Shopping online, surfing on your smartphone and writing messages with WhatsApp: digital consumption has long been an integral part of everyday life for many people between the ages of 55 and 75.
Nevertheless, they continue to rely on tried and tested media such as classic, linear television and the printed newspaper. This emerges from a study by the management consultancy PwC, which was previously available to the German Press Agency and which is to be published next week.
1,000 people from the so-called “baby boomer” age group were asked about their consumer behavior and media use. According to PwC, 94 percent are equipped with a smartphone, and six out of ten use it to surf the Internet every day.
Messenger services and social media also play a major role in this generation’s life. 82 percent communicate regularly with a messenger service such as WhatsApp. 34 percent visit Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) or Instagram every day. Many people use online banking and shopping once or several times a week.
“People aged 55 and over are a highly relevant target group whose purchasing power significantly drives private consumption in Germany,” said Christian Wulff from PwC. “When it comes to media usage and online shopping, there are definitely parallels to younger age groups.”
TV: 76 percent watch more than an hour a day
44 percent of respondents appreciate the benefits of digital technologies and believe that they make life easier, get things done faster and keep in touch with friends and family.
Only 12 percent think that digitalization makes everyday life more complicated. 44 percent agree with the statement that digitalization makes life both easier and more complicated.
At the same time, most baby boomers stick to tried and tested habits. They most often shop in brick-and-mortar stores. Around 80 percent go to a store at least weekly. When it comes to reading newspapers and newspapers, the print version is still more popular.
50 percent read books every day, only 14 percent read e-books. The printed newspaper is read every day by 40 percent, the digital version is read by 35 percent. 71 percent listen to the radio every day, 23 percent listen to streaming services such as Spotify.
People between 55 and 75 spend most of their media time in front of the television. 76 percent watch linear TV for more than an hour a day, while streaming services such as Netflix are only consumed that intensively by 34 percent. One in three of those surveyed plays a video game at least once a week.
Most baby boomers also like it classic when it comes to pay. 85 percent prefer to pay in cash in store, 61 percent with debit cards, only 6 percent with mobile payment systems such as Apple Pay. According to the PwC study, consumers in this age group are particularly loyal to brands. 87 percent said they often buy products from the same brands. The issue of sustainability is also important. 40 percent pay attention to environmentally friendly packaging, 39 percent pay attention to animal welfare.
