Attributes of satisfaction with foodshops among older shoppers

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to propose a framework that can be used to develop a clear and conceptually consistent, context-specific system for assessing older people’s satisfaction with the experience of food shopping. In particular, I suggest a method for identifying their satisfaction level with the shopping experience and discuss areas of satisfaction and perceived dissatisfaction in this segment of the population. I pose the question: “What are the areas in which seniors perceive dissatisfaction when shopping for foodstuffs?”. I also explore the influence of age and health condition on satisfaction levels. To identify satisfaction, 12 attributes of the internal and external store environments were reviewed by a sample of senior respondents, who were asked to rate the attributes for the food store where they regularly/most frequently shop. While the results indicate a general trend towards satisfaction, areas of dissatisfaction do exist, including with the aspects of price policy, internal store environment and staff courtesy. This suggests that retail managers should pay more attention to seniors, as not all older consumers perceive their needs to be satisfactorily met.