Smart shopping in the consumer behaviour of urban silver singles in Poland

Abstract

The aim of the study is to identify and analyse silver singles’ buying behaviour that can be regarded as smart shopping. The analysis is based on a survey questionnaire administered in two stages in 2018–2022. In the first of the planned stages, a survey was carried out on a sample of 3,167 silver singles in the period from 1 February to 30 October 2018 and from 1 May to 30 October 2019. The second stage lasted from 1 March to 30 September 2021 and then from 6 February to 30 September 2022 and covered a sample of 3,834 elderly people living alone. In accordance with the research assumptions, the sample included persons over 65 years of age who took independent consumption decisions in the market. This research method was chosen in view of the older age of the respondents, whose openness to the new media often used in direct research is limited. In the context of the results obtained, it can be concluded that the consumer behaviour of silver singles corresponds little to the consumer trend of smart shopping. Silver singles who behave in accordance with its principles try not to succumb to the temptation to make impulsive decisions while shopping and buy only those products that they planned in advance. Almost every fifth silver single admits that they only purchase products that they previously planned to buy. In turn, every third respondent claims that they very rarely happen to buy unplanned products, and half of the seniors surveyed indicate that they buy unplanned products more or less every second purchase. The survey shows that silver singles, as consumers, are market entities that are increasingly aware and fully realise the diversity of prices, products and services as well as additional product-related and distribution possibilities. This is due to the ubiquitous Internet, technologies enabling continuous access to the web, opinions of other users, and varied prices of products and services available on the market. Today’s single seniors, as consumers, are not focused only on purchasing products at the lowest possible price, but on the contrary, they meticulously analyse all available market offerings and opinions on producers in order to make the optimal decision guaranteeing them the best value for money. The research presented in the article is a part of a larger research project aimed at examining the economic situation, consumption structure, consumer behaviour and consumer trends that are pursued by urban silver singles in Poland. Given the limited financial capacity, the research underpinning the identification of urban silver singles’ consumer behaviour following the idea of smart shopping was carried out solely in the largest Polish cities. It was not possible, however, to extend the research to single seniors living in rural areas. Following the conclusions made, they should not be treated as representative of the population of Polish silver singles. This study is the first in Poland and one of very few in the world literature that analyses urban silver seniors’ behaviour that can fit into the smart shopping consumer trend.