The evolution of elderly consumer research

A historical review

Bibliographic Data

ID19488798
AuthorsGianluigi Guido (0000-0002-3578-4795, University of Salento, corresponding author)
Year2026
Volume12
Issue1
Pages1-17
Publication date2026-05-17
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueHistory of Retailing and Consumption (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2373-5171 • E-ISSN: 2373-518X
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/2373518x.2026.2659534
OpenAlexW7161581396
LanguageEN
References cited42

This article reconstructs the evolution of research on elderly consumers from the 1950s to the present, providing insights for both scholars and practitioners. The historical dimension identifies five major phases in marketing thought – from early descriptive works to contemporary studies on digital aging – revealing how the elderly consumer evolved from a marginal, deficit-defined figure to an autonomous, identity-driven actor. Taken together, these phases show that the study of elderly consumers is not merely a response to demographic change but a reflection of how marketing has interpreted human aging as a social and economic phenomenon. By integrating past findings, the article highlights the cumulative and multidimensional nature of consumers’ old age and encourages future studies to embed historical awareness within analyses of the silver economy

Government (linguistics) · Perspective (graphical) · Work (physics) · Architecture, Design, and Social History · Consumer Behavior in Brand Consumption and Identification · Service and Product Innovation

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