Retail chains up focus on elderly

[Lite Beer]

YEAR-END SPECIAL
Retail chains up focus on elderly
Kwanchai Rungfapaisarn
The Nation

Tesco Lotus has added a number of product lines for seniors.

BANGKOK: -- Offering products, services catering to rising demand as Thailand becomes a fully-fledged ageing society

Major retailers in Thailand are catering to the country's ageing population with the allocation of more goods and services that are appropriate for senior shoppers.

Like many other countries all over the world, Thailand's population has been 'greying' for a number of years.

Statistics show that the proportion of citizens aged over 60 years in the Kingdom now accounts for 13 per cent of the population. In the next 20 years, the figure is expected to rise to 25 per cent.

Tesco Lotus corporate affairs director Salinla Seehaphan said the demand for products for seniors was growing as the country increasing became an ageing society.

"Tesco Lotus has added products suitable for this group of customers, such as adult diapers, for which we see growing sales volume. In addition, we see more demand for products to prevent [the effects of] ageing and for staying healthy, such as anti-wrinkle cosmetics and healthy food products," she said.

"Apart from adding new products suitable for senior customers, we have arranged facilities to ease their shopping, such as dedicated parking lots," she added.

Kudatara Nagaviroj, executive adviser for corporate affairs at Big C Supercentre, said: "As of now, the number of Thai senior citizens is increasing by 500,000 a year. The baby boomers have already started to retire and are keen to spend their disposable income taking care of themselves.

"The senior-citizen population will reach 15 per cent of the total population within 2020. By 2015, Thailand will be a full-fledged senior society with 14 million people, or approximately 20 per cent of the country's population, aged over 60."

With such a demographic trend, he said Big C Supercentre would be expanding product assortments for health-conscious consumers, enhancing in-store arrangements for increased ease of shopping, and strengthening its multi-format store network, including Pure Drugstore and Big C Shopping Online, and their services to satisfy the needs of baby boomers and senior citizens nationwide.

Piyawan Leelasompop, senior vice president - marketing, Central Department Store, said the company paid due attention to all customers, and especially elderly and disabled people.

"Nowadays, the gender ratio of our customers is 30 per cent male, and 70 per cent female. Sixty per cent of our shoppers are in the age range of 24 to 45. With about 10 per cent of Central customers being elderly, we have prepared services to give them more independence and convenience," she said.

Services provided to senior shoppers include wheelchair ramps, which also benefit people pushing strollers or shopping carts. Central Department Store also has wheelchairs available at all branches to serve elderly or infirm customers, free of charge.

"We have also a parking area allocated for handicapped people, making it easy to pull over and access our stores. Central also provides a restroom for disabled and elderly persons, with a clear floor space, good facilities and enough room to allow a wheelchair to make a 180-degree turn," said Piyawan.

The department-store chain also provides a home and hotel delivery service for elderly shoppers who come alone to the store butr are not able to carry heavy bags, and offers a free porter service to help senior shoppers carry shopping bags to their vehicles, she added.

"Through the variety of products and services available to elderly clients, the elderly and disabled are motivated to go out and have a good attitude to use these services at our department stores. They are part of our intention to make elderly customers feel safe and happy about going shopping every time," said the executive.

Mayuree Chaipromprasith, senior executive vice president - business promotion at Siam Piwat, which operates a range of malls, including Siam Paragon, Siam Centre, Siam Discovery and Paradise Park, said the company offered services for Thai customers and tourists that cover all genders and age ranges.

All of the company's shopping centres welcome large numbers of shoppers daily and, in terms of senior citizens, special parking is available at Siam Car Park and all its malls offer free wheelchair services for the elderly.

Meanwhile, the Thai branches of Lawson 108, the Japanese convenience-store chain, sell many kinds of health food to serve elderly consumers.

Notable among these offerings is the company's Japanese sweet potato, a low-calorie food that not only helps satisfy the appetite, but has high nutritional value.

Lawson 108's sweet potatoes contain vitamins A, B and C, fibre, manganese, potassium and iron.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Retail-chains-up-focus-on-elderly-30250758.html

-- The Nation 2014-12-27

[Bluespunk]

"Like many other countries all over the world, Thailand's population has been 'greying' for a number of years."

I know I have.

I'll pass on the adult diapers though.

Not quite there.

Yet.

[mca]

I think I need another coffee. I read the headline and had a mental image of a supermarket indulging in a bit of bdsm involving a small Ford and some pensioners...

[jaltsc]

" Offering products, services catering to rising demand as Thailand becomes a fully-fledged ageing society... the Thai branches of Lawson 108, the Japanese convenience-store chain, sell many kinds of health food to serve elderly consumers."

Of course vitamin and nutritional supplements are 5 times the price than in other countries. Don't want to cater to the aging society if it gets in the way of obscene profits of a controlling monopoly.

[IMA_FARANG]

" Offering products, services catering to rising demand as Thailand becomes a fully-fledged ageing society... the Thai branches of Lawson 108, the Japanese convenience-store chain, sell many kinds of health food to serve elderly consumers."

Of course vitamin and nutritional supplements are 5 times the price than in other countries. Don't want to cater to the aging society if it gets in the way of obscene profits of a controlling monopoly.

---------------------------------

You're not supposed to realize that quote so quickly.

They want you to think that Capitalism is good for you from cradle to grave.

And, just incidentally, profitable for them the whole way..

[Pib]

I wonder when Chang, Leo, and other beer makers will start marketing their own Chang, Leo, etc., Adult Diapers for the elderly?

But I expect the govt will apply a high excise tax to the diapers just like the high excise tax they apply to alcoholic drinks. Only makes sense that if it's taxed going in it also needs to be taxed coming out. Yes, yes, makes good sense...make it so.

[masuk]

The supermarkets would help a lot if they increased the size of the product description in English to the same as the Thai.

Even Tesco on the Chiang Mai super highway has their main aisle signs in such small English type that they are difficult to read, let alone the labels on the shelves.

Rimping has the right idea.

[JOC]

The supermarkets would help a lot if they increased the size of the product description in English to the same as the Thai.

Even Tesco on the Chiang Mai super highway has their main aisle signs in such small English type that they are difficult to read, let alone the labels on the shelves.

Rimping has the right idea.

The English signage is so small, that you can't even find the reading-glasses section!!

[Prbkk]

It would help foreigners, not only those who are 'elderly', if the morons responsible for imported products did not plaster a Thai language sticker directly over the nutritonal/contents information area.

[billd766]

"Like many other countries all over the world, Thailand's population has been 'greying' for a number of years."

I know I have.

I'll pass on the adult diapers though.

Not quite there.

Yet.

I hope that they have adult daipers in XXL farang size or XXXXL in Thai for my size.

[Suradit69]

"Like many other countries all over the world, Thailand's population has been 'greying' for a number of years."

I know I have.

I'll pass on the adult diapers though.

Not quite there.

Yet.

While it's undoubtedly true that the Thai population is ageing and that the farang population in Thailand is demographically skewed by the large number of retired people who settle here, that retail outlets and the reporter assume all older people must be incontinent or that they suddenly believe anti-wrinkle cream is the elixir of youth is more than a little ridiculous.

I don't think my shopping habits have changed materially from when I was 40, 50 or 60. For those who are incontinent, I'm certainly happy for them and the rest of us that adult diapers are readily available, but I doubt most of us are ready to load up the shopping cart. I was more interested in anti-wrinkle cream when I was 40 than I am now. Industrial sand blasting wouldn't do much for my wrinkles at this point, although failing eyesight and dim lighting are definite complexion enhancers.

What I would like is if the shopping carts were fitted out with klaxons or air horns or even electric cattle prods. I just spent a half hour in Friendship in the midst of a bunch of newly arrived snowbirds who have come here to escape the northern winter weather. Trying to navigate around them as they aimlessly stagger about and block the aisles is a nightmare and not all of them were that old. It was like the zombies have taken over. Do they not have supermarkets in Europe?

[Suradit69]

It would help foreigners, not only those who are 'elderly', if the morons responsible for imported products did not plaster a Thai language sticker directly over the nutritonal/contents information area.

Or even worse, over the preparation instructions on packaged food items.

[masuk]

It would help foreigners, not only those who are 'elderly', if the morons responsible for imported products did not plaster a Thai language sticker directly over the nutritonal/contents information area.

and also a sign in BIG RED CAPITAL letters to warn the community that measures used in some products are likely to be US measurements.

A metric cup (250ml) is rather different from the very loose instructions "1 cup" especially if it's three or four US cups.

Also, all my kitchen gear is marked in Kg, and ml.and the oven in degrees C.

[Thai at Heart]

Thailands baby boomers with their extensive pensions?

Bloody hell, I will remind mother in law about this. My lord. Its as though they are talking about the Wives of Kalasin with their massive disposable income.

Do you hear this rice farmers, go and spend your ample pensions.....what a load of utter nonsense this article is.

Wealthy independent retired people living on a PENSION make up what percentage of the Thai population?

[masuk]

As this is an expat forum, one presumes we're talking about expat pensioners.

The retired EXPAT population in Chiang Mai has more than doubled in the past few years.

It's a sad fact of life that non-government Thai retired folk do not get a pension as far as I know, but I try and do my little bit with my Thai 'family".

[mikemac]

I am determined not to wear adult daipers when/if I get to the age when I need them.

I will just walk around with no pants on to save money.

[billd766]

It would help foreigners, not only those who are 'elderly', if the morons responsible for imported products did not plaster a Thai language sticker directly over the nutritonal/contents information area.

and also a sign in BIG RED CAPITAL letters to warn the community that measures used in some products are likely to be US measurements.

A metric cup (250ml) is rather different from the very loose instructions "1 cup" especially if it's three or four US cups.

Also, all my kitchen gear is marked in Kg, and ml.and the oven in degrees C.

Perhaps this may help you.

all conversion charts.xls

[billd766]

As this is an expat forum, one presumes we're talking about expat pensioners.

The retired EXPAT population in Chiang Mai has more than doubled in the past few years.

It's a sad fact of life that non-government Thai retired folk do not get a pension as far as I know, but I try and do my little bit with my Thai 'family".

Actually they do.

My Mother in law is living the dream and spending every satang of her 600 baht per month pension.

Fortunately she lives with us in a small house of her own about 20 metres from our house.