our own history.
          Greg, I believe Michael was using the term "invented" in a tongue-in-cheek manner; perhaps with an indirect reference to Philip Larkin's "Annus Mirabilis"?

          Sexual intercourse began
          In nineteen sixty-three
          (Which was rather late for me) -
          Between the end of the "Chatterley" ban
          And the Beatles' first LP



          Frank
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  • Profile picture of the author Steve B
    Originally Posted by Tanzila View Post

    I want to start an online shop and i want to focus on people 60+

    Tanzila,

    People 60+ in age is not a niche . . . it's a demographic.

    Rather than looking for something to sell to his demographic, why don't you first find a viable market and then narrow the topic down to catering to seniors?

    You will do a lot better in your marketing if you find a common thread or topic and then carve out your niche within that topic ...

    So, travel to Europe for seniors ...

    Or how to sell your motorhome to seniors ...

    Or investing in the stock market for seniors ...

    You get the idea.

    Steve
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  • Profile picture of the author Neromancer
    Baby boomers are always looking for ways to use their money to make more money, travel, save money, retirement planning and IRA's; I have made dozens of these guides and niche magazines for warriors and this niche is powerful and ENDLESS. Focus on these because it is on the top of their list more so then comfort products, drugs and even sex.
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    • Profile picture of the author Adam Short
      I don't have anything to add except that this was one of the most enjoyable threads I have read in a while
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  • Profile picture of the author travlinguy
    They want memories of the good old days. 60's and 70's memorabilia would be hot. Vintage toys, games.
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    • Profile picture of the author Janet Sawyer
      Originally Posted by travlinguy View Post

      They want memories of the good old days. 60's and 70's memorabilia would be hot. Vintage toys, games.
      Really!

      My memories of the "Good old days!" of the 60's and 70's can be found in local history museums.................

      Outside toilets! - sh!t don't want to remember you had to use one of those.

      As for toys, Pogo Sticks - if you didn't break your jaw/leg/arm bouncing up and down on one, you were lucky.

      Go Carts without brakes were lots of fun though. Especially if you were the pusher from the top of the hill.

      Hit the target on the rope swing was good also. (As long as you weren't the target on the swing)

      Clackers killed a few of us.

      Skipping ropes were useful for some things too.

      People who are approaching their 60th, 70th and even 80th year of life, wouldn't consider their upbringing as being vintage, it's just something they lived through. Adapted to and got on with

      And as Steve B said, we are not a niche, we are a demographic.
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      • Profile picture of the author PatriciaJ
        At 59 I don't feel old and have been buying from the Internet for at least 15 years. My most recent purchases have been:

        Kindle Fire
        .. Games
        .. Books
        Swimming costume
        Chest of drawers
        Laptop
        Toys for grandkids
        Murder Mystery weekend away
        Train tickets
        Monthly Bus pass
        Shoe rack
        Coat hangers
        Electric radiator
        Microwave
        Various software
        Pet behave spray
        Woodworm remover
        Drawer sliders
        Electric cooker
        Nandos vouchers
        Silver gloves for Reynauds Syndrome
        Solar panels - found company on Internet

        My 83 year old mother's Internet purchases so far have been a Kindle Paperwhite, books and grabbers - they enable her to pick things up.

        Lots of diverse things and half of it found on Amazon. I doubt that I would buy anything from a site specifically for older people in the near future except for perhaps companionship
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  • Profile picture of the author Rose Anderson
    I'll be 55 next week and, as others have already said, I wouldn't buy anything from someone who called me old. What do I buy? Mostly books and books and books. And a few magic tricks still. Travel is high on my things to do list. Of course, there's never been any music written to compare to the 70s I still buy the Eagles, Carly Simon, Queen, Jim Croce, James Taylor and yes, even Karen Carpenter. Rose
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  • Profile picture of the author AmandaJane
    Sell guides...and yes, books! Most of these people look for books on how to use the latest gadgets and how to understand the modern technology. I know one book of mine selling very well under that niche. Good luck!
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    • Profile picture of the author travlinguy
      Originally Posted by AmandaJane View Post

      Sell guides...and yes, books! Most of these people look for books on how to use the latest gadgets and how to understand the modern technology. I know one book of mine selling very well under that niche. Good luck!
      You nailed it. There's room for a nationwide franchise in this field. Call it Gadget Tutor. Man, would a company like that be swamped with business. I'm pretty proficient with a PC but there are many devices I need a lot of help with. This would appeal to people of all ages, not just aging Boomers.
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      • Profile picture of the author JohnTheJock
        Who you calling old

        I'm 64 and the last 2 things I bought online was software to build landing pages, and a graphics pack

        It would surprise you what the 60+ group buy.
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        • Profile picture of the author Tanzila
          Originally Posted by JohnTheJock View Post

          Who you calling old

          I'm 64 and the last 2 things I bought online was software to build landing pages, and a graphics pack

          It would surprise you what the 60+ group buy.
          Originally Posted by Rose Anderson View Post

          I'll be 55 next week and, as others have already said, I wouldn't buy anything from someone who called me old. What do I buy? Mostly books and books and books. And a few magic tricks still. Travel is high on my things to do list. Of course, there's never been any music written to compare to the 70s I still buy the Eagles, Carly Simon, Queen, Jim Croce, James Taylor and yes, even Karen Carpenter. Rose
          Originally Posted by Steve B View Post

          Tanzila,

          People 60+ in age is not a niche . . . it's a demographic.

          Rather than looking for something to sell to his demographic, why don't you first find a viable market and then narrow the topic down to catering to seniors?

          You will do a lot better in your marketing if you find a common thread or topic and then carve out your niche within that topic ...

          So, travel to Europe for seniors ...

          Or how to sell your motorhome to seniors ...

          Or investing in the stock market for seniors ...

          You get the idea.

          Steve
          Originally Posted by LilBlackDress View Post

          Gosh, seems like you should know your market before you jump into starting a site.

          And the first thing you need to learn is no one wants to be called "old people" - geez.
          Originally Posted by Frank Donovan View Post

          If you want to sell to them, you should get your terminology correct.

          These days, nobody under 75 would consider themselves old people.
          I apologize for saying 60+ is being old, im 22 and thats how i see being 60+, i think is perfectly normal, and i did this post to find out the interest of this demographic, i already have a flux of 20k+ people of 60+ and they actually do online transactions, i just want to take advantage of that flux.
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          • Profile picture of the author Tanzila
            and my online shop will not say "old peoples goodies" or something like that, so...
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          • Profile picture of the author Martin Avis
            Originally Posted by Tanzila View Post

            I apologize for saying 60+ is being old, im 22 and thats how i see being 60+, i think is perfectly normal, and i did this post to find out the interest of this demographic, i already have a flux of 20k+ people of 60+ and they actually do online transactions, i just want to take advantage of that flux.
            I don't think it is 'normal' to so blatantly disrespect the very people you are hoping will help you. Calling people of 60 'old' is much the same as me saying that people of 22 are children. I guess you might find that slightly offensive!

            Now, ageism aside, what the hell is a flux? None of the definitions of the word seem to apply to this topic, with the possible exception of 'diarrhoea or dysentery'.
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        • Profile picture of the author Karen Blundell
          Originally Posted by JohnTheJock View Post

          Who you calling old

          I'm 64 and the last 2 things I bought online was software to build landing pages, and a graphics pack

          It would surprise you what the 60+ group buy.
          bingo! - the last thing I bought was a domain
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  • Profile picture of the author Scott Skinner
    How to FEEL young again!
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    • Profile picture of the author Graham Maddison
      Originally Posted by Scott Skinner View Post

      How to FEEL young again!

      That's easy . come and live in Thailand
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  • Profile picture of the author desley
    Hi - Wow!
    What an enjoyable and interesting thread. Ah what young people think of us oldies hey!!!

    I'm going to do a trip down memory lane (at the tender age of 58!) of when I was 30 and at college. I got along quite well with an 18 year lady and she turned around and informed me one day that - quote, unquote: "You're not bad for an old person!

    I agree with the majority of the comments - age is a demographic rather than a specific niche as such. I certainly don't feel old at 58 years!

    What do I look for:
    I love all things software.
    I like to travel - when I have the funds to do so.
    I like to invest my hard earned $$$ hence I have an avid interest in a range of wealth creation strategies i.e. FX trading, property, fine jewellery; the online world etc. etc..
    I like to read interesting books - that are intereting to me at any rate.
    I like to improve myself and learn new skills - hence personal development is rather high on my list - so is skills development.
    I like to keep my brain active -
    I like to manage my own super fund - nobody does it better than me - and if I make a mistake then I'm responsible!
    I like to enjoy life - whether this be going out with friends or pottering around my home.
    I like to give to my favourite charities.

    In other words - I ain't dead yet - so how can I be 'old'

    Hope this assists.

    Desley
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  • Profile picture of the author SoonSlim
    What a delightful thread to read of everyone's outlook on aging !

    I resemble a good portion of it - and also just bought a domain name and more.

    Disagree with the 'old' verbiage and the 'prepaid funeral' part. I plan to live for-EVER - still sitting in front of my Internet screen !!

    At age 75 - there's an attitude change to 'I MADE IT' !!
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  • Profile picture of the author jwmann2
    Most old folks like to travel because they're retired. A lot of the travel, hotel and airplane websites have affiliate programs out there to join. Commission Junction carries a good chunk of them.
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  • Profile picture of the author MouseandMice
    Step number 1: Don't call them "old people" when referring to your niche.
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  • Profile picture of the author googee
    This thread amused me so much.

    Keep them coming warriors!
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  • Profile picture of the author Donowhy
    Maybe consider implementing any ebooks you might write or sell, to also be available on amazon for kindle. Pretty much every older person I know uses a kindle and will blow through books like crazy on that thing.

    Personally, I prefer paperback... call me old fashioned
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  • Profile picture of the author Istvan Horvath
    I just turned 62 last month... and I always think 22 years old kids are "idiot youngters"
    (^^how does that sound? )

    We buy and sell lots of things on the web - which we, the boomers, invented, btw...

    Half of the Baby Boomers (born between 1946-1964) are in that demographic group you called old 60+ people. They buy a lot of things online, however, if you don't study their mentality and approach toward their own age and status in the society - you will be bitterly disappointed.
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    • Profile picture of the author Greg guitar
      Originally Posted by Istvan Horvath View Post

      I just turned 62 last month... and I always think 22 years old kids are "idiot youngters"
      (^^how does that sound? )
      Need you ask how it sounds when you call everyone of a certain age "idiots"? Sounds like bigotry, obviously.
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