Functioning of retail outlets in Poland during the COVID-19 pandemic at hours accessible only to persons 65+ : the traders’ perspective

Abstract

Purpose: During the COVID-19 pandemic, several restrictions were introduced, which implied changes in the functioning of institutions, companies, schools, shops, etc. It became possible to test various solutions, including facilities for older shoppers, some of them could also be implemented after the pandemic period due to the dynamic process of population aging. One of the solutions introduced in Poland was to set the hours (10 a.m. -12 p.m.) in retail outlets where only people over 65 could shop. Design/Methodology/Approach: In order to verify the effect of the functioning of senior citizen hours in Poland, the analysis of data on transactional traffic and revenue of retail outlets, mainly food stores, was reviewed, and a survey was conducted among retail outlets as well as people aged 65+. The survey included opinions on economic and psycho-social factors. Findings: Older people in Poland are starting to signal their shopping needs, which traders should start to respond to become competitive in the stationary retail market. Practical Implications: There is a low level of trader involvement in the search for facilities for the elderly, from which it can be concluded that they are not yet aware of the growing importance of this customer segment, as confirmed by Bartkowiak research (2020). Originality/Value: This article presents the results of research of retail outlets and suggestions about facilities for older people in shopping. Results of research of people aged 65+ will be present in another article.