The elderly food consumer: disadvantaged?

Older consumers are an important subgroup of the population whose numbers are rising. Intense competition between retailers and changes in patterns of food shopping among consumers in general have led to research that focuses on factors that contribute to older people being disadvantaged. Research in Scotland has investigated the impact of the food retail sector on elderly people and results indicate that elderly people shop frequently and spend a considerable proportion of their income on food. Income, location, transport and the supermarket environment are all potential factors that can contribute to the disadvantage of older people.