Pensioners desert high street for online shops

More over-65s are opting for the convenience of the internet over going to the high street

The proportion of pensioners shopping online has trebled over the past decade, according to the Office for National Statistics. Data showed that, while over-65s were still the least likely to shop online, 48 per cent were now buying goods via the internet, up from 16 per cent in 2008. Nick Carroll, a retail analyst at Mintel, said: “Online shopping may have been a young person’s game in the past, but now it’s mainstream among older generations. There is a lot less fear of problems like security.”

PENSIONERS are abandoning the high street and shopping online instead, according to official data, which show that nearly half of over-65s now buy goods via the internet. The proportion of older people buying items online has trebled over the past decade, from 16 per cent to 48 per cent, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) disclosed.

Three shops are closing each day on high streets, as soaring business rates, online competition and a fall in trade hit independent retailers.

Historically, pensioners have been key to propping up high street stores’ weekday trade, with shopping trips a weekly or daily outing for many.

Over-65s were still the least likely to buy online, but it was the age group with the biggest increase in internet shoppers over the past 10 years.

Clothes or sporting goods were the most popular online purchase in 2018, bought by 55 per cent of adults.

Household goods, including furniture, toys and white goods, were the next most popular items, bought by 48 per cent of adults. Holiday accommodation was purchased by 42 per cent of adults.

Nick

Mintel, Carroll, a retail analyst at said online shopping made more practical sense for older shoppers, particularly when buying bulky items like furniture or white goods.

He said: “Online shopping may have been a young person’s game in the past, but now it’s mainstream among older generations. There is a lot less fear of problems like security, and it makes sense for older shoppers because of the delivery aspect.

“There has been an obvious impact on the high street from online shopping as people realise it’s more convenient to shop from home. Convenience is really what’s at the heart of it.”

The ONS said that 78 per cent of adults had bought goods or services online in the past 12 months, up 1 percentage point since 2017 and 25 percentage points since 2008. A higher proportion of younger adults were online shoppers compared with older adults, with 95 per cent of those aged 16 to 24 years and 96 per cent of those aged 25 to 34 years shopping online.

Of those who purchased online in the past three months, people aged 16 to 24 were most likely to shop online once or twice, whereas those aged 25 to 54 were most likely to shop online more than 10 times in the same period.

All age groups were most likely to spend between £100 and £499.