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Inclusive or exclusive? Investigating how retail technology can reduce old consumers’ barriers to shopping

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  • Pantano, Eleonora
  • Viassone, Milena
  • Boardman, Rosy
  • Dennis, Charles

Abstract

This paper investigates older consumers in-store shopping experiences and the barriers that they face. The aim is to understand how new retail technologies (e.g., interactive in-store displays, self-service tills, robots etc.) can help seniors access satisfying, autonomous retail experiences, helping them to achieve a sense of inclusion in physical retail settings. Drawing upon the social inclusion/exclusion theory and information overload theory, the research employs a qualitative approach based on an inductive design, including face-to-face semi structured interviews with 36 consumers aged 75+. The findings highlight (i) old consumers have scarce interactions with in-store technologies (adding knowledge to motivations literature), (ii) the need to develop new technologies to support these consumers, and (iii) the extent to which these technologies are excluding rather than including old consumers (adding knowledge to the drivers of the field of exclusion). Results provide guidelines for retailers to enhance the sense of inclusion for old consumers through a better usage of new technologies.

Suggested Citation

  • Pantano, Eleonora & Viassone, Milena & Boardman, Rosy & Dennis, Charles, 2022. "Inclusive or exclusive? Investigating how retail technology can reduce old consumers’ barriers to shopping," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:joreco:v:68:y:2022:i:c:s0969698922001679
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2022.103074
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    1. Sarkar, Biswajit & Seok, Hyesung & Jana, Tapas Kumar & Dey, Bikash Koli, 2023. "Is the system reliability profitable for retailing and consumer service of a dynamical system under cross-price elasticity of demand?," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    2. Paolo Franco, 2023. "Older consumers and technology: A critical systematic literature review," AMS Review, Springer;Academy of Marketing Science, vol. 13(1), pages 92-121, June.
    3. Garrouch, Karim & Ghali, Zohra, 2023. "On linking the perceived values of mobile shopping apps, customer well-being, and customer citizenship behavior: Moderating role of customer intimacy," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    4. Eleonora Pantano & Jamie Carlson & Konstantina Spanaki & George Christodoulides, 2024. "Guest editorial: More supportive or more distractive? Investigating the negative effects of technology at the customer interface," Post-Print hal-04478502, HAL.

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