Who's purchasing the food? Elderly, stores, home service and digital technology in interaction

• This paper aims to deepen the understanding of older consumers' food purchases and the role digitalisation of the food market plays for them. The paper analyses the temporary acting assemblages of heterogenous entities – humans, objects, tools, infrastructures etc. – involved in elderly consumers’ food purchases. We are interested in their capability to act, what actions become possible or restricted and how they can be changed. Theoretically we draw on ANT and the concept of ‘agencements’ (Callon 2008 and Latour 2005). We account for the varying life situations among elderly, regarding i.e. mobility, assistance, interest in and knowledge of digital technology, and highlights how actors, such as family and home service, as well as the accessibility of stores and digital platforms, create opportunities and limitations. The paper discusses strategies used in society to increase accessibility. Elderly consumers’ opportunities to shop for food are analyzed on the basis of so-called prosthetic and habilitation strategies (Callon 2008). Many times, it is the elderly who needs to adapt to the environment and its limitations, with or without prostheses, rather than adapting the environment to the individual (habilitation). The discussion shows the complexity of elderly’s grocery shopping. It highlights the challenges of increasing accessibility, despite inclusive ambitions among both public and commercial actors in society. The analysis is based on a literature review and a survey of initiatives and services offered to elderly consumers. This includes previous research on aging, eating habits, purchasing routines, grocery stores, accessibility and digital technology from an elderly perspective. The survey focuses on home services for the elderly, various commercial initiatives and adaptations, such as accessibility in stores and various digital solutions. The research is work in progress, interviews with seniors are planned for the spring 2020.

Subject headings

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Utbildningsvetenskap -- Lärande (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Educational Sciences -- Learning (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Sociologi -- Sociologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Sociology -- Sociology (hsv//eng)

LANTBRUKSVETENSKAPER  -- Lantbruksvetenskap, skogsbruk och fiske -- Livsmedelsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES  -- Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries -- Food Science (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Ekonomi och näringsliv -- Företagsekonomi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Economics and Business -- Business Administration (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Elderly consumers

digitalisation

grocery shopping

Publication and Content Type

vet (subject category)

kon (subject category)