THE BUSINESS OF THE ELDERS

ARMED WITH DISPOSABLE INCOME AND A WILLINGNESS TO SPLURGE, THIS CONSUMER COHORT COMPRISES OVER 10 PER CENT OF THE POPULATION. NO WONDER MARKETERS ARE BEGINNING TO TARGET THIS SEGMENT WITH SPECIALISED PRODUCTS

- AJITA SHASHIDHAR

IN POPULAR AMERICAN show on Netflix Grace and Frankie, a retired cosmetics baron and a hippie artist are forced to live under the same roof when they get to know that their husbands are in love and want to get married. The series goes on to show how the two septuagenarians navigate life independently. Not only do they go for indulgent holidays and steamy dates, they also launch their business venture, Rise Up, to make hydraulic-powered toilet seats for the elderly.

Though the show is a comic interpretation of Grace and Frankie’s adventures and misadventures, for marketers, it is smartly-woven around an important cohort of consumers — the senior citizens — a $7-billion market in the US. The nascent market is now booming in millennial-obsessed India as well.

Around 120-million Indians, according to a Deloitte report are above 55. The figure is estimated to rise to around 300 million by 2050, accounting for 20 per cent of the overall population. Spending by senior citizens is predicted to increase from $100 billion in 2020 to almost $1 trillion by 2030. What makes this cohort lucrative is their high disposable income and willingness to spend on themselves.

Spending Power

Of the 120-million elders, about 40 million stay in urban areas, and over 50 per cent of them have the ability to spend ₹40,000-50,000 a month. With a bank balance to boast about, they are as aspirational as the millennials. From financial services to personal care products and from hospitality to gadgets and even real estate, companies are increasingly beginning to tailor-make products for these consumers.