Consumer Behavior in Later Life: Multidisciplinary Contributions and Implications for Research

Abstract

The recent focus on the aging population has created increasing interest in studying older consumers. Numerous theories, models, and frameworks available in various disciplines have been or could be used to study the behavior of older adults in the marketplace. This article presents many of these approaches and assesses their current status and relevance to consumer research. Contributions of various approaches to the study of consumer behavior in later life are discussed in the form of propositions and implications for consumer research and marketing practice, methodological issues related to some of these approaches are highlighted, and a research agenda is recommended to help investigators in future research.