A survey of Ireland's over 50s about their consumer needs, lifestyles, spending habits and ambitions for the future. Presented to the Business of Ageing conference, Dublin, March 2011

1. Age Shall Not Wither Them
Ireland’s Older Consumers
A Survey by Amárach Research
March 2011

2. 2
Methodology

3. 3
Research Methodology
Interviewing was carried out from the 7th to the 13th of February
500 Face to Face Interviews
20 Minute Questionnaire
National Representative Sample
of all Adults Aged 50+
50-64 Year 65-74 Year 75+ Year
olds (210) Olds (200) Olds (90)
() Actual number of respondents

4. 4
Profile of Sample – I
(Base: All Adults Aged 50+ = 500)
Gender Age Social Class Region Area
% % % % %
Dublin 26
50-64 42 ABC1/
Male 48 47
F50+
Urban 60
Rest of
Leinster 25
65-74 40 Munster 29
Female 52 C2DE/ 53
F50-
Rural 40
75+ 18 Conn/ 20
Ulster
Quotas were set on age, gender, region and social class to ensure the
sample attained was representative of the Irish population aged 50+.
* Quotas set based on The Central Statistic Office Census 2006

5. 5
Profile of Sample – II
(Base: All Adults Aged 50+ = 500)
Household
Working Status Marital Status
Income
% % %
€2,000-
€10,000 7
Working, 20
full time
€10,001-
Working, €20,000 27
part time 11
Married 58
Working,
in home 16 €20,001-
€30,000 20
Student 1
€30,001-
€40,000 12
€40,001- Widowed 21
Retired €50,000 6
47
€50,001+ 9 Single,
never 10
married
Refused 19 Separated 6
Un- Remarried 1
employed 5 Single 4
Annual
Average: €27,000

6. The Recession

7. 7
The Recession
(Base: All Adults Aged 50+ = 500)
Impact of
Economic Downturn
%
The recession
hasn’t affected 17
Ireland right now – in one word: me at all
The recession
has had a 50
moderate
impact on my
life
The recession
has had a
strong impact 33
on my life

8. 8
Present and Future
(Base: All Adults Aged 50+ = 500)
Positive
Positive Your Future 62% 38%
How You Feel % Negative
68% 32%
Yourself Right Now
Negative
17
% Good/great
11
26 Positive
Good/great
Bleak 10
18
OK/Average
Hopeful 9
Happy 16
OK/Average 8
Anxious/Worried 9
Unknown 8
Sad 3
Poor 6
Poor 3
Worrying 5
Hopeful 3
Bright 5
Depressed 3
Happy 3
Lonely 3

9. 9
Source of Income
(Base: All Adults Aged 50+ = 500)
Main Any
% %
State pension 47 58
Wages from paid employer 21 24
Private pension 15 27
Self employed income 7 8
Partner’s income 3 5
Interest on savings 1 29
Rental income from property 1 6
Disability benefit
12

10. 10
Attitudes to Retirement
(Base: All Adults Aged 50+ = 500)
Ideal Retirement Age
Preferred Method of Retirement
%
<50 1
51-55 5 %
56-60 26 To retire straight 29
away
To retire gradually
(i.e. reduce working
69
61-65 40 overtime)
Not sure 2
66-70 25
71+ 3
Average 64
Age:

11. 11
Lifestyles

12. 12
Frequency of Undertaking Activities– I
(Base: All Adults Aged 50+ = 500)
Daily
Weekly
Monthly
Less Often
Never Watch Use A Make A Buy A Send A Use The
TV Landline Mobile Call Drive Newspaper Exercise Text Internet
% % % % % % % %
19
44 40
51 12
60 60
6
75 2
Daily 96 12
16 3
3
8 7
19 3 34 61
* 14
14 4 42
1 29
Weekly 2 5 19
Monthly 2 15 4
Less Often 2
2– 7 6
*
Never
Mean Score: 29 23 19 18 17 14 13 6
(days per
month)

13. 13
Frequency of Undertaking Activities – II
Monthly+ (Base: All Adults Aged 50+ = 500)
Every 2-3 months
Yearly
Less Often
Never
Go to Eat in Get a Visit Use Public Take a Go to
Pub Restaurant Take-Away Doctor Transport Taxi Cinema Fly
% % % % % % % %
6 3
6 7
25 20
31 12
38
Monthly+ 54 52 10
11 43
19
13
9 25 12
Every 2-3 8 18
months 8 10 23
18
Yearly 5 22
Less Often 11 31 57
14
35 39
Never 8 29 25
22
11
8
2
Mean Score: 3 1.3 1.1 0.8 1.2 0.6 0.2 0.1
(days per
month)

14. 14
Membership of Associations
(Base: All Adults Aged 50+ = 500)
%
Credit Union 60
Residents’ Association 18
GAA 15
Political Party 11
Trade Union 6
Staff Association 4
Book Group 2

15. 15
Ownership and Future Purchase Intentions
(Base: All Adults Aged 50+ = 500)
Currently Own
%
Planned Purchases in
80 Next 12 Months
Mobile phone
%
69 23
Car Holiday
56 Flat screen TV 5
Flat screen TV
44 Car 5
Blu-ray/DVD Player
Mobile phone 3
PC 31
Blu-ray/DVD 2
27 Player
Laptop
MP3 Player/iPod 10
Tablet PC e.g. iPad 4

16. 16
Health & Wellbeing

17. 17
Perceived Health Status
(Base: All Adults Aged 50+ = 500)
TOTAL 50-64 65-74 75+
% % % %
Very healthy (5) 20
24 27 23
74% 73%
79% 65%
45
Fairly healthy (4) 50 50
52
15
Neither/nor (3) 11 13
8
Fairly unhealthy (2) 16
12 11 11
Very unhealthy (1) 3 3 2 4
Mean Score: 3.8 3.9 3.8 3.6

18. 18
Level of Fitness & Reasons for Not Being
Regularly Physically Active
(Base: All Adults Aged 50+ = 500)
Level of Fitness Reasons for Not Being
Regularly Physically Active
% (Base: All not regularly physically active – 48%)
%
Injury/disability/
medical condition 37
I am regularly physically
active and have been so for 48 Not interested
longer than 6 months 23
Interested but not
willing to spend 15
I am regularly physically active but the time
only began in last 6 months 4
No time to do it 14
I do some physical activity but not
enough to meet the description of 23
regular physical activity No facilities to 6
exercise/be active
I am not regularly physically active
but am thinking about starting to do 6
so in the next six months Others * 1
I am not regularly physically 19
active and do not intend to be so Not stated 4
in the next six months
*All others 1% or less e.g. bad weather

19. 19
Activities Taken Part In
(Base: All who take part in exercise = 375) Take part in
any physical
75% activity/
Regularly Ever
exercise
%
Walking 78 87
Golf 14 18
Exercise in gym 9 14
Yoga/Pilates 5 8
Running/Jogging 3 8
Tennis/squash/badminton 3 6
Team Sports (e.g. Football/GAA) 3 10
Others 10 12

20. 20
Attitudes Towards Healthy Eating
(Base: All Adults Aged 50+ = 500)
Attitude Towards Healthy Eating
% Willingness to
Spend More on Healthy Food
%
I watch what I eat in
order to increase my 54
health
No Yes
24% 76%
I tend to go in and out of
phases of healthy eating 27
I am not at all conscious
about the kind of food I 19
eat

21. 21
Private Health Insurance Versus Medical Card
(Base: All Adults Aged 50+ = 500)
Private Health Insurance Private Health Insurances
Medical Card
Providers
(Base: All Insurances Holders- 268)
%
No 46% 54% Yes
70
No 53% 47% Yes
14
13
3 Not stated

22. 22
The Burden of Future Health Care Costs
(Base: All Adults Aged 50+ = 500)
TOTAL 50-64 65-74 75+
% % % %
21
30 34 29
Very worried (1)
65% 66%
71% 49%
28
35 37
Fairly worried (2) 37
14
Neither/nor (3) 12 11
12 28
18 18
Not very worried (4) 14
5 5 9
Not at all worried (5) 3
Mean Score: 2.3 2.1 2.3 2.8

23. 23
Life Online

24. 24
Internet Access
(Base: All Adults who Use Internet at least Once a Year = 190)
38% Access the
internet
Over 50 Internet Main Method of Points of Access
Access Profile Access to the Internet Ever Used
% % %
Total 38
At home 95
Male 38
At work
Female 40 21
51%
PC 48% In a family
50-64 60 Laptop member/
1% friend’s house 3
65-74 34
75+ 3 Internet cafe *
Mobile Internet
Dublin 49
Rest of Leinster 38
Munster 30
Conn/Ulster 34
ABC1/F50+ 48
C2DE/F50- 29

25. 25
Websites Visited Most Often
(Base: All Adults aged 50+ who use
the internet every 2-3 months = 189) Access the
internet
38%
Secondary Websites
%
Primary Websites
8
%
38 8
** 19 7
** 13 6
11 6
11 6
5
Others 44
** Caution small base size
*All other mentions 4% or less including Amazon, Trailfinder, GAA, Irish Examiner

26. 26
Internet Accounts
(Base: All Adults aged 50+ who use the internet every 2-3 months = 189)
38%
Access the
internet %
% % %
Email 80 Total 52 29 37
GENDER Male 52 26 39
52
Female 52 32 36
37 AGE 50-64 58 37 40
29 65-74 43 18 33
75+ * 33 * 33
9
REGION Dublin 45 43 35
5 47 27 45
Rest of Leinster
4 Munster 73 20 35
Connaught/Ulster 45 20 35
2
CLASS ABC1/F50+ 61 30 37
C2DE/F50- 38 29 38
* Caution small base size

27. 27
Online Shopping
(Base: All Adults who Use Internet at least Once a Year = 190) Access the
internet 38%
Items Ever Purchased Online
Ever Purchased Online
(Base: All adults over 50+ who have ever
% purchased an item online – 121)
%
Flights 77
Yes Holidays 77
64% 43
No Insurance
36%
Books 36
Clothes 21
CD’s music 20
DVD’s blue-ray 10
Computer/laptop 8
Games 8
Shoes 7
Groceries 6
Others* 16
* All others 4% or less including mobile phones/camera/MPS Player/motor tax/bets.

28. 28
Switching

29. 29
Switching Behaviour
(Base: All Adults Aged 50+ = 500)
Past 12 months Ever switched Switching in the next 12 months
% (Base: All Who Avail of Products)
Car insurance 13 34 %
Car insurance 13
Main grocery shop 10 23
Health insurance 10
Electricity supplier 10 17
Fixed/landline Main grocery shop 7
provider 7 23
Internet provider 5
Internet provider 5 11
Electricity supplier 5
Mobile provider 5 16
Fixed/landline provider 3
TV service provider 4 9
Health insurance 4 10
Bank/financial 16
institution 3
Gas supplier 2 4
Gym membership – 2

30. 30
Likelihood to Switch from a Premium Brand to an
Own Label Brand – I
(Base: All adults aged 50+ who are responsible for the
Responsible
grocery shopping = 331)
66% For main grocery
shop
Very Very
unlikely likely Neither/ Mean
(1) (2) (4) (5) Nor Score
Toilet tissue/kitchen towel (46) 26 20 26 17 (43) 11 2.9
Household cleaning products (48) 26 22 23 17 (40) 12 2.8
Toiletries (54) 28 26 23 12 (35) 11 2.7
Shampoo/shower gel (57) 31 26 19 10 (29) 14 2.5
Biscuits (57) 33 24 20 6 (26) 17 2.4
Tinned/frozen food (58) 32 26 20 6 (26) 16 2.4
Yoghurts (64) 36 28 15 6 (21) 15 2.3
Soft drinks (60) 37 23 12 6 (18) 22 2.3
Milk (68) 40 28 13 9 (22) 10 2.2

31. 31
Likelihood to Switch from a Premium Brand to an
Own Label Brand – II
(Base: All adults aged 50+ who are responsible for the
Responsible for
grocery shopping = 331)
66% main grocery shop Very Very
unlikely likely Neither/ Mean
(1) (2) (4) (5) Nor Score
Processed meat (63) 38 25 11 4 (15) 22 2.2
Frozen meat (61) 40 21 11 3 (14) 25 2.1
Beer (58) 38 20 7 3 (10) 32 2.1
Chocolate (65) 40 25 10 4 (14) 21 2.1
Butter (71) 43 28 11 6 (17) 12 2.1
Bread (73) 46 27 12 5 (17) 10 2.0
Breakfast cereal (75) 45 30 11 5 (16) 9 2.0
Tea/coffee (76) 48 28 9 3 (12) 12 1.9
Fresh meat (75) 50 25 10 3 (13) 12 1.9

32. 32
Spending More or Less Versus 12 Months Ago
(Base: All adults aged 50+ who are responsible for the
grocery shopping = 331)
66% Responsible for
main grocery shop
The
Less < More > same
Fresh fruit and vegetables 4 41 56
Fresh fish 6 33 61
Food with added vitamins 11 19 70
Own brand goods 10 18 72
Health supplements 15 15 70
Toiletries 14 5 81
Branded goods 19 5 76
Alcohol 28 3 69
Confectionery 33 3 64
Clothing goods 35 4 61
Ready made meals 37 3 60

33. 33
Stereotyping

34. 34
Valued as a Customer
(Base: All Adults Aged 50+ = 500)
%
I feel I am treated with the same
respect as any other customer 75
I feel as if other age groups are prioritised above my own 11
I feel as if everything is aimed at the younger
generational and as a result I feel invisible 7
I feel I am treated better as I have gotten older 7

35. 35
Media Stereotyping
(Base: All Adults Aged 50+ = 500)
Vulnerable Frail Harmless Unable to cope
% % % %
17 20 16
Agree
strongly (5) 31 60% 50%
51%
77%
31 34
43
Agree 46
slightly (4) 13
17
10
25
Neither/nor (3) 7 19 21
Disagree 30% 32% 37%
slightly (2) 11
16% 11 11 12
Disagree 5
strongly (1)
Mean: 3.9 3.4 3.3 3.2

36. “Forty is the old age of youth;
fifty is the youth of old age.”
Victor Hugo

37. Amárach Research
11 Kingswood Business Centre
Citywest Business Campus
Dublin 24
T. (01) 410 5200
E. info@amarach.com
W. www.amarach.com
B. www.amarach.com/blog