An exploratory study of older customers’ holistic supermarket shopping experience in China

Abstract

This research investigated difficulties and challenges that older customers
face in a supermarket environment in China, so as to understand the way in
which the supermarket environment and service can improve older
customers’ shopping experience. An ethnographic user study, which
combines video-based direct observations, in-depth interviews and a
cultural probe information gathering pack, has been employed to explore
Chinese older customers’ supermarket shopping experience. 30 Chinese
senior citizens above 65 years of age and able to undertake their own
shopping at least once fortnightly participated this project. Research results
show that a shopping experience design should not only concentrate on instore
shopping, but on a holistic shopping experience that includes shopping
preparation, journey to store, in store shopping, journey back to home and
after shopping at home. This flow and journey needs to be understood and
addressed when designing a supermarket service for older customers. The
supermarket shopping related issues that older Chinese customers face
have been summarised, reported and discussed in the paper.

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Identifiers

ORCID for Yuanyuan Yin: orcid.org/0000-0002-2109-0135

ORCID for Ashokkumar Ranchhod: orcid.org/0000-0003-4269-8825

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