Food consumption behavior in seniors' segment

The goal of our paper is the identification of the determinants impacting food procurement process of older customers and to propose some recommendations to retail managers aiming at better consideration and meeting the expectations of the older people. To evaluate the effects of particular factors and explore the beliefs and expectations that influence food consumption, we applied the qualitative research methods with focus groups aiming to provide an in-depth, complex understanding of how seniors see and interpret their satisfaction. The qualitative analytical approach chosen in our research was thematic content analysis. The purpose of employing focus groups lies in selecting information-rich cases for study in depth. Sampling design therefore was more purposive rather than random. The research questions posed by the research have arisen out of the need to gain insight into aspects of seniors' consumption behaviour. The findings from group interviews were supported by the results from a questionnaire. From a retail management and marketing point of view our findings call for a stronger consideration of seniors' customer segment in food offerings and store layout. Both qualitative and quantitative results revealed that age dimensions influence perceptions and behaviour related to food consumption.