Older supermarket shoppers need a positive attitude from employees, functional shopping trolleys, and appropriate placement of products on shelves. Retail stores are public space and they should look good and be functional. Therefore a universal design approach can prevent shopping malls from being ageist.
Key design elements are: seamless entry, easy to use shopping trolleys, finding and reaching products, reading product contents and price tags, and a smooth payment process.
Apart from helpful staff and functional equipment, there are other elements to consider.
- Circulation systems and spaces: ramps, elevators, escalators, hallways and corridors
- Entering and exiting: identifying and approaching entrances and exits and moving through them easily
- Wayfinding: Graphical text, pictograms, maps, photos, diagrams, obvious paths of travel, nodes, edges, zones and districts
- Obtaining products and services: service desks waiting areas and shops
- Public amenities: toilets and seating
- Ambient conditions: noise control, non-glare lighting, adequate temperature and humidity
A paper titled, Design Failure in Indoor Shopping Structures: Unconscious
Ageism and Inclusive Interior Design in Istanbul explains more. The authors use the 7 principles of universal design as a guide and add another 4. The additional four principles are related to aesthetics, social participation, sustainability and equity. They also found that toilets and seating within supermarkets could do much to improve the shopping experience for older people.
As older adults’ need for toilets increases, the time spent in the supermarket declines. So they choose medium or small-sized supermarkets within walking distance of home.
Age inclusive shopping mall design
A 2024 article from the Netherlands continues the story of shopping mall design and older people. The term “the elderly” is used throughout, which is not the preferred term in Australia.
Good controlled lighting, reduced background noise, warmer temperatures, clear pathways with good lines of sight are essential. Shopping is for many older people, an enjoyable and meaningful activity.
Neighbourhood shopping malls are often preferred for daily needs. Larger urban malls tend to attract younger generations and leisure shoppers. A literature review revealed one quarter of older peoples’ shopping is done online. Electronics was the most popular category
The literature often portrays older people as fragile and facing significant challenges. This is a one-sided view. Interviews with older people reveal a diverse reality as the ageing process is an individual experience.
Shopping mall design must account for practicality, individual preferences, a range of functions, spatial arrangements. Design solutions should also aim to create shopping centres that foster social interaction and physical activity.
The title of the research report is The Elderly in a Post-War Shopping Mall. The Dutch case studies add to the value of this report.
Shopping for All: Inclusive Retail
Designing with people with disability in mind results in greater convenience for everyone. That’s why we need businesses to think about inclusive retail experiences and strategies.
The Australian Network on Disability, and Design for Dignity produced an excellent resource for retail outlet designers. The key is for designers and retail outlets to understand the level of their missed business by ignoring population diversity. Graphs and statistics are used to highlight the lost opportunities.
Guides for retailers
The guide is aimed at retail business owners, service providers, shopping centre owners and managers, designers, builders and certifiers. There is also a Design for Dignity microsite with the information in a web-based format with more detail.
The business of age-friendly
Many businesses are not sure how to expand their customer base to include older people and people with disability. Utilising a checklist is one way to start thinking about it. Several organisations have produced checklists and other information to help businesses understand what they can do. Much of it costs little or nothing. Here are just three.
COTA TAS has a checklist that has a rating scale from excellent to needs work. It covers external environments, shop entrances, safety, comfort, and staff training, and much more. It’s nine pages and easy to read.
AgeUK has a more comprehensive document that provides the reasoning behind some of the “Top Tips’. These include telephone interactions, websites, and resolving complaints. The report is based on consumer workshop consultations.