What silver surfers in Switzerland buy online

From inflation-related poverty in old age to the 13th pension payment to the historic victory of Senior Women for Climate Protection Switzerland at the European Court of Human Rights,Switzerland’s senior citizens have made the headlines quite a few times this year. The over-50s are also leaving their mark when it comes to online shopping: in 2023, almost 30 per cent of our private customers belonged to this age group.

Lawn mowers instead of printers

If we take a closer look at the older generation’s online shopping habits, we can see clear preferences. The five most popular product categories are the same today as they were in 2020, but the ranking’s changed.

Since 2022, the most popular Digitec Galaxus product category among over-55s has been DIY + Gardening. IT and office products are still popular, but have lost places in the annual sales ranking. Why? Because the pandemic’s over and the share of online-shopping women over 55 has grown significantly in recent years.

If we analyse the individual categories by age and gender, we get a more detailed picture. Women aged 55 and over are most likely to buy household products, while men prefer gardening and DIY equipment.

Women over 55 often buy things for their grandchildren

In general, men over 55 do more online shopping than women of the same age, but the latter have caught up considerably in recent years. Across all product categories, the share of women is increasing more than that of men in this age group.

Senior men continue to generate more sales in consumer electronics, IT products and gardening equipment. Senior women, on the other hand, buy more baby products, toys and pet food.

Women over 55 are more climate conscious

When it comes to sustainability, women over the age of 55 who shop online are more likely to make a climate contribution than men in the same age group.

Across the entire product range, women over 55 have offset 15 per cent of their purchases this year, compared to 12 percent for men over 55.

Are you a senior citizen and like shopping on Digitec or Galaxus? Do your shopping preferences match those described in this article? Feel free to share any feedback in the comment section.