Consumer Behavior

Older consumers are back big time in brick-and-mortar stores

Photo: Adobe Stock

December 6, 2023

Shoppers 55 and older have returned to brick-and-mortar stores in significant numbers, the lone demographic to do so in the post pandemic retail environment.

That's a prime finding of Synchrony's ninth annual "Major Purchase Journey" study.

The research also revealed retail associates continue to play an integral role in the shopping experience as 81% of respondents said they directly interacted with a salesperson while shopping for most recent purchases.

According to the study, this year, 74% of shoppers aged 65 or older and 71% of shoppers aged 55 to 64 purchased in-store, compared with 66% and 6%, respectively, two years ago.

The study also shows consumers returning to pre-pandemic levels of shopping behaviors, with mobile device usage down significantly versus its peak in 2021 and the in-store experience and salespeople continuing to play a significant role in the purchase journey.