Age Connects, a charity that supports the elderly in Cardiff and the Vale says supermarkets need to do more to assist with elderly customers needs.
They say a lack a manned tills and accessible toilets creates barriers for older people to visit shops.
Nicola Rockett, who works for the charity, says “there are far more older people nowadays than there ever has been and supermarkets are going more towards automated services”.
“The elderly population spend a lot of money in these shops and no one is thinking about them”.
Heather Parker, 67, volunteers for Age Connects and says “I’m not keen on using a self checkout, not because I don’t want to do it but because psychically it’s difficult for me.”
“When you’re older and you’ve got mobility issues you’re always pre-thinking where you’re going, which one is easiest for me to go to as regards to access to, so I’m thinking it all through before I go out. I don’t think the stores think about that”.
In a survey, Age U.K found that nearly half of all older consumers felt overlooked by retailers.
They said good examples of ‘age friendly’ practice are Tesco’s dementia friendly till and Sainsbury’s slow shopping trial.
A number of high street supermarkets have been contacted for comment.
